Relationship between self-care activities, stress and well-being during COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-cultural mediation model
Journal
BMJ Open
ISSN
2044-6055
2044-6055
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
Elkin Luis
Elena Bermejo-Martins
Martín Martinez
Ainize Sarrionandia
Cristian Cortes
Edwin Yair Oliveros
María Sol Garces
José Victor Oron
Pablo Fernández-Berrocal
Type
Resource Types::text::journal::journal article
URL Institutional Repository
Abstract
<jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives</jats:title><jats:p>To examine the mediation role of self-care between stress and psychological well-being in the general population of four countries and to assess the impact of sociodemographic variables on this relationship.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Design</jats:title><jats:p>Cross-sectional, online survey.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Participants</jats:title><jats:p>A stratified sample of confined general population (N=1082) from four Ibero-American countries—Chile (n=261), Colombia (n=268), Ecuador (n=282) and Spain (n=271)—balanced by age and gender.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Primary outcomes measures</jats:title><jats:p>Sociodemographic information (age, gender, country, education and income level), information related to COVID-19 lockdown (number of days in quarantine, number of people with whom the individuals live, absence/presence of adults and minors in charge and attitude towards the search of information related to COVID-19), Perceived Stress Scale-10, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale-29 and Self-Care Activities Screening Scale-14.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Self-care partially mediates the relationship between stress and well-being during COVID-19 confinement in the general population in the total sample (<jats:italic>F</jats:italic> (3,1078)=370.01, p<0.001, R<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>=0.507) and in each country. On the other hand, among the evaluated sociodemographic variables, only age affects this relationship.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>The results have broad implications for public health, highlighting the importance of promoting people’s active role in their own care and health behaviour to improve psychological well-being if stress management and social determinants of health are jointly addressed first. The present study provides the first transnational evidence from the earlier stages of the COVID-19 lockdown, showing that the higher perception of stress, the less self-care activities are adopted, and in turn the lower the beneficial effects on well-being.</jats:p></jats:sec>
Subjects
covid-19
;
mental health
;
preventive medicine
;
primary care
;
public health
;
communicable disease control
;
covid-19
;
cross-cultural comparison
;
cross-sectional studies
;
humans
;
sars-cov-2
;
self care
;
adult
;
article
;
chile
;
colombia
;
controlled study
;
coping behavior
;
coronavirus disease 2019
;
cultural factor
;
demography
;
ecuador
;
employment
;
female
;
hospital anxiety and depression scale
;
human
;
human tissue
;
lockdown
;
major clinical study
;
male
;
nutrition
;
perceived stress scale
;
physical activity
;
physiological stress
;
psychological well-being
;
quarantine
;
self care
;
sleep quality
;
social aspect
;
social status
;
spain
;
stress management
;
communicable disease control
;
cross-sectional study
;
cultural factor