Investigating the Self-Reported Health Status of Domestic and Overseas Chinese Populations during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mao, Zhuxin; Chen, Bohao; Wang, Wei; Kind, Paul; Wang, Pei

To control the spread of COVID-19, governments in different countries and regions implemented various types of lockdown and outdoor restrictions. The research aimed to describe and compare the health status of Chinese people both domestically and abroad in this global health crisis. An online questionnaire survey was distributed to Chinese mainland citizens living in Hubei (the lockdown province), outside Hubei, and those living abroad in 2020. A total of 1000 respondents were recruited and reported worse health status compared with Chinese population norms. People living in Hubei reported worse health status than those living outside Hubei but revealed better health status than overseas respondents. It was clear that the pandemic as well as strict lockdown and outdoor restriction policies affected Chinese people’s health. It is important for the Chinese government to be aware of the negative impact of such strict policies and to take measures to reduce the panic of society when implementing similar policies in the future. It also implies that governments in other countries should promote social support for those who live far from home and actively call for support for non-discriminatory attitudes toward ethnic minorities.