Impact of the COVID-19 National Lockdown on a Rural and Tribal Population of Tamil Nadu, Southern India: A Mixed-Methods Survey (original) (raw)

2022, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

We assessed the impact of the national lockdown on a rural and tribal population in Tamil Nadu, southern India. A mixed-methods approach with a pilot-tested, semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussions were used. The impact of the lockdown on health, finances, and livelihood was studied using descriptive statistics. Multivariable logistic regression was carried out to identify factors associated with households that borrowed loans or sold assets during the lockdown, and unemployment during the lockdown. Of the 607 rural and tribal households surveyed, households from comparatively higher socioeconomic quintiles (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.84; 95% CI, 1.01–3.34), with no financial savings (aOR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.17–7.22), and with larger families (aOR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.22–2.53), took loans or sold assets during the lockdown. Previously employed individuals from rural households (aOR, 5.07; 95% CI, 3.30–7.78), lower socioeconomic households (aOR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.74, 5.45)...