Publication date: Oct 01, 2025
Socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with long COVID risk and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). SEP may influence the relationship between long COVID and HRQoL, but evidence is lacking. Our study therefore evaluated the influence of SEP on the relationship between long COVID or post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) and HRQoL in a representative sample of the general French population. After the Omicron waves in autumn 2022, a representative sample of 1448 adults infected with SARS-CoV-2 was assessed for post-COVID-19 symptoms, demographics, SEP, health factors and HRQoL using the PROMIS-29 questionnaire measuring HRQoL in eight domains (physical function, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, ability to participate in social roles and activities, pain interference and pain intensity). PCC was defined according to the World Health Organisation. A conceptual model of the relationship between PCC and impaired HRQoL was proposed. Modifying effects of age, sex and SEP variables (geographic origin, education, household size, occupational category, employment status, household income) on the relationship between PCC and HRQoL were tested in the framework of this model. PCC, low education level and household income negatively impacted overall HRQoL and 5/8 PROMIS-29 domains (depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, social participation and pain intensity). PCC-induced HRQoL impairment was significantly higher among people without a long tertiary education, unemployed individuals, business owners and entrepreneurs and people from mainland France. Healthcare providers and policymakers should better account for the differential impact of long COVID on HRQoL according to SEP. They should promote strategies to reduce health inequalities and lessen the burden of this condition in the general population.
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Covid | Health inequalities |
| Healthcare | Long COVID |
| Socioeconomic | Modifying effects |
| Unemployed | Post-COVID-19 condition |
| Socioeconomic position |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | long COVID |
| disease | IDO | quality |
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Factor IX Complex (Human) |
| disease | MESH | anxiety |
| disease | MESH | depression |
| disease | MESH | education level |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Tropicamide |
| disease | MESH | health inequalities |