gms | German Medical Science

19. Deutscher Kongress für Versorgungsforschung

Deutsches Netzwerk Versorgungsforschung e. V.

30.09. - 01.10.2020, digital

Real time monitoring of social and public health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Swiss population: a prospective panel study

Meeting Abstract

  • Marc Höglinger - ZHAW Zürich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur Institute of Health Economics, Winterthur, Schweiz
  • André Moser - University of Zürich, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zürich, Schweiz
  • Maria Carlander - ZHAW Zürich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur Institute of Health Economics, Winterthur, Schweiz
  • Simon Wieser - ZHAW Zürich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur Institute of Health Economics, Winterthur, Schweiz
  • Oliver Hämmig - University of Zürich, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zürich, Schweiz
  • Milo A. Puhan - University of Zürich, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zürich, Schweiz

19. Deutscher Kongress für Versorgungsforschung (DKVF). sine loco [digital], 30.09.-01.10.2020. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2020. Doc20dkvf039

doi: 10.3205/20dkvf039, urn:nbn:de:0183-20dkvf0398

Published: September 25, 2020

© 2020 Höglinger et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Background and current state of (inter)national research: The COVID-19 emergency challenges our society in an unknown way and citizens experience a substantial change of their daily lives and activities. The initiated social monitor collects important and timely population-based self-reported data about a change in social and health behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research questions and objectives: Currently there is no population-based data of the effects on health and wellbeing in the Swiss population related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we have defined the following research objectives

1.
Short-term: Weekly monitoring of real time and short-term relevant social and health indicators to inform the public about positive and negative aspects of implemented public health measures during the COVID-19 epidemic.
2.
2Mid-term: A monthly report of the COVID-19 epidemic and the impact of public health measures on social and health consequences on population level.
3.
Long-term: To assess the impact and acceptance of the implemented public health measures, for example, the adherence to the social distancing rule. Long-term effects on, e.g., mental health.

We hypothesize that the public health measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have an impact on the well-being of the Swiss population in terms of mental health, decreased life satisfaction and quality of life, non-use of health care services, economic insecurity as well as health behavior.

Methods: Our study is a longitudinal online panel of a representative sample of the Swiss population with online access, aged 18–79 years. We measure numerous study outcome indicators covering general well-being, mental health, social support, healthcare use and working conditions over multiple survey waves. The used items origin from validated and established questionnaires and population surveys. Up to the submission of this abstract we have completed four survey waves in one- or two-week intervals.

Results/Discussion: The data collection is ongoing and per today we have approximately 2000 participants in the online panel (first wave 25% response rate, follow-up waves about 75% response rate). The preliminary results of our study show that most survey participants reported a good to very good life satisfaction (93.3%, 95%CI [92.1%, 94.3%]). Approximately one tenth of the survey participants reported a worsened quality of life compared to before the COVID-19 emergency (8.8%, 95%CI [7.6%, 10.1%]) and feelings of loneliness (9.8%, 95%CI [8.6%, 11.2%]). 3.6%, 95%CI (2.8%, 4.5%), of the survey participants never left the home during the last seven days. Approximately every seventh (15.6%, 95%CI [14.1%, 17.2%]) survey participant did use a health service during the last 14 days. 1.3%, 95%CI (0.9%, 2.1%), of the survey participants reported that they became unemployed because of the COVID-19 emergency.

Practical implications: We create open-access real time data to inform the public and health authorities about relevant aspects of and possible changes in social and health behavior during the COVID-19 emergency and beyond. Future research using this online panel will focus on specific social and health-related domains and longitudinal analyses.