TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationships between changes in daily occupations and health-related quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Goverover, Yael
AU - Chen, Michelle H.
AU - Botticello, Amanda
AU - Voelbel, Gerald T.
AU - Kim, Grace
AU - DeLuca, John
AU - Genova, Helen M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of the mandated lockdown and social distancing policies on engagement in daily occupations for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and able bodied (i.e. healthy) adults. The study also examined whether the changes in daily occupations were associated with health-related quality of life (HrQOL). Methods: Between the spring and early fall of 2020, 69 persons with MS and 95 healthy adults completed an online survey that included measurements of 26 activities of daily life. For each activity, participants reported whether they continued to perform the activity (with or without adjustments), whether they stopped, or started to perform the activity during the pandemic. Social support, HrQOL, and demographics, including financial distress were also obtained. Results: Participants with MS and healthy adults both reduced the number of activities performed during the pandemic. Healthy adults continued to do more activities with and without adjustments compared with participants with MS. In both groups, better HrQOL was associated with the number of activities participants continued to do with and without adjustments, and worse HrQOL with the number of activities they stopped doing. Conclusions: Fewer persons with MS engaged in everyday occupations than healthy adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to maintain occupational engagement and to participate in social and daily activities is important for maintaining high HrQOL in both groups. Thus, these results call for attention in treatment and self-management of MS symptomatology.
AB - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of the mandated lockdown and social distancing policies on engagement in daily occupations for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and able bodied (i.e. healthy) adults. The study also examined whether the changes in daily occupations were associated with health-related quality of life (HrQOL). Methods: Between the spring and early fall of 2020, 69 persons with MS and 95 healthy adults completed an online survey that included measurements of 26 activities of daily life. For each activity, participants reported whether they continued to perform the activity (with or without adjustments), whether they stopped, or started to perform the activity during the pandemic. Social support, HrQOL, and demographics, including financial distress were also obtained. Results: Participants with MS and healthy adults both reduced the number of activities performed during the pandemic. Healthy adults continued to do more activities with and without adjustments compared with participants with MS. In both groups, better HrQOL was associated with the number of activities participants continued to do with and without adjustments, and worse HrQOL with the number of activities they stopped doing. Conclusions: Fewer persons with MS engaged in everyday occupations than healthy adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to maintain occupational engagement and to participate in social and daily activities is important for maintaining high HrQOL in both groups. Thus, these results call for attention in treatment and self-management of MS symptomatology.
KW - Activities of daily living
KW - Covid-19
KW - Multiple sclerosis
KW - Quality of life
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117752064&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85117752064&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103339
DO - 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103339
M3 - Article
C2 - 35158428
AN - SCOPUS:85117752064
SN - 2211-0348
VL - 57
JO - Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
JF - Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
M1 - 103339
ER -