Volume 28, Supplement—December 2022
SUPPLEMENT ISSUE
Surveillance
A Nationally Representative Survey of COVID-19 in Pakistan, 2021–2022
Sarah Aheron
, Kerton R. Victory, Amnah Imtiaz, Ian Fellows, Sara I. Gilani, Bilal Gilani, Christie Reed, and Avi J. Hakim
, Kerton R. Victory, Amnah Imtiaz, Ian Fellows, Sara I. Gilani, Bilal Gilani, Christie Reed, and Avi J. Hakim
Table 1
Characteristics of 6,577 COVID-19 survey participants in Pakistan, 2021–2022*
| Characteristic |
All, no. (%) |
Categories, no. (%, 95% CI) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 is inevitable, n = 1,828 |
COVID-19 is not inevitable, n = 3,980 |
Tested for COVID-19, n = 1,424 |
Have not tested for COVID-19, n = 5,113 |
||
| Sex | |||||
| M | 4,470 (49.4) | 1,351 (32.0, 29.5–34.5) | 2,504 (68.0, 65.5–70.5) | 1,127 (22.1, 20.1–24.3) | 3,311 (77.9, 75.7–79.9) |
| F |
2107 (50.6) |
477 (21.2, 19–23.5) |
1,476 (78.8, 76.5–81) |
297 (11.7, 10.1–13.5) |
1,802 (88.3, 86.5–89.9) |
| Age, y | |||||
| 18–24 | 1,415 (19) | 409 (28.1, 24.5–31.9) | 860 (71.9, 68.1–75.5) | 249 (16.8, 13.9–20.2) | 1,156 (83.2, 79.9–86.2) |
| 25–34 | 2,239 (33.3) | 587 (25.0, 22.3–28) | 1,416 (75.0, 72–77.7) | 529 (17.7, 15.4–20.1) | 1,702 (82.3, 79.9–84.6) |
| 35–44 | 1,553 (26.3) | 428 (25.4, 22.2–29) | 941 (74.6, 71.1–77.8) | 343 (15.6, 13.2–18.4) | 1,199 (84.4, 81.7–86.8) |
| >45 |
1,370 (21.4) |
404 (28.0, 24.3–31.9) |
763 (72.1, 68.1–75.7) |
303 (17.1, 14.3–20.3) |
1,056 (82.9, 79.7–85.7) |
| Residence | |||||
| Rural | 3,715 (64.6) | 641 (23.5, 21.3–25.9) | 1,898 (76.5, 74.1–78.7) | 907 (15.7, 14.0–17.7) | 2,325 (84.3, 82.3–86.0) |
| Urban |
2,862 (35.4) |
1,187 (31.4, 29.1–33.8) |
2,082 (68.6, 66.2–70.9) |
517 (18.8, 17.1–20.7) |
2,788 (81.2, 79.4–82.9) |
| Employment | |||||
| Employed | 3,952 (50.3) | 1,186 (29.5, 27.0–32.2) | 2,214 (70.5, 67.8–73.0) | 998 (21.1, 19.0–23.4) | 2,927 (78.9, 76.6–81.0) |
| Not working | 831 (9.1) | 255 (29.9, 25.9–34.2) | 495 (70.1, 65.8–74.1) | 194 (21.1, 17.7–25.1) | 630 (78.9, 74.9–82.4) |
| Female homemaker |
1,673 (40.7) |
362 (21.8, 19.5–24.4) |
1,193 (78.2, 75.6–80.5) |
202 (10.6, 8.9–12.5) |
1,465 (89.4, 87.5–91.1) |
| Monthly income, USD | |||||
| None | 1,429 (35.8) | 334 (22.4, 19.6–25.4) | 991 (77.7, 74.6–80.4) | 222 (12.4, 10.4–14.7) | 1,200 (87.6, 85.3–89.6) |
| <$163 | 2,668 (49.9) | 823 (28.0, 25.4–30.8) | 1,550 (72.0, 69.2–74.6) | 527 (17.6, 15.5–20.0) | 2,133 (82.4, 80.0–84.5) |
| $163–208 | 562(8.3) | 196 (32.9, 27.2–39.3) | 318 (67.1, 60.8–72.9) | 144 (19.0, 14.7–24.3) | 416 (81.0, 75.7–85.3) |
| >$208 |
494 (5.9) |
154 (33.4, 26.5–41.0) |
279 (66.6, 59.0–73.5) |
165 (25.7, 20.6–31.6) |
324 (74.3, 68.4–79.4) |
| Highest level of education completed | |||||
| Less than primary | 1,731 (49.9) | 413 (23.4, 20.7–26.3) | 1,085 (76.6, 73.7–79.3) | 267 (13.9, 11.9–16.3) | 1,448 (86.1, 83.7–88.1) |
| Primary and middle | 1,256 (19.8) | 315 (26.2, 22.9–29.7) | 799 (73.8, 70.3–77.1) | 207 (14.8, 12.3–17.6) | 1,048 (85.2, 82.4–87.7) |
| Secondary and high | 2,316 (23.2) | 661 (29.5, 26.9–32.2) | 1,388 (70.5, 67.8–73.1) | 546 (21.6, 19.4–24.0) | 1,758 (78.4, 76.0–80.6) |
