Volume 24, Issue 105, September - October, 2020

Association between socio-demographical characteristics, comorbidities and anxiety burden during COVID-19 lockdown in Saudi Arabia

Hussain Gadelkarim Ahmed^1,2♦, Emad Abboh Abdallah Abboh¹, Rania Abdeen Hussain Abdalla¹, Gamal eldin Mohamed Osman Elhussein¹

¹College of Medicine, University of Ha’il, Saudi Arabia
²Department of Histopathology and Cytology, FMLS, University of Khartoum, Sudan

^♦Corresponding author
Prof. Hussain Gadelkarim Ahmed, College of Medicine, University of Ha’il, Saudi Arabia. Email: Hussaingad5@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Background: During COVID-19, the majority of the globe nations have experienced horrible difficult times during the COVID -19 outbreak. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the association between socio-demographical characteristics, comorbidities and anxiety burden during COVID-19 lockdown in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: In the present descriptive survey, 422 persons (living in the City of Ha'il, Northern Saudi Arabia) were recruited. Both Saudi and non-Saudi persons were included during the COVID-19 lockdown (May 2020). The study was designed to assess the Psychological influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on the community of northern Saudi Arabia. Results: Approximately, 84% of the study population was found with some sorts of anxiety. About 206/257(80%) of the males have claimed some sorts of the anxiety of whom 118/206(57%) were found with anxiety level ≥5. About 150/165(91%) of the females have claimed some sorts of the anxiety of whom 102/150(68%) were found with anxiety level ≥5. The risk of anxiety associated with female gender and the relative risk (RR) the 95% confidence interval (95% CI); RR (95% CI) = 0.4581(0.2666 to 0.7873), P = 0.0047, z -statistic = 2.826. Higher levels of anxiety (level ≥5) were detected in 178/336(53%) Saudi and 42/86(49%) of the non-Saudi participants. The risk of anxiety associated with Saudi participant, RR (95% CI) = 0.8702 (0.5149 to 1.4707), P = 0.6036, z statistic = 0.519. Conclusion: Sociodemographic characteristics (especially, gender, job status, and age) are important factors affecting the community during an epidemic crisis, and should be considered by health policymakers. Especial psychologic support is deemed important for patients with chronic comorbidities, particularly hypertensive patients and those with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: COVID-19, anxiety, comorbidities, Saudi Arabia, Sociodemographic

Medical Science, 2020, 24(105), 3709-3716

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