Impact of the COVID-19 National Lockdown on a Rural and Tribal Population of Tamil Nadu, Southern India: A Mixed-Methods Survey

Abstract

We assessed the impact of the national lockdown on a rural and tribal population in Tamil Nadu, southern India. A mixed-methods approach with a pilot-tested, semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussions were used. The impact of the lockdown on health, finances, and livelihood was studied using descriptive statistics. Multivariable logistic regression was carried out to identify factors associated with households that borrowed loans or sold assets during the lockdown, and unemployment during the lockdown. Of the 607 rural and tribal households surveyed, households from comparatively higher socioeconomic quintiles (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.84; 95% CI, 1.01-3.34), with no financial savings (aOR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.17-7.22), and with larger families (aOR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.22-2.53), took loans or sold assets during the lockdown. Previously employed individuals from rural households (aOR, 5.07; 95% CI, 3.30-7.78), lower socioeconomic households (aOR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.74, 5.45), and households with no savings (aOR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.30-2.44) became predominantly unemployed during the lockdown. Existing government schemes for the elderly, differently abled, and widows were shown to be accessible to 89% of the individuals requiring these schemes in our survey. During the focus group discussions, the limited reach of online classes for schoolchildren was noted and attributed to the lack of smartphones and poor Internet connectivity. Although the sudden, unannounced national lockdown was imposed to flatten the COVID-19 curve, aspects related to livelihood and financial security were affected for both the rural and tribal populations.

Figure 1.

Sankey diagram depicting the transition between various occupational groups among previously employed individuals before and during the lockdown in (A) rural (Timiri) and (B) tribal (Jawadhu hills) households (N = 1,018). This figure appears in color at www.ajtmh.org.

Figure 2.

Impact of the national lockdown on the weekly earnings (in Indian rupees [INR]) of previously employed individuals in rural (Timiri) and tribal (Jawadhu hills) households among various occupations (N = 1018†). * Paired t-test. † Individuals unemployed before the lockdown were excluded. ‡ Percentage decrease in weekly earnings. This figure appears in color at www.ajtmh.org.