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European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 11, No. 2
Publication Date: April 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/aivp.112.14136.
Imishue, O. T., Ogunkoya, J. O., Jagun, O., Ladele, A. E., & Betiku, A. (2023). Assessment of the Quality of Life of Healthcare Workers
in Nigeria during COVID- 19 Pandemic. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(2). 251-259.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Assessment of the Quality of Life of Healthcare Workers in
Nigeria during COVID- 19 Pandemic
Onome Tobore Imishue
School of Clinical Sciences, Benjamin Carson Senior College of Health and Medical Sciences,
Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. Psychiatry Unit, Department of
Medicine, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
John Omotola Ogunkoya
School of Clinical Sciences, Benjamin Carson Senior College of Health and Medical Sciences,
Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria., Respiratory Unit, Department of
Medicine, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Omodele Jagun
School of Clinical Sciences, Benjamin Carson Senior College of Health and Medical Sciences,
Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria., Ophthalmology Unit, Department of
Surgery, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Akindele Emmanuel Ladele
School of Clinical Sciences, Benjamin Carson Senior College of Health and Medical Sciences,
Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria., Department of Family Medicine,
Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Anthony Betiku
School of Clinical Sciences, Benjamin Carson Senior College of Health and Medical Sciences,
Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria., Ophthalmology Unit, Department of
Surgery, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 pandemic caused increased pressure at work, coupled with
a lack of appropriate infection prevention and treatment guidelines, and led
increased work burdens, increased burnout, psychological symptoms, and post- traumatic stress. The quality of life of healthcare workers during the pandemic can
therefore have a profound negative impact on the healthcare needs of the general
population. Aims/objectives: This study was designed to explore the mental health
status among HCWs in Nigeria during the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic and
identify the determining factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out using
a semi-structured online questionnaire. SurveyMonkey was used as the survey
platform. The questionnaire used was distributed through email and WhatsApp.
The study participants were HCWs in Nigeria and were recruited using a non- probability purposive sampling technique. Results: Responses gotten from one
hundred and fifty-four (154) participants were included in this study which was
made up of 84(54.5%) females and 70(45.5%) male participants. The mean age of
respondents was 38.8±8.1 years. More than half of the respondents were doctors
(50.6%, n=78), followed by Nurses (33.1%, n=51). The mean composite SOS-10
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European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 11, Issue 2, April-2023
score was 51.6±7.63. Majority of study participants recorded good composite score
(94.2%, n=145) with only one participant having a poor score (0.6%). The median
composite SOS-10 score of respondents was 52 (of a maximum of 60), with an
interquartile range of 49-47. There was no correlation between the respondent’s
age, sex, religion, marital status, professional status, medical history, medical
insurance, and the number of years and SOS-10 scores (rs = 1.00, p >0.05). However,
there is a correlation between the respondents’ general health rating and SOS-10
scores (p=0.001). Conclusion: This study found that the QoL of healthcare workers
in Nigeria was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during the first wave of the
pandemic
Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Healthcare workers, SARS CoV2, SOS-10, Quality of
life
INTRODUCTION
The World health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 outbreak a ‘Pandemic on March 11th
2020, as a result of the rapid increase in spread of the virus worldwide. [1] The first report of
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case in Nigeria was reported on February 27, 2020, in
Lagos. On March 9, 2020 [1] the second case of this virus was reported in Ewekoro, Ogun State
in a Nigerian who was in contact with the index case. [2] As of September 2021, the Federal
Ministry of Health, Nigeria had reported 265,382 cases of COVID-19 with 3,155 deaths
nationwide. [3] The COVID-19 pandemic crisis had negatively impacted the working
environment and the demands or access to healthcare by the general population. However,
healthcare workers were among the highest groups impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. [4]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, increased pressure at work coupled with a lack of
appropriate infection prevention and treatment guidelines, increasing work burdens, often led
to increased burnout, psychological symptoms, and post-traumatic stress. [4, 5] The quality of
life of healthcare workers can therefore have a profound negative impact on the healthcare
needs of the general population. [5] Just like past pandemics and epidemics, COVID-19 is known
to cause a wide range of mental stress with serious psychological impacts. In fact, people have
been under immense stress and expressed fear of being infected and probably dying from
exposure to the virus. [6] Healthcare workers have shown fear and anxiety behaviors as a result
of a shortage of basic requirements needed to take care of infected patients such as Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) and ventilators, leading to increased consumption and a massive
shortage of masks and safety. [6, 7] Also, most frontline healthcare staff is faced with huge stress
at work, especially as a result of prolonged working hours. These often lead to poor sleep
quality and subsequent disturbance of the psychological well-being of these workers. [7, 8, 9]
Despite worldwide warnings about the mental health of frontline healthcare workers during
the COVID-19 pandemic, very few researches have been carried out to evaluate the mental
health challenges faced by healthcare workers, especially during the first and second waves of
the pandemic in Nigeria.
A recently published systematic review showed that the prevalence of depression and anxiety
among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic was 37% and 40%, respectively. This was higher
than that observed in non-pandemic situations, where the prevalence of depression and anxiety
was 11.3% and 17.3%, respectively. [10, 11] However, no study from Nigeria was included in this
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Imishue, O. T., Ogunkoya, J. O., Jagun, O., Ladele, A. E., & Betiku, A. (2023). Assessment of the Quality of Life of Healthcare Workers in Nigeria during
COVID- 19 Pandemic. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(2). 251-259.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.112.14136
meta-analysis. This study was therefore designed to explore the mental health status among
HCWs in Nigeria during the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic and identify the determining
factors
METHODS
Study Design
This cross-sectional study was carried out using a semi-structured online questionnaire.
SurveyMonkey was used as the survey platform. On this survey platform, each participant could
only participate in the questionnaire once as the Internet Protocol address was used to identify
duplicate entries with only one entry included during analysis. The questionnaire used was
distributed through email and WhatsApp which were the most widely used and accessible
social media platforms in Nigeria.
Study Population and Duration
The online survey was conducted amongst health professionals in Ogun State (one of the 36
states in Nigeria) by sending the survey questionnaire via email and WhatsApp using contact
details obtained from individual professional groups. The responses from the survey were
collected over four weeks between 18th May and 17th August 2020.
The Inclusion Criteria:
HCWs who were actively working during the COVID-19 pandemic, and agreed to participate in
this study. The HCWs included in this study were doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists,
pharmacists, hospital cleaners, and hospital administrators.
Sample Size Estimation and Subject Selection
The study participants were HCWs in Nigeria and were recruited using a non-probability
purposive sampling technique. All consecutively consenting individuals above 18 years of age
who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study. The minimum required sample
size was calculated using EpiInfo. [12] According to the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria had
about 33,000 doctors and 74, 000 nurses which totaled 107,000 by September 2016. Using an
expected frequency of 50%, an acceptable margin of error of 5%, and a design effect of 1.0, a
minimum of 150 participants were needed to obtain sufficient statistical power, assuming 95%
Confident interval. However, 154 participants were used in this study.
Data Collection
A semi-structured online questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and
medical history, and assess subjective quality of life (SQOL) impairment with the Schwartz
Outcome Scale (SOS-10) – a 10-item scale. The maximum score obtainable is 60. The Schwartz
outcome Scale – 10 was developed to fill the need for an outcome measure suitable for all
patients, all treatments, and all levels of care. More specifically, it was designed to monitor
outcomes, at both the individual and aggregate level, across a wide range of adult mental health
services. SOS-10 score 1-20 was classified as poor, 21-40 was classified as fair and 41-60 was
classified as good.