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. 2022 Aug 29:67:1605128.
doi: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1605128. eCollection 2022.

Temporal Dynamics of Socioeconomic Inequalities in COVID-19 Outcomes Over the Course of the Pandemic-A Scoping Review

Florian Beese  1 , Julia Waldhauer  1 , Lina Wollgast  1 , Timo-Kolja Pförtner  2   3 , Morten Wahrendorf  4 , Sebastian Haller  5 , Jens Hoebel  1 , Benjamin Wachtler  1
Affiliations

Temporal Dynamics of Socioeconomic Inequalities in COVID-19 Outcomes Over the Course of the Pandemic-A Scoping Review

Florian Beese et al. Int J Public Health. .

Abstract

Objectives: International evidence of socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes is extensive and growing, but less is known about the temporal dynamics of these inequalities over the course of the pandemic. Methods: We systematically searched the Embase and Scopus databases. Additionally, several relevant journals and the reference lists of all included articles were hand-searched. This study follows the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews. Results: Forty-six studies were included. Of all analyses, 91.4% showed stable or increasing socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes over the course of the pandemic, with socioeconomically disadvantaged populations being most affected. Furthermore, the study results showed temporal dynamics in socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19, frequently initiated through higher COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates in better-off populations and subsequent crossover dynamics to higher rates in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations (41.9% of all analyses). Conclusion: The identified temporal dynamics of socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes have relevant public health implications. Socioeconomic inequalities should be monitored over time to enable the adaption of prevention and interventions according to the social particularities of specific pandemic phases.

Keywords: COVID-19; health inequalities; pandemic preparedness; socioeconomic inequalities; temporal dynamics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow chart of the study selection process, based on The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (Australia, 2018).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Number of included analyses that found particular temporal dynamics of socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 incidence (Germany, 2021).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Number of included analyses that found particular temporal dynamics of socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 mortality (Germany, 2021).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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