| Graduate and postgraduate |
1,222 (7.1) |
429 (36.3, 32.4–40.5) |
677 (63.7, 59.5–67.6) |
391 (27.2, 23.5–31.2) |
820 (72.8, 68.8–76.5) |
| PHQ-4 mental health status† | |||||
| Normal | 2,687 (45.1) | 786 (27.7, 25.1–30.4) | 1,662 (72.3, 69.6–74.9) | 606 (18.6, 16.4–20.9) | 2,076 (81.4, 79.1–83.6) |
| Mild | 2,306 (36.9) | 622 (24.2, 21.5–27.0) | 1,362 (75.8, 73.0–78.5) | 461 (13.7, 11.8–15.8) | 1,822 (86.3, 84.2–88.2) |
| Moderate | 685 (12.7) | 234 (31.2, 26.2–36.8) | 383 (68.8, 63.2–73.8) | 145 (18.4, 14.4–23.2) | 536 (81.6, 76.8–85.6) |
| Severe |
332 (5.3) |
82 (26.8, 19.8–35.2) |
217 (73.2, 64.8–80.2) |
64 (13.0, 9.1–18.3) |
264 (87.0, 81.7–90.0) |
| Worried about COVID-19 | |||||
| Very worried | 1,477 (22.2) | 534 (35.8, 31.8–39.9) | 746 (64.2, 60.1–68.2) | 342 (18.9, 16.0–22.1) | 1,124 (81.1, 77.9–84.0) |
| Moderately | 260 (3.7) | 75 (29.8, 22.3–38.7) | 144 (70.2, 61.4–77.7) | 59 (15.4, 10.8–21.7) | 200 (84.6, 78.3–89.2) |
| A little | 1,540 (24.3) | 472 (27.7, 24.6–31.0) | 911 (72.3, 69.0–75.4) | 275 (13.1, 11.1–15.4) | 1,258 (86.9, 84.6–89.0) |
| Not at all |
3,205 (49.9) |
730 (21.2, 19.0–23.6) |
2,131 (78.8, 76.4–81.0) |
716 (17.5, 15.5–19.6) |
2,473 (82.5, 80.4–84.5) |
| Tested for COVID-19 | |||||
| Y | 1,424 (16.8) | 494 (36.6, 32.2–41.1) | 772 (63.4, 58.9–67.8) | NA | NA |
| N |
5,113 (83.2) |
1,326 (24.2, 22.4–26.1) |
3,188 (75.8, 74.0–77.6) |
NA |
NA |
| No. times tested | |||||
| 1 | 138 (71.8) | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2 | 35 (22.9) | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 3–5 |
10 (5.3) |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| Why tested | |||||
| Feel unwell | 68 (39.4) | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Contact with COVID-19 case | 18 (12.7) | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Required for work | 39 (14.8) | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Required for school | 16 (7.9) | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Other |
32 (25.2) |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| COVID-19 inevitable | |||||
| Y | 1,828 (26.3) | NA | NA | 494 (23.6, 20.6–26.9) | 1,326 (76.4,73.1–79.4) |
| N |
3,980 (73.7) |
NA |
NA |
772 (14.6, 13.1–16.3) |
3,188 (85.4, 83.7–86.9) |
| Stressed due to additional responsibilities of caregiving or work due to COVID-19 | |||||
| Strongly disagree | 1,562 (24.2) | 325 (19.5, 16.6–22.7) | 1,068 (80.5, 77.3–83.4) | 353 (17.3, 14.6–20.4) | 1,193 (82.7, 79.6–85.4) |
| Disagree | 854 (12.7) | 279 (27.9, 23.4–32.8) | 456 (72.2, 67.2–76.6) | 148 (13.3, 10.3–17.1) | 702 (86.7, 82.9–89.7) |
| Neutral | 663 (10.9) | 210 (31.7, 26.5–37.4) | 378 (68.4, 62.6–73.6) | 160 (17.7, 14.1–22.1) | 501 (82.3, 77.9–85.9) |
| Agree | 1,186 (20.6) | 329 (23.6, 20.3–27.3) | 748 (76.4, 72.7–79.7) | 220 (11.9, 9.7–14.5) | 962 (88.1, 85.5–90.3) |
| Strongly agree |
2,157 (31.5) |
651 (31.1, 27.9–34.4) |
1,234 (68.9, 65.6–72.1) |
503 (20.2, 17.7–23.0) |
1,643 (79.8, 77.1–82.3) |
| COVID-19 is a serious health issue | |||||
| Y | 4,915 (75.9) | 1,514 (29.2, 27.3–31.2) | 2,877 (70.8, 68.8–72.7) | 1,101 (16.7, 15.2–18.2) | 3,787 (83.4, 81.8–84.8) |
