The Impact of Movement Control Order Phases on Quality of Life among Collegiate Students

Abstract

This study measured the impact of the different phases during movement control order on quality of life among local Malaysian university students’ aged >18 years old. An online survey was distributed through a social media platform during movement control order (MCO; 20 April to 12 May 2020) and conditional movement control order (CMCO; 12 to 20 May 2020). The same participants completed SF-36 quality of life questionnaire that assessed the overall physical health, mental health, and eight domains which are physical functioning (PF), physical role functioning (RF), bodily pain (BP), general health perceptions (GH), vitality (V), social role functioning (SF), emotional role functioning (EF), and mental health (MH) in both phases. A total of 523 participants (Male = 222, female = 301) completed the survey. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that there was a significant difference in participants’ quality of life between MCO and CMCO phase. It was revealed in comparison to CMCO phase, the participants reported lower in both health related and mental quality of life for PF (Z = -13.79, p <.001), RF (Z = -13.59, p <.001), BP (Z = -11.64, p <.001), GH (Z = -12.97, p <.001), V (Z = -13.15, p <.001), SF (Z = -15.19, p <.001), EF (Z = -13.71, p <.001), and MH (Z = -8.47, p <.001). In overall university students quality of life, a better score was shown in physical health quality of life (Z = -13.94, p <.001) and mental health quality of life (Z = -13.21, p <.001) during CMCO compared to MCO phase. Variance experiences through the COVID-19 pandemic faced by the university students during both phases of movement control order and conditional movement control order were noted to have an impact on their quality of life.