There was a 26 per cent increase in hypertension cases among women, a 30 per cent increase in pain complaints, and a 37 per cent increase in anxiety-related complaints post-COVID in comparison to 2019
The percentage of women who were diagnosed with conditions such as hypertension, or complained of conditions such as pain, body ache, back pain, anxiety and loss of sleep – have all gone up considerably, Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) data from Technology Healthcare Bigdata (THB) has revealed.
In a statement, THB said, “In the context of International Women’s Health Day, THB shared clinical insights on how women’s health has evolved over the last 12-18 months since we have the initial COVID impact and the lockdown. There was a 26 per cent increase in hypertension cases among women, a 30 per cent increase in pain complaints, and a 37 per cent increase in anxiety-related complaints post-COVID in comparison to 2019.”
The EMRs of 42,000 women from 21 cities – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Goa, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kanpur, Karimnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mumbai, Mysore, Noida, Pune, Raipur, and Trichinopoly – were analysed.
The statement also said that it is evident that 2020 hasn’t particularly been kind on the health of women. With involvement in domestic work, including home-schooling for children and elderly care, working women are unable to take care of themselves. According to THB’s big data analysis, hypertension has been found to be a leading health issue in women, and isolation and stress are known to increase its risk. This also corroborates with the scientific study that identified that women who participated in little to no social activity were 30 percent more likely to have hypertension.
Handling extra responsibilities has also increased mental stress. According to a study conducted between April 2020 and May 2020 with 537 women working from home as well as working from home, mental health was moderately and severely affected in 27.5 percent and 27 percent of participants, respectively. The study showed that one in three women experienced a great increase in physical load due to household chores during the lockdown, according to the statement.
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