Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychological Status and Quality of Life among Participants of the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify differences in quality of life before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and determine the influence of psychological status on the observed changes in the quality of life among older adults. METHODS: The Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research study recruited Malaysians aged at least 55 years from 2013 to 2015. Follow-ups were conducted between September and December 2020. Quality of life was determined using the 12-item Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization, and Pleasure questionnaire. Psychological statuses were assessed using the 21-item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, and 4-item Perceived Stress Scale. RESULTS: This study included data from 706 individuals (mean age, 73.3±6.8 years). We observed reduced quality of life and increased anxiety among 402 (43.1%) and 144 (20.9%) participants, respectively. Participants felt "out of control," "left out," "short of money," and "life was full of opportunities" less often and could "please themselves with what they did" more often. Multivariate analyses revealed increased depression, anxiety, and stress as independent risk factors for reduced quality of life. CONCLUSION: Individuals with increased depression, anxiety, and stress levels during the pandemic experienced a worsening quality of life. Thus, the development of effective strategies to address the mental health of older adults is needed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on their quality of life.

The Impact of Poor Nutrient Intakes and Food Insecurity on the Psychological Distress among Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged and Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of food insecurity and poor nutrient intake on the psychological health of middle-aged and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sub-sample of 535 individuals aged 52 years and above, from the earlier cohort and interventional studies (n = 4) from four selected states in Peninsular Malaysia, were recruited during the COVID-19 outbreak (April to June 2020). Telephone interviews were conducted by trained interviewers with a health sciences background to obtain participants' information on health status, physical activity, food security, and psychological health (General Health Questionnaire-12; normal and psychological distress). Univariate analyses were performed for each variable, followed by a logistic regression analysis using SPSS Statistics version 25.0. Results revealed food insecurity (OR = 17.06, 95% CI: 8.24-35.32, p < 0.001), low protein (OR = 0.981, 95% CI: 0.965-0.998, p < 0.05), and fiber intakes (OR = 0.822, 95% CI: 0.695-0.972, p < 0.05) were found to be significant factors associated with the psychological distress group after adjusting for confounding factors. The findings suggested that food insecurity and insufficiencies of protein and fiber intakes heightened the psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Optimal nutrition is vital to ensure the physical and psychological health of the older population, specifically during the current pandemic.

Mediation effect of coping strategies on general psychological health among middle-aged and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to assess general psychological health, associated factors, and the potential of coping strategies as a mediator for middle-aged and older Malaysian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A total of 535 individuals aged 52 years and above from the previous cohort and interventional studies in Peninsular Malaysia were contacted during the Movement Control Order (MCO) issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telephonic interviews were conducted to obtain participant information concerning socio-demography, physical activity, subjective well-being (SWB) as assessed using flourishing scale, coping strategies, and general psychological health (GHQ-12). Simple linear regression (SLR) and multiple linear regression (MLR) analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with GHQ-12. The associated factors were further analysed using mediation analysis to determine the potential of coping strategies as a mediator. RESULTS: It was observed that participants had a low mean GHQ-12 score (M = 0.80, SD = 2.19), indicating good psychological health. Living arrangement, physical activity, and flourishing scale were associated with psychological health (R2 = 0.412, p < 0.05) in MLR. Positive reinterpretation, emotional support, instrumental support, humour, denial, and self-blame appear to partially mediate the relationship between socio-demography, physical activity, flourishing scale and GHQ-12, with lower coefficient values. CONCLUSION: Middle-aged and older adults in Malaysia had good psychological health during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when living with family, physically active, and having good subjective well-being. These findings provide the initial evidence to help promote the ageing population's general well-being and mental health and enable them to cope with change during the COVID-19 pandemic.