Table 5 Summary of themes including a description as well as a respondent’s representative quotation
Theme | Description | Representative Quote |
|---|---|---|
Job loss | Resulted in a reduction or elimination of work | “Stopped working in March and only went back at the beginning of October. Even with unemployment, money has been tight” |
Healthcare access/concern | Reduced access to healthcare due to in-person appointment restrictions and/or availability of healthcare staff | “I had limited access to healthcare” |
Physical health concern | Increased concern about physical health | “Almost all my appointments are now telehealth, where I have no telehealth appointments prior to COVID-19. My chronic pain treatments were all canceled, as they were in person appointments for injections, medical massages and acupuncture. My health has definitely suffered as a result of COVID-19” |
Social / family contact | Reduced contact with friends and family | “Not seeing my family; I isolated” |
Financial concern | Stress related to finances due to COVID | “Stress over finances and fear of getting seriously ill” |
Mental health concern | Increased mental health concerns during pandemic | “Covid has been the epitome of bad timing, and has affected my mental health most of all. Pain is pain, which is only so manageable, but just when I thought I had a handle on my mental health, Covid came in and reversed so much of my progress” |
Remote Work | Resulted in working from home | “Working from home, paranoia about getting sick or bringing the disease home; Limited social activities” |
Children's school / care | Reduction or elimination of childcare | “kids are doing a hybrid model at school with remote days and no buses which complicates work and logistics for everyday life” |
Weight gain | Weight increases during pandemic | “I have gained some weight (from being less active)” |
Reduced recreation | Reduced time spent doing recreational activities during pandemic | “Finances, job, friends, vacation” |
Housing | Potential change to or loss of housing | “It is stressful because it may affect my healthcare and housing” |
Financial improvement | Finances improved due to receiving unemployment | “Because I got pandemic unemployment for a while, I have more money usual” |