Fear of COVID-19, resilience, urban farming motivation, and life satisfaction among urban poor post-COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

The implementation of social restrictions during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia significantly impacted the urban poor, exacerbated the existing challenges, and created new ones. Moreover, the psychosocial impact of these restrictions led to increased energy poverty, an adverse effect on mental health, and exacerbated the social and economic inequalities. This study identifies and analyses the influence of fear of COVID-19, resilience, urban farming motivation, and life satisfaction among the urban poor in the post-pandemic period. A total of 524 urban poor in four People’s Housing Projects in Kuala Lumpur and two in the state of Pulau Pinang were invited to participate in this study. Data were collected using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, the Urban Farming Motivation Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale and analysed using bivariate correlation, multiple regression analysis, and PROCESS macro. The findings indicate that there are correlations between fear of COVID-19, resilience, and life satisfaction, while urban farming motivation is directly related to resilience and life satisfaction. Therefore, policymakers are encouraged to review and redefine their urban farming programmes and policies to include fear of COVID-19, urban farming motivation, resilience, and life satisfaction when working with Malaysian urban poor communities.