Objective: To compare previously recorded quality of life scores of students at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) to those after New Zealand (NZ) COVID lockdowns.

Methods: Previously recorded students’ SF-36 questionnaires were collected before (2019) and after (2022) the lockdowns. Student populations were independent at each time point (pre- and post-lockdown) and were compared between 2019 and 2022 using unpaired Wilcoxon tests and to similarly aged and NZ normative data.

Results: Two hundred seventy-six pre-COVID (51.1% female) and 120 post-COVID (60.8% female) data sets were returned. All pre-COVID years and scores were significantly higher or comparable with reference data (p ≤ .050). Post-COVID scores dropped below pre-COVID and reference data—with the largest drops seen in emotional wellbeing, emotional role limitations, social, and fatigue domains (p < .05 - p < .001). Only post-COVID physical functioning was comparable with pre-COVID or reference data (p > .050).

 

Conclusion: This study suggests that before COVID New Zealand College of Chiropractic perceived their quality of life as the same or better than the average New Zealander or similarly aged person. After COVID, most quality of life scores dropped substantially with emotional, social, and fatigue-related domains showing the greatest decline.

Author keywords: Chiropractic, Mental Health, Students, Health Surveys, New Zealand

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