Publication date: Jan 17, 2025
The Swedish COVID-19 strategy aimed to protect vulnerable groups through targeted measures, categorizing individuals aged 70 and above as high-risk. This study examines the impact of such group-based risk assessments on subjective health and virus-related concerns among older adults. We analyzed survey data from the SOM Institute for 68- to 71-year-olds in 2019 (N = 684) and 2020 (N = 726). Using ordered logit regression, we compared perceived health and virus-related concerns between individuals just below (68-69 years) and just above (70-71 years) the high-risk age threshold, controlling for demographic factors. In 2020, 70-year-olds reported significantly lower perceived health compared to their 69-year-old peers, a difference not observed in 2019. Furthermore, 70-year-olds exhibited significantly higher virus-related concerns than their slightly younger counterparts. These patterns persisted when expanding the analysis to include individuals aged 68 and 71. Our findings suggest that the Swedish COVID-19 strategy, while aimed at protecting individuals aged 70 and over, may have inadvertently increased perceived vulnerability and health concerns within this group. Conversely, those just below the high-risk age threshold reported better health and lower virus-related concerns, highlighting potential unintended psychological consequences of age-based risk communication.
Open Access PDF
Concepts | Keywords |
---|---|
Demographic | Aged |
Old | Anxiety |
Swedish | COVID-19 |
Virus | Female |
Health Communication | |
Health Status | |
Humans | |
Male | |
Risk Assessment | |
SARS-CoV-2 | |
Self Concept | |
Surveys and Questionnaires | |
Sweden |
Semantics
Type | Source | Name |
---|---|---|
disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
drug | DRUGBANK | Tropicamide |
drug | DRUGBANK | Cysteamine |
drug | DRUGBANK | Fenamole |
pathway | REACTOME | Reproduction |
disease | MESH | infection |
drug | DRUGBANK | Indoleacetic acid |
disease | IDO | role |
disease | MESH | anxiety |
disease | IDO | quality |
disease | MESH | general health |
disease | MESH | marital status |
drug | DRUGBANK | L-Valine |
drug | DRUGBANK | Coenzyme M |
drug | DRUGBANK | Ranitidine |