Older adults’ experiences of restrictive measures during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in southern Switzerland: evidence from the Corona Immunitas Ticino Study

Maciariello, David and Corna, Laurie and Amati, Rebecca and Albanese, Emiliano and Cavalli, Stefano (2022) Older adults’ experiences of restrictive measures during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in southern Switzerland: evidence from the Corona Immunitas Ticino Study. In: British Society of Gerontology 51st Annual Conference, 07.07.2022, Bristol, UK - webinar. (Unpublished)

Text Maciariello D. et al. - 2022 - Uwe conference programme.pdf Download (2MB)

Abstract

Age is an important risk factor for health complications and mortality in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. From the outset of the pandemic, federal authorities in Switzerland implemented numerous public health measures to contain the spread of the virus, while allowing individual cantons to implement even stricter policies. In southern Switzerland, which borders the hard-hit Lombardy region of Italy, the Canton Ticino legislated additional measures, some of which specifically targeted people aged 65 and over (e.g., a ban on grocery shopping). To date, we know relatively little about how older adults perceived and experienced the introduction of these measures and we explore this issue in a large, representative sample of community-dwelling older adults resident in Ticino. We use data from Corona Immunitas Ticino, a prospective cohort study launched in September 2020. Participants (n=818, mean age=73) responded to closed and open-ended questions online or by telephone interview between October 2020 and February 2021. We analyzed responses to open-ended questions about the introduction of the measures using an inductive approach. Participants’ responses encompassed evaluations of their experience of the measures, reactions to them and associated emotions and opinions. At the individual level, 45% had a mostly positive experience, 29% had a mostly negative experience, while 10% identified positive and negative aspects and 16% reported neither. We then ascertained if particular social groups were more or less likely to have experienced the measures favorably or negatively, with a view to identify specific subgroups at risk of negative sequelae following the implementation of age-based policies.

Item Type:	Article in conference proceedings or Presentation at a conference (Lecture)
Subjects:	Mass communication and documentation > Others in mass communications & documentation
Department/unit:	Dipartimento economia aziendale, sanità e sociale > Centro competenze anziani
Depositing User:	Roberta Torriani
Date Deposited:	30 Aug 2022 11:19
Last Modified:	30 Aug 2022 11:23
URI:	http://repository.supsi.ch/id/eprint/13491

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