Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Changes in daily life and wellbeing in adults, 70 years and older, in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic

Fristedt, Sofi LU ; Carlsson, Gunilla LU ; Kylén, Maya LU orcid ; Jonsson, Oskar LU orcid and Granbom, Marianne LU orcid (2022) In Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 29(6). p.511-521
Abstract

Background: In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swedish authorities enforced specific recommendations on social distancing for adults 70 years and older (70+). Day-to-day life changed for 15% of the Swedish population. The aim of the study was to explore how adults 70+ experienced and managed changes in everyday life due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how those changes affected wellbeing at the beginning of the virus outbreak. Methods: Eleven women and six men, (mean age 76 years), living in ordinary housing, participated in remote semi-structured interviews in April 2020. The interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Findings: The theme Suddenly at risk–‘…but it could have been worse’ included four categories My... (More)

Background: In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swedish authorities enforced specific recommendations on social distancing for adults 70 years and older (70+). Day-to-day life changed for 15% of the Swedish population. The aim of the study was to explore how adults 70+ experienced and managed changes in everyday life due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how those changes affected wellbeing at the beginning of the virus outbreak. Methods: Eleven women and six men, (mean age 76 years), living in ordinary housing, participated in remote semi-structured interviews in April 2020. The interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Findings: The theme Suddenly at risk–‘…but it could have been worse’ included four categories My world closed down; Negotiations, adaptations and prioritizations to manage staying at home; Barriers and facilitators to sustain occupational participation; and Considerations of my own and other’s health and wellbeing emerged from the data analysis. Conclusion: Everyday life changes had implications for health and well-being. The participants questioned previous conceptions of meaning in relation to habitual activities, likely leading to consistent occupational changes. However, these long-term effects remain to be explored, and considered to enable older adult’s health during the pandemic and beyond.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Corona, health, later life, occupational deprivation, risk group, social distancing, social interaction, Sweden
in
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
volume
29
issue
6
pages
511 - 521
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • pmid:34088255
  • scopus:85107498820
ISSN
1103-8128
DOI
10.1080/11038128.2021.1933171
project
The At-Risk Study – Older adults´ health, wellbeing, and daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
672a004c-275e-4db4-aa2b-10fd11bfd58f
date added to LUP
2021-07-09 14:07:50
date last changed
2024-06-15 13:20:45
@article{672a004c-275e-4db4-aa2b-10fd11bfd58f,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swedish authorities enforced specific recommendations on social distancing for adults 70 years and older (70+). Day-to-day life changed for 15% of the Swedish population. The aim of the study was to explore how adults 70+ experienced and managed changes in everyday life due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how those changes affected wellbeing at the beginning of the virus outbreak. Methods: Eleven women and six men, (mean age 76 years), living in ordinary housing, participated in remote semi-structured interviews in April 2020. The interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Findings: The theme Suddenly at risk–‘…but it could have been worse’ included four categories My world closed down; Negotiations, adaptations and prioritizations to manage staying at home; Barriers and facilitators to sustain occupational participation; and Considerations of my own and other’s health and wellbeing emerged from the data analysis. Conclusion: Everyday life changes had implications for health and well-being. The participants questioned previous conceptions of meaning in relation to habitual activities, likely leading to consistent occupational changes. However, these long-term effects remain to be explored, and considered to enable older adult’s health during the pandemic and beyond.</p>}},
  author       = {{Fristedt, Sofi and Carlsson, Gunilla and Kylén, Maya and Jonsson, Oskar and Granbom, Marianne}},
  issn         = {{1103-8128}},
  keywords     = {{Corona; health; later life; occupational deprivation; risk group; social distancing; social interaction; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{511--521}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy}},
  title        = {{Changes in daily life and wellbeing in adults, 70 years and older, in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2021.1933171}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/11038128.2021.1933171}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}