Effect of socio-community environment on the impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic and well-being among older people in Hong Kong

Objectives: This study examined the effects of the socio-community environment on the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic among older people in Hong Kong.

Methods: A random sample of 1200 60+ participants completed a telephone survey in 2020. Socio-community environment variables covering trust toward politicians, government officials, and medical professionals, and community safety factors covering confirmed cases in the building of the participant, perceived neighborhood safety, and perceived safety in Hong Kong were the independent variables. The dependent variables were impacts of COVID-19 related to social activities, finance and routines, interpersonal relationships, and the workplace. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted with variables on trust and community safety entered as separate blocks while adjusting the effects of the participants’ demographics.

Results: Older people in a community environment that was perceived as less safe reported more negative impacts of COVID. A higher level of trust toward the various types of authorities is also demonstrated to have different effects on the perceived negative impacts of COVID in different aspects of older people’s daily lives.

Conclusion: Trustworthy government policies and measures, as well as building a safe community environment, are important directions for addressing concerns and the negative impacts of a pandemic in the future.