Abstract: PO0098
Anxiety in Patients with CKD During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Predictors and Consequences Among Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study Participants
Session Information
- COVID-19: Health Systems and More
November 04, 2021 | Location: On-Demand, Virtual Only
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Category: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- 000 Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Authors
- Dorans, Kirsten S., Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
- Wright Nunes, Julie A., University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
- Schaubel, Douglas Earl, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Sha, Daohang, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Rahman, Mahboob, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Feldman, Harold I., University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Group or Team Name
- CRIC Study Investigators
Background
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with anxiety and depression. Though the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased stressors on patients with CKD, assessments of anxiety, its predictors and consequences, including on virus mitigation behaviors are lacking.
Methods
From June to October 2020, we administered a survey about anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic to 1888 participants in CRIC. We examined associations of anxiety with demographics, clinical indices, health literacy, health-related behaviors and COVID-19 mitigation behaviors.
Results
Four anxiety-related constructs were assessed: one composite overall global anxiety construct and three sub-constructs: general anxiety, worry, mood/feelings. Construct scores had moderate to strong correlations with each other (0.48–0.89) and high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha ≥0.81). In adjusted analyses, younger age, female gender, Hispanic ethnicity, cardiovascular disease, household income <$100,000, unemployment, and marginal or inadequate health literacy predicted higher anxiety. During the pandemic, higher global anxiety scores were associated with higher odds of eating less healthy foods, reduced physical activity, and weight gain as well as reporting always wearing a mask in public in the past week.
Conclusion
Several factors predict higher anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although anxiety is typically thought to be an undesired outcome, in addition to being associated with less healthy behaviors, anxiety was associated with higher self-reported mask wearing. Our study indicates a need for interventions to support healthy behaviors and virus mitigation strategies, without provoking or worsening anxiety in patients with CKD.
Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression examining associations between overall anxiety composite score and self-reported behaviors.
| Odds Ratio | p value | |
| In past week, always wear a mask in public | 1.27 | <0.001 |
| In past week, always remain ≥6 feet apart from others not in household while in public | 1.06 | 0.26 |
| Since pandemic began, travel out of state/country | 0.94 | 0.43 |
| Eating less healthy during pandemic vs eating the same or healthier during the pandemic | 1.27 | <0.001 |
| Less physically active during pandemic vs having the same or higher level of physical activity | 1.33 | <0.001 |
| Weight gain during the pandemic vs maintaining or losing weight | 1.21 | <0.001 |
Funding
- NIDDK Support