| N |
1,340 (24.1) |
251 (17.7, 14.6–21.3) |
956 (82.3, 78.7–85.4) |
252 (16.7, 13.7–20.3) |
1,082 (83.3, 79.7–86.3) |
| Mask wearing | |||||
| Y | 5,822 (85.7) | 1,665 (27.3, 25.5–29.1) | 3,493 (72.8, 70.9–74.5) | 1,301 (17.4, 16.0–18.9) | 4,486 (82.6, 81.1–84.0) |
| N |
755 (14.3) |
163 (20.5, 16.7–25.0) |
487 (79.5, 75.0–83.3) |
123 (13.6, 10.4–17.4) |
627 (86.5, 82.6–89.6) |
| Physical distancing of 2 meters | |||||
| Y | 3,904 (55.2) | 1,212 (29.0, 26.7–31.3) | 2,283 (71.0, 68.7–73.3) | 849 (16.1, 14.4–17.9) | 3,037 (83.9, 82.1–85.6) |
| N |
2,673 (44.8) |
616 (23.0, 20.6–25.6) |
1,697 (77.0, 74.4–79.4) |
575 (17.8, 15.8–20.0) |
2,076 (82.2, 80.0–84.2) |
| Wash hands more frequently than before COVID-19 | |||||
| Y | 4,617 (67.5) | 1,373 (28.0, 26.0–30.1) | 2,790 (72.0, 69.9–74.0) | 1,038 (17.2, 15.6–18.8) | 3,555 (82.9, 81.2–84.4) |
| N |
1,960 (32.5) |
455 (22.6, 19.8–25.7) |
1,190 (77.4, 74.3–80.2) |
386 (16.2, 13.9–18.8) |
1,558 (83.8, 81.2–86.1) |
| Avoid nonessential shopping | |||||
| Y | 1,299 (22.3) | 380 (26.4, 23.3–29.9) | 840 (73.6, 70.1–76.7) | 252 (13.2, 11.0–15.7) | 1,047 (86.8, 84.3–89.0) |
| N |
5,278 (77.8) |
1,448 (26.3, 24.4–28.3) |
3,140 (73.7, 71.7–75.6) |
1,172 (17.9, 16.3–19.6) |
4,066 (82.1, 80.5–83.7) |
| Avoid domestic travel | |||||
| Y | 1,003 (19.0) | 281 (26.5, 22.8–30.5) | 660 (73.5, 69.5–77.2) | 204 (12.4, 10.2–15.1) | 799 (87.6, 84.9–89.8) |
| N |
5,574 (81.0) |
1,547 (26.3, 24.5–28.2) |
3,320 (73.7, 71.8–75.6) |
1,220 (17.9, 16.4–19.5) |
4,314 (82.1, 80.5–83.6) |
| Avoid public transit | |||||
| Y | 555 (11.7) | 131 (21.8, 17.5–26.8) | 400 (78.2, 73.2–82.5) | 103 (11.7, 8.9–15.1) | 451 (88.4, 84.9–91.1) |
| N |
6,022 (88.3) |
1,697 (27.0, 25.2–28.8) |
3,580 (73.0, 71.2–74.8) |
1,321 (17.5, 16.1–19.0) |
4,662 (82.5, 81.0–83.9) |
| No change in precautions taken | |||||
| Y | 306 (7.7) | 59 (21.0, 14.0–30.1) | 187 (79.0, 69.9–86.0) | 53 (18.8, 12.3–27.7) | 251 (81.2, 72.3–87.7) |
| N |
4,557 (92.3) |
1,444 (34.0, 31.6–36.6) |
2,496 (66.0, 63.4–68.4) |
1,188 (22.6, 20.7–24.7) |
3,337 (77.4, 75.3–79.3) |
| Primary source of COVID-19 information | |||||
| Social media | 2,591 (30.5) | 766 (28.3, 25.5–31.2) | 1,559 (71.8, 68.8–74.5) | 634 (19.6, 17.4–22.0) | 1,941 (80.4, 78.0–82.6) |
| Friends and family | 984 (21.9) | 221 (18.4, 15.4–21.8) | 641 (81.6, 78.2–84.6) | 156 (12.8, 10.2–16.0) | 822 (87.2, 84.0–89.8) |
| TV | 1,866 (36.6) | 480 (26.0, 23.0–29.2) | 1,144 (74.0, 70.9–77.0) | 359 (14.5, 12.4–16.9) | 1,500 (85.5, 83.1–87.6) |
| Other | 770 (11.1) | 284 (38.3, 32.9–44.0) | 414 (61.7, 56.0–67.1) | 207 (24.7, 20.2–29.8) | 557 (75.3, 70.2–79.9) |
*Numbers are unweighted, but percentages and corresponding confidence intervals are weighted. NA, not applicable. †Patient Health Questionnaire 4 scale: normal (0–2), mild (3–5), moderate (6–8), and severe (9–12). A score of higher than normal indicates anxiety and depression.
Page created: September 28, 2022
Page updated: December 11, 2022
Page reviewed: December 11, 2022
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.