The effect of the Australian bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic on health behaviours in people with multiple sclerosis.
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ABSTRACT: Background
Crises and disasters disproportionally impact people with chronic health conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS).Objective
To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Australian Black Summer Bushfires on health behaviours in people with MS.Methods
People with MS, carers, healthcare and advocacy professionals were recruited online between May-July 2020 for an online survey and telephone interviews.Results
Survey items relating to health behaviours were completed by 113 people with MS, and 18 people with MS, 4 MS advocates, 5 healthcare professionals, and 2 carers were interviewed. The bushfires affected 34.5% and the pandemic affected 74.3% of survey participants with MS. The pandemic and bushfires caused a decrease in physical activity in 53.8% and 55.3% of participants respectively, as well as increases in unhealthy eating (43.6% and 24.3% respectively) and alcohol consumption (35.4% and 10.5% respectively), and a decrease in typical sleeping patterns (40.5% and 39.5% respectively). Conversely, 27.5% of participants reported an increase in physical activity during the pandemic. Interview data detailed the circumstances and motivations for changes in health behaviours, as well as consequences, including reduced mobility, fitness, mood disturbances, and weight gain.Conclusion
There is a need to increase support and health promotion for people with MS to maintain or initiate positive health behaviours, especially in times of adversity.
SUBMITTER: Marck CH
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8451990 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:People with multiple sclerosis (MS) were expected to be particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the burden of pandemic, perceived by Polish MS patients, with regard to major contributing factors. The survey, conducted in August/September 2020, included: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE), questions on demographic data, MS characteristics, and health-related and social aspects of pandemic burden. Relationships were searched between PSS-10 and Mini-COPE results and other analyzed items, using U Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA rank test and Spearman rank correlation. The survey was answered by 287 MS patients (208 female, 79 male, aged 21-69 years). Since March 2020, 2.4% of respondents had been positive for COVID-19 and 5.2% had undergone a quarantine. Mean PSS-10 score was 19.99, with moderate or high level of stress in 83.3% of respondents. Problem-focused strategies were more frequently used than emotion-focused strategies (1.76 vs. 1.16). Higher PSS-10 score was associated with comorbidities (H = 4.28), increase in major MS symptoms during the pandemic (21.92 vs. 18.06), experience of healthcare limitations (21.12 vs. 17.98), work-related (22.58 vs. 18.69), financial (22.70 vs. 18.83) and family-related problems (22.54 vs. 17.73) due to pandemic restrictions. A coping model was associated with functional disability and limitations to daily activities (H = 7.81). During the first stage of the pandemic, MS patients reported increased level of stress and preferred problem-focused coping. The level of stress and coping showed more relationships with pandemic impact upon social issues than with MS-related variables.
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