Perceived changes in capability during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Swedish cross-sectional study from June 2020
SND-ID: 2020-206-1. Version: 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5878/4k6a-e341
Citation
Creator/Principal investigator(s)
Kaspar Meili
- Umeå University, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health
Anna Månsdotter
- Umeå University, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health
Lars Lindholm
- Umeå University, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health
Research principal
Umeå University
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health
Description
Covid-19 has affected people in various ways, directly through disease and death, and indirectly through disease containment measures. Understanding how the pandemic and countermeasures agaist it impacted quality of life is valuable for policy makers.
To address and compare the various components of quality of life, a suitable framework is needed, which the capability approach provides. This approach measures quality of life as opportunities, compared to traditional welfarist economics that defines wellbeing as utility.
For this study, we used a capability list from a Swedish governmental investigation (SOU 2015:56) that suggested relevant capabilities for the Swedish situation: Financial situation, Social relations, Health, Housing, Living environment, Occupation, Knowledge, Security, Time balance, and Political and civil rights.
The study was performed in June 2020. In an internet-based survey, we quota-sampled 500 Swedish residents from a commercial web-panel, after population proportions of age, region of residence, education, gender.
The survey started with the informed consent statem
To address and compare the various components of quality of life, a suitable framework is needed, which the capability approach provides. This approach measures quality of life as opportunities, compared to traditional welfarist economics that defines wellbeing as utility.
For this study, we used a capability list from a Swedish governmental investigation (SOU 2015:56) that suggested relevant capabilities for the Swedish situation: Financial situation, Social relations, Health, Housing, Living environment, Occupation, Knowledge, Security, Time balance, and Political and civil rights.
The study was performed in June 2020. In an internet-based survey, we quota-sampled 500 Swedish residents from a commercial web-panel, after population proportions of age, region of residence, education, gender.
The survey started with the informed consent statement, followed by questions on participants’ current baseline capability levels in the ten capability dimensions (Low, Medium, Complete). Next followed questions about perceived changes in capability during 2020 in the ten dimensions on a five-item Likert scale (Much less, Less, Equal, Higher, Much higher). The survey ended with a number of background questions on socio-economic and demographic conditions.
Sampling large numbers of participants using a commercial web panel is administratively more feasible and quicker than other sampling methods, such as for example direct sampling from the general population. Also, the response rate may be higher and data handling easier. On the other hand, it is less transparent how recruitment into the study was performed and web panel participants may not be representative of the population. Those limitations should be kept in mind when analysing the data and interpreting results.
Data were collected with a PHP-based web application for surveys (limesurvey version 4.2.2, https://www.limesurvey.org) hosted on a Umeå university server. The data was collected anonymously. Show less..
Data contains personal data
No
Language
Unit of analysis
Population
Swedish quota-stratified web panel sample of participants provided by Cint. Cint combines different web panels. Age 18-99, living in Sweden.
Time Method
Sampling procedure
Time period(s) investigated
2020-01-01 – 2020-07-06
Variables
43
Number of individuals/objects
498
Response rate/participation rate
40.8%
According to the webpanel company. Correspond to 560 registered answers. This dataset corresponds to 498 answers with valid age and consent to participate.
Geographic spread
Geographic location: Sweden
Geographic description: Lowest greographical unit is national areas according to NUTS-2.
Lowest geographic unit
National area (NUTS2)
Highest geographic unit
Country
Responsible department/unit
Department of Epidemiology and Global Health
Contributor(s)
Håkan Jonsson - Department of Epidemiology and Global Health
Funding
-
Funding agency:
Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
- Funding agency's reference number: 2018-00143
Ethics Review
Swedish Ethical Review Authority - Ref. 2019-02848
Research area
Health care service and management, health policy and services and health economy (Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2011)
Public health, global health, social medicine and epidemiology (Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2011)
Economics (Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2011)
Social sciences interdisciplinary (Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2011)
Philosophy (Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2011)
General health and well-being (CESSDA Topic Classification)
Social conditions and indicators (CESSDA Topic Classification)
Meili, K. W., Jonsson, H., Lindholm, L., & Månsdotter, A. (2021). Perceived changes in capability during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Swedish cross-sectional study from June 2020. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. Epub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948211023633
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948211023633
URN:
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-185846
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