First-wave COVID-19 pandemic in greece: the role of demographic, social, and geographical factors in life satisfaction during lockdown

Abstract

The onset of the coronavirus pandemic led to profound changes in populations’ everyday lives. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that affected life satisfaction during the first-wave lockdown in Greece. A web-based survey was developed, and 4305 questionnaires were completed corresponding to all Greek regional units. Statistical modeling (multivariate logistic regression) was performed to evaluate to which extent significant geographical attributes and socioeconomic characteristics are likely to influence life satisfaction during lockdown due to the pandemic. In the course of the present work, some key findings emerged: social distancing and confinement measures affected mostly women in relation to men; there was a strong positive association between life satisfaction and age, especially as regards the older population; changes to employment status, increase in psychosomatic disorders, and increased usage of social media were also likely to negatively impact people’s life satisfaction. By contrast, trust in the government and the media and limited health concerns seem to have a strong association with subjective wellbeing. Finally, life satisfaction does not depend much on geographical characteristics such as urbanity or insularity, highlighting that the lockdown had an impact on the Greek population regardless of the physical isolation.