Prevalence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and its Impact on Public Mental Health in Rural versus Urban Population of Sindh, Pakistan: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Background: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an immense public mental health threat. Asia has a great mix of rural and urban populations which differ in health-care facilities. Its virulence is escalating the psychological impact but its epidemiological dynamics are still needed to be explored. Therefore, we explored the prevalence of COVID-19 and its impact on public mental health in rural versus urban adults aged 18–65 years in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Sindh, Pakistan, from April to July 2021. Stratified random sampling was used for 1494 respondents. Seven rural and urban districts were chosen. After informed consent, information on demographics, depression, and anxiety was collected through structured questionnaires. Statistical analyses were performed by SPSS version 26 with mean ± standard deviation for continuous and frequency (percentages) for categorical variables. t-test and Chi-square test were applied at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The prevalence of COVID-19 was found to be 20.9% in Sindh, Pakistan. Among 1494 respondents, the rural–urban distribution was 757 (50.7%) and 737 (49.3%) with females on the slightly higher side (774 [51.9%]). There was a statistically significant difference in age, household members, earning members, gender, marital status, and occupation. Prevalence of depression and anxiety was 42.2% and 85.5%, respectively. Both were statistically significant for rural–urban populations with P < 0.001 for depression and P = 0.003 for anxiety. Conclusion: The study showed a significant difference in the public mental health of the equitable rural versus urban population of Sindh, Pakistan, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires strategies by policymakers.