Abstract
There is growing recognition that the public health measures employed to control the spread
of the COVID-19 pandemic had unintended consequences on socioeconomic security and
health inequalities, having the greatest impact on the most vulnerable groups. This longitudinal study aims to explore the medium to long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and
subsequent public health measures on financial security for families living in the deprived
and ethnically diverse city of Bradford. We collected data at four time points before and during the pandemic from mothers who participated in one of two prospective birth cohort studies in Bradford. The findings demonstrate that the risk of experiencing financial insecurity
rose sharply during the pandemic and has not returned to pre-COVID-19 baseline levels.
Several individual characteristics were found to be possible predictors of financial insecurity,
including homeowner status, free school meal eligibility and not working. Protective factors
against financial insecurity include: living in more affluent areas; greater levels of educational attainment; and families with two or more adults in the household. Notably, families of
Pakistani Heritage were found to have the greatest risk of experiencing financial insecurity
throughout the pandemic. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that there were strong
associations between financial insecurity and maternal health and wellbeing outcomes, with
mothers experiencing financial insecurity being more likely to report unsatisfactory general
health and clinically important symptoms of depression and anxiety. The findings of this
study highlight that the impact of financial insecurity experienced by mothers and their families throughout the pandemic was severe, wide ranging and affected the most vulnerable. In
the wake of the pandemic, the emerging cost of living and energy crisis emphasises the
urgent need for policy makers to act to support vulnerable families to prevent further widening of existing health and social inequalities.
of the COVID-19 pandemic had unintended consequences on socioeconomic security and
health inequalities, having the greatest impact on the most vulnerable groups. This longitudinal study aims to explore the medium to long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and
subsequent public health measures on financial security for families living in the deprived
and ethnically diverse city of Bradford. We collected data at four time points before and during the pandemic from mothers who participated in one of two prospective birth cohort studies in Bradford. The findings demonstrate that the risk of experiencing financial insecurity
rose sharply during the pandemic and has not returned to pre-COVID-19 baseline levels.
Several individual characteristics were found to be possible predictors of financial insecurity,
including homeowner status, free school meal eligibility and not working. Protective factors
against financial insecurity include: living in more affluent areas; greater levels of educational attainment; and families with two or more adults in the household. Notably, families of
Pakistani Heritage were found to have the greatest risk of experiencing financial insecurity
throughout the pandemic. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that there were strong
associations between financial insecurity and maternal health and wellbeing outcomes, with
mothers experiencing financial insecurity being more likely to report unsatisfactory general
health and clinically important symptoms of depression and anxiety. The findings of this
study highlight that the impact of financial insecurity experienced by mothers and their families throughout the pandemic was severe, wide ranging and affected the most vulnerable. In
the wake of the pandemic, the emerging cost of living and energy crisis emphasises the
urgent need for policy makers to act to support vulnerable families to prevent further widening of existing health and social inequalities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e0295064 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | PLOS ONE |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 29 Nov 2023 |