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Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities
Jul 17, 2024;

Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Disparities in COVID-19 Pandemic Worries.

Christina W Hoven, Anna Krasnova, Michaeline Bresnahan, Xiaoxiao Sun, George Musa, Lupo Geronazzo-Alman, Megan Ryan, Norbert Skokauskas, Lawrence Amsel, Connie Svob, Renee D Goodwin, Heather Zemeck, Keely Cheslack-Postava
Author Information
  1. Christina W Hoven: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  2. Anna Krasnova: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  3. Michaeline Bresnahan: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  4. Xiaoxiao Sun: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  5. George Musa: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  6. Lupo Geronazzo-Alman: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  7. Megan Ryan: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  8. Norbert Skokauskas: Department of Mental Health, Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare (RKBU Central Norway), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
  9. Lawrence Amsel: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  10. Connie Svob: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  11. Renee D Goodwin: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
  12. Heather Zemeck: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
  13. Keely Cheslack-Postava: Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University-New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA. Keely.Cheslack@nyspi.columbia.edu. ORCID
PMID: 39017774 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-024-02093-y

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores whether these disparities extend to the content of worries.
METHODS: We surveyed 1,222 participants from three metropolitan New York City (NYC) based cohorts through telephone interviews conducted from March to September 2020. Worries were assessed using 37 dichotomous questionnaire items, and exploratory factor analysis derived ten categories of worry. Factor scores were analyzed in generalized linear mixed models to examine their associations with race/ethnicity and household income, adjusting for covariates.
RESULTS: The most prevalent worry items pertained to U.S. and world politics, American values, health concerns, and return to normalcy. Higher household income was associated with lower worry about economic needs, job/employment, and violence/victimization, while violence/victimization worries were strongly associated with Asian, Hispanic, Black, and multiracial or other race/ethnicity.
CONCLUSIONS: During early COVID-19, lower-income and minoritized race and ethnic groups were disproportionately affected by economic and violence/victimization worries, while other worries showed minor variations by income or race/ethnicity.

Keywords

COVID-19 Ethnicity Health Disparities Race Socioeconomic Status Worry

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Grants

  1. R01 DA038154-05S3/NIDA NIH HHS
Journal Article
Article has an altmetric score of 1

Word Cloud

Created with Highcharts 10.0.0COVID-19worriesworryrace/ethnicityincomeviolence/victimizationRacialethnichealthdisparitiesWorriesitemshouseholdassociatedeconomicSocioeconomicDisparitiesBACKGROUND:socioeconomicbecameevidentpandemicstudyexploreswhetherextendcontentMETHODS:surveyed1222participantsthreemetropolitanNewYorkCityNYCbasedcohortstelephoneinterviewsconductedMarchSeptember2020assessedusing37dichotomousquestionnaireexploratoryfactoranalysisderivedtencategoriesFactorscoresanalyzedgeneralizedlinearmixedmodelsexamineassociationsadjustingcovariatesRESULTS:prevalentpertainedUSworldpoliticsAmericanvaluesconcernsreturnnormalcyHigherlowerneedsjob/employmentstronglyAsianHispanicBlackmultiracialCONCLUSIONS:earlylower-incomeminoritizedracegroupsdisproportionatelyaffectedwhile othershowedminorvariationsEthnicPandemicEthnicityHealthRaceStatusWorry

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