Income loss and subsequent poor psychological well-being among the Chinese population during the early COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had major ramifications for health and the economy at both the individual and collective levels. This study examined exogenous negative changes in household income and their implications on psychological well-being (PWB) among the Chinese population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data were drawn from the early China COVID-19 Survey, a cross-sectional anonymous online survey administered to the general population in China. Self-reported PWB was measured using a 5-point Likert scale with five questions related to the participants’ recent psychological state. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was employed to examine whether income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with poor psychological health. Results This study included 8,428 adults, of which 90% had suffered from a moderate or severe loss of household income due to the early COVID-19 pandemic. Those who had experienced moderate or severe loss of income scored significantly lower on psychological well-being than those who did not experience income loss (19.96 or 18.07 vs. 21.46; P < 0.001); after controlling for confounders, income loss was negatively associated with PWB scores (moderate income loss: B = − 0.603, P < 0.001; severe income loss: B = − 1.261, P < 0.001). An interaction effect existed between the degree of income loss and pre-pandemic income groups. Specifically, participants in the middle-income group who had suffered severe income loss scored the lowest on PWB (B = − 1.529, P < 0.001). There was also a main effect on income loss, such that participants with varying degrees of income loss differed across five dimensions, including anhedonia, sleep problems, irritability or anger, difficulty with concentration, and repeated disturbing dreams related to COVID-19. Conclusions Income loss during the pandemic has had detrimental consequences on psychological well-being, and the magnitude of the impact of income loss on psychological well-being varied according to previous income levels. Future policy efforts should be directed toward improving the psychological well-being of the economically vulnerable and helping them recover from lost income in the shortest time possible.

Restricted health service utilization and subsequent positive self-care behavior during the early COVID-19 pandemic in China

“…It was collected via WeChat, which is a popular social media tool that has become an essential part of the daily work and life of Chinese adults. The primary aim of the 2020 China COVID-19 Survey study is to explore whether health disparities by age, sex, race, living condition, or socioeconomic status emerge or worsen throughout the pandemic; this survey has been used in other articles in China during the COVID-19 pandemic ( 35 , 36 ). This structured questionnaire compasses seven topics:…”

“…Then, we use multiple linear models and binary logistic regression to examine whether RHSU was associated with self-care behavior outcomes. In the process, we measured self-care behavior through four indicators and introduced the following control variable into the model for each indicator: demographic and socioeconomic variables (age, sex, marital status, educational level, residential area, and household income level in the last year), health condition (chronic disease, self-rated health) and COVID-19 related variables (lost job due to COVID-19, food shortage, experienced COVID-19 infection, drug shortage, perceived risk of infection, the degree of difficulty in daily household activities and infection risk level of living area), which were chosen based on the knowledge of the available literature related to the topics ( 11 , 12 , 22 , 36 ). Finally, the adjusted multivariate logistic regression was introduced to analyze subgroup heterogeneity in sex, age, chronic disease, and actual infection risk level of the respondent’s residence; the differences in self-care behavior outcomes between subgroups were tested using the Chow test ( 40 ).…”

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dairy Consumption Trends: An Empirical Investigation of Accounting Data in China

“…Despite its basic necessity, food consumption was not immune to the global crisis induced by COVID-19. In China, a range of factors, including reduced incomes due to the inability to work [1,2], increased expenditure on medical care [3], and fear [4], led to a decline in food consumption during the pandemic. Consumers were observed making changes to their food consumption preferences, opting for more cost-effective alternatives [5] that included a reduction in fruit consumption [6] and a decrease in the intake of animal-derived foods [6,7].…”