Variation in the stringency of COVID-19 public health measures on self-reported health, stress, and overall wellbeing in Canada

Abstract

Evidence is building regarding the association between government implemented public health measures aimed at combating COVID-19 and their impacts on health. This study investigated the relationship between the stringency of public health measures implemented in Canada and self-reported mental health, physical health, stress, and wellbeing among a random sample of 6647 Canadians 18 years of age and older. The analysis was based on self-reported health data from the Canadian Perspectives on Environmental Noise Survey. This data was combined with the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker database, which included overall stringency index (SI), and four of its sub-components, i.e., school and business closures, restrictions on gatherings, and stay at home policies. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression models indicated that the magnitude of the overall SI was associated with higher or lower odds of reporting worse physical health, mental health, stress and/or overall wellbeing, depending on the measure evaluated. Similarly, policy directed at the four sub-components had varying impacts on the odds of reporting worse health, depending on the sub-component, the strength of the policy restriction, and the health outcome evaluated. The association between the strength of the public health measures and self-reported health, and how this may inform future policy, is discussed.

Pandemic Stringency Measures and Hospital Admissions for Eating Disorders

“… The index included 12 stringency indicators, including work or office and school closures, public event cancellations, restrictions on private gatherings, travel restrictions, stay-at-home orders, and public information campaigns, with coding that ranged from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating stricter measures (eTable 1 in Supplement 1 ). The stringency index was measured daily (eFigure 1 in Supplement 1 ).…”

“…This study provides new knowledge using robust Canadian stringency data to assess mental health impacts of public health measures among youths. While the Canadian stringency may have been different from that in other countries, the rise in eating disorder visits was seen in many G10 countries, and the stringency index has been used in studies of physical and mental health in adults internationally, 15,16 suggesting that these findings are possibly generalizable to other industrialized nations.…”

“…15 Among G10 nations, Canada had the second-highest stringency, but the approach throughout the country was heterogeneous. [16][17][18] Understanding the relationship between the stringency of pandemic public health restrictions and eating disorders and, in particular, eating disorder hospitalizations can allow better deployment of prevention and early intervention strategies. Delineating this relationship will have important implications for future pandemic preparedness.…”

Mental Health Hospitalizations in Canadian Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Over the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…4 Canada, having the second-highest stringency among the Group of Ten nations, has often been described as having outperformed comparable nations during the pandemic with less adult COVID-19 mortality. 5 , 6 , 7 …”

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 99% of the world’s children experienced some form of restriction, with 1.5 billion experiencing school closure . Canada, having the second-highest stringency among the Group of Ten nations, has often been described as having outperformed comparable nations during the pandemic with less adult COVID-19 mortality …”