When COVID-19 exacerbates inequities: The path forward for generating wellbeing

Warren, Meg A.; Bordoloi, Samit Dipon

doi:10.5502/ijw.v10i3.1357

Cited by 42 publications

(32 citation statements)

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“…Available evidence shows that majority of women in sub-Saharan Africa live on the fringes of the peripheral sectors of the African economy, with common economic engagements such as smallscale farming, petty trading, small enterprises, and domestic tasks with minimal financial rewards (32)(33)(34). Besides, among several groups of workers that have been deemed "essential" and required to be physically present at work are health care professionals (35). These health care workers are considered as frontline staff against COVID-19 who are not only at higher risk of infection but are also under significant psychological stress due to enormous work schedules (36,37).…”

Section: Work/employment Inequalitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ahinkorah

Hagan

Ameyaw

et al. 2021

Front. Glob. Womens Health

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Pandemics such as COVID-19 have often resulted in international, national and sub-regional crises, with considerable inequities across many societies. With the already existing structural and socio-economic inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa, the stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, and shutdowns across the sub-regional states could worsen and have a tremendous impact on vulnerable groups. Numerous studies across a variety of contexts have well-documented gender, and cultures on varied health outcomes. However, these have not been contextualized in sub-Saharan Africa in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mini review discusses the ways by which COVID-19 has impacted the lives of girls and women across sub-Saharan Africa and the strategies that can help mitigate these challenges. The mini review specifically shares light on a wide array of dimensions where the inequities exist. These include the disproportionate areas affected by COVID-19; household inequities; educational inequalities; work/employment inequalities; disparities related to healthcare, sexual and reproductive health as well as housing inequities. Conclusively, the review accentuates the need for sub-Saharan African countries to adopt low-cost preventive measures such as discouraging mass gatherings (e.g., local community gatherings), and face masking with non-medical cloth like masks for the local populace as these are crucial in managing the spread of the virus among disproportionate women population. For localities with limited access to handwashing facilities, alternative strategies like alcohol-based hand rub solutions could be deployed. The complex interrelated disparities require a broad set of policy actions to lessen the current burden faced by many women in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Section: Work/employment Inequalitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ahinkorah

Hagan

Ameyaw

et al. 2021

Front. Glob. Womens Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These deaths and restrictions to contain the disease have had immense socio-economic implications (Nicola et al, 2020), which together place a burden on overall mental health and well-being (Fisher et al, 2020;Khan et al, 2020). During 2020, daily life changed radically for many, with lockdowns and social-distancing measures being implemented to curb infection rates (Lewnard and Lo, 2020;Warren and Bordoloi, 2020). Individuals and groups at all levels of society have had to manage the consequences of these changes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Artistic Creative Activities in Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia

et al. 2021

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During the COVID-19 pandemic some Australians turned to artistic creative activities (ACAs) as a way of managing their own mental health and well-being. This study examined the role of ACAs in regulating emotion and supporting mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also attempted to identify at-risk populations. We proposed that (1) participants would use ACAs as avoidance-based emotion regulation strategies; and (2) music engagement would be used for emotion regulation. Australian participants (N = 653) recruited from the general public completed an online survey, which included scales targeting anxiety (GAD7 scale), depression (PHQ9 scale) and loneliness (two UCLA Loneliness Scales, referring to “Before” and “Since” COVID-19). Participants reported which ACAs they had undertaken and ceased during the pandemic using an established list and ranked their undertaken ACAs in terms of effectiveness at making them “feel better.” For their top-ranked ACA, participants then completed the Emotion Regulation Scale for Artistic Creative Activities (ERS-ACA), and if participants had undertaken any musical ACAs, also the Musical Engagement Questionnaire (MusEQ). The results supported both hypotheses. ANOVAs indicated that participants ranked significantly higher on the “avoidance” ERS-ACA subscale than the other subscales, and that participants ranked significantly higher on the emotion regulation and musical preference MusEQ subscales than the other subscales. Additionally, while ACAs such as “Watching films or TV shows” and “Cookery or baking” were common, they ranked poorly as effective methods of emotion regulation, whereas “Listening to music” was the second-most frequently undertaken ACA and also the most effective. “Singing” and “Dancing” were among the most ceased ACAs but also ranked among the most effective for emotion regulation, suggesting that support for developing pandemic-safe approaches to these ACAs may provide well-being benefits in future crises. Additionally, correlation analyses showed that younger participants, those who took less exercise during the pandemic, and those with the highest musical engagement reported the poorest well-being. We conclude that ACAs provided an important resource for supporting mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and could potentially support mental health and well-being in future crises.

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“…On the other hand, there is evidence that the intense work-related psychological pressure experienced by frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic may lead to burnout (especially in terms of emotional exhaustion) and somatic symptoms [ 8 ]. Moreover, for the whole working population, an additional risk of developing stress and psychological discomfort arises from the negative consequences of being “socially distanced” [ 9 ], and sometimes this exacerbated social inequities [ 10 ]. Due to the remote working conditions, employees often experienced feeling of loneliness and isolation [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and health correlates of Onine Fatigue: A cross-sectional study on the Italian academic community during the COVID-19 pandemic

et al. 2021

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Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people had to shift their social and work life online. A few researchers and journalists described a new form of fatigue associated with a massive use of technology, including videoconferencing platforms. In this study, this type of fatigue was referred to as Online Fatigue. A new tool (the Online Fatigue Scale) was developed, and its psychometric properties were evaluated. This tool was used to assess Online Fatigue among Italian academics and to examine its associations with psychological and physical health. Methods An online survey was conducted in December 2020 on a sample of Italian academics. Besides the Online Fatigue Scale (11 items) used to assess Online Fatigue, the survey was composed of questionnaires (including validated measures) focused on sociodemographic and job-related information, technostress creators, health status, psychological well-being, and COVID-related perceived distress. The psychometric properties of the Online Fatigue Scale were evaluated, and statistical analyses were conducted to examine the associations between Online Fatigue and all the other variables. Results Participants were 307 academics aged 24–70 years old (mean age = 40.7; SD = 10.1). The Online Fatigue Scale showed good psychometric properties. Two subscales were identified: Off-Balance Fatigue and Virtual Relations Fatigue. High levels of Off-Balance Fatigue were associated with a greater use of technology, female gender, and presence of minor children. Participants with high scores on both subscales reported a greater frequency of psychosomatic symptoms, unhealthy habits, poorer psychological well-being, and greater Covid-related perceived distress. Conclusions The Online Fatigue Scale can be considered a reliable tool to assess Online Fatigue, which was significantly detected in our sample of Italian academics, along with its negative effects on physical and psychological health. Being a woman and having young children represent important risk factors. Universities should promote the separation between work and private life by encouraging self-care activities.

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When COVID-19 exacerbates inequities: The path forward for generating wellbeing

Cited by 42 publications

References 0 publications

COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa

COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Role of Artistic Creative Activities in Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia

Prevalence and health correlates of Onine Fatigue: A cross-sectional study on the Italian academic community during the COVID-19 pandemic

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