ABSTRACT
Purpose of Study: Between September 2020 and November 2021, a survey was developed in partnership with children, youth, and community members experiencing vulnerabilities in a Vancouver Inner City Neighbourhood (ICN) to explore challenges encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the survey, participants were asked questions about their financial status, housing security, food accessibility, and other social determinants of health. Other equity-seeking groups in Vancouver, including youth experiencing developmental and/or other medical diversity, wished to adapt the ICN COVID-19 survey to explore the impact of the pandemic in their community. These youth are active members of the province's pediatric tertiary care teaching hospital's Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), and in sharing their lived experience as patients, they strive to improve the quality of healthcare for children and youth throughout British Columbia. The objectives of this study were to: 1) adapt the COVID-19 survey to capture the views and needs of youth experiencing developmental and/or other medical diversity;and 2) identify how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted this group's social determinants of health. Methods Used: Ethics board approval was obtained for this observational, cross-sectional study (H20-00987). The research team and YAC co-constructed an adapted COVID-19 survey via Zoom dialogues. YAC members completed the survey online via Qualtrics from May 2022-August 2022. Demographic information and survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Summary of Results: In total, 12 participants completed the survey, including 11 youth and 1 staff member. The median age of the youth participants was 23 years (n=11, min=14, max=29). During the COVID-19 pandemic, 82% (9/11) of youth reported changes in their ability to attend work or school, 36% (4/11) reported concern around reliable and affordable access to medications/medical treatment, and 46% (5/11) reported difficulty in caring for themselves. 46% (5/11) of youth also reported difficulty in caring for older adults or people in their families with disabilities. Many youth (6/11;55%) reported they had less than five people to turn to for support in times of stress, and 46% (5/11) of youth reported the pandemic changed their ability to connect with these people. Furthermore, 82% (9/11) of youth reported experiencing some level of distress related to the pandemic. 73% (8/11) of youth reported heightened anxiety, 82% (9/11) reported worsened mood, 55% (6/11) reported difficulty sleeping, and 64% (7/11) reported difficulty exercising. Conclusion(s): Youth with developmental and/or other complex medical diversity experienced difficulties accessing work and education, reliable and affordable medical care, and social support due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic negatively impacted the social, emotional, and physical wellbeing of these youth, indicating a need for future dialogue and advocacy to ensure the views and voices on rights of children and youth are honoured.