Job loss and lower healthcare utilisation due to COVID-19 among older adults across 27 European countries

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14310%2F21%3A00123003" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14310/21:00123003 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://jech.bmj.com/content/75/11/1078" target="_blank" >https://jech.bmj.com/content/75/11/1078</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2021-216715" target="_blank" >10.1136/jech-2021-216715</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Job loss and lower healthcare utilisation due to COVID-19 among older adults across 27 European countries

Original language description

Background Older adults are at greater risk for becoming severely ill from COVID-19; however, the impact of the pandemic on their economic activity and non-COVID-19-related healthcare utilisation is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and predictors of COVID-19-related unemployment and healthcare utilisation in a sample of older adults across 27 European countries. Methods We used data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe COVID-19 Survey, collected between June and August 2020. Participants (n=52 061) reported whether they lost a job, forwent medical treatment and whether their appointment was postponed due to COVID-19. Three-level models were estimated for each outcome to test the effects of individual, household and country-level characteristics. Results The mean prevalence of reported job loss, and forgone and postponed medical care was 19%, 12% and 26%, respectively. Job loss was associated with female sex, lower education and household income, and older age in women. For example, the OR of job loss, comparing primary versus tertiary (college) education, was 1.89 (95% CI 1.59 to 2.26). Forgone and postponed medical care was associated with older age in men, female sex and higher education. At the country level, postponed medical care was associated with more stringent governmental anti-COVID measures. Conclusion Job loss and lower healthcare utilisation for non-COVID-19-related reasons were common among older adults and were associated with several sociodemographic characteristics. Job loss appeared to disproportionally affect already economically vulnerable individuals, raising concerns about the exacerbation of social inequalities.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

30304 - Public and environmental health

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2021

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

ISSN

0143-005X

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

75

Issue of the periodical within the volume

11

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

6

Pages from-to

1078-1083

UT code for WoS article

000708108300009

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85106024872