COVID-19 and self-reported health of the Norwegian adult general population: A longitudinal study 3 months before and 9 months into the pandemic

• Published in: PloS one 2024-10, Vol.19 (10), p.e0312201
• Main Authors: Garratt, Andrew M, Stavem, Knut
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Anxiety; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; Epidemics; Female; Females; Health problems; Health Status; Higher education; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Measuring instruments; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mental depression; Mental health; Meta-analysis; Middle Aged; Norway; Norway - epidemiology; Pain; Pandemics; People and Places; Physiological aspects; Polls & surveys; Population; Population decline; Population studies; Public health; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Research and Analysis Methods; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Self Report; Social aspects; Social interactions; Social norms; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312201

The COVID-19 pandemic had a global impact on daily lives, and this study aimed to assess the effects on broader aspects of health in the general population of Norway. This population-based cohort study assessed changes in health of the Norwegian general population from 3 months before to 9 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sampling was based on the results of Norwegian surveys designed for collecting general population norms for health measurement instruments. In December 2019, 12,790 randomly selected adults aged ≥18 years received a postal questionnaire. The 3,200 respondents received a similar follow-up postal questionnaire including the EQ-5D-5L, PROMIS-29 instruments, and questions about respondents having or having had COVID-19. Score changes were compared to estimates for the minimal important change (MIC) and age-related change. Association of instrument change scores with baseline characteristics, health problems, and having had COVID-19 was determined using multivariable linear regression. Of 3101 respondents with unchanged addresses, 2423 (78.1%) responded to the second survey. For all respondents, EQ VAS and PROMIS-29 scores for 6 of 8 domains were slightly poorer (p MIC). Those reporting COVID-19 in their partner/family and not themselves, had poorer outcomes for PROMIS-29 anxiety and social participation. About 9 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, EQ-5D-5L and PROMIS-29 domain scores showed slightly poorer health in the Norwegian adult general population compared to 1 year earlier in the same respondents. The overall changes were less than expected for age-related change. Relatively poor outcomes defined as important, included general health and social participation for the elderly, and the latter for those having had COVID-19. In conclusion, this study found no evidence for a decline in important aspects of adult general population health in Norway that might be attributed to the pandemic at approximately 9 months.