Coping strategies and household stress/violence in remote Alaska: a longitudinal view across the COVID-19 pandemic

Figures & data

Table 1. Categorisation of coping mechanisms used during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Alaska.

Coping category	Coping strategies included in category
Personal care	Taking care of body by taking deep breaths, stretching, or meditating; Engaging in healthy behaviours like trying to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, hydrating body by drinking enough water, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, or avoiding alcohol and drugs; Making time to relax; Making time to go for a walk or drive alone; Exercising more
Social activities	Visiting with friends and family over VHF radio, social media, or phone
Religious Activities	Praying alone; Praying with others (by phone, online, or in person); Contacting a pastor/priest
Traditional and subsistence activities	Spending time doing traditional and subsistence activities, such as fishing, hunting, gathering berries or greens, skin-sewing
Substance use (combined)	Using any of the substances below
Nicotine	Smoking cigarettes or vaping
Alcohol	Drinking alcohol
Marijuana	Using marijuana or cannabis
Seeking health counselling	Contacting a healthcare or a behavioural health provider

Table 2. Demographic characteristics of survey respondents.

	Survey 1 (n = 107)		Survey 2 (n = 508)		Survey 3 (n = 405)
Gender	No. of subjects	Proportion of total (%)	No. of subjects	Proportion of total (%)	No. of subjects	Proportion of total (%)
Male	20	18.7	121	23.8	122	30.1
Female	87	81.3	387	76.2	283	69.9
Age
18–24	8	7.5	41	8.1	40	9.9
25–54	75	70.1	324	63.8	257	63.5
55–64	14	13.1	89	17.5	62	15.3
65+	10	9.3	54	10.6	46	11.4
Race
African American	1	0.9	6	1.2	7	1.7
Alaska Native	52	48.6	314	61.8	242	59.8
Asian	2	1.9	10	2.0	6	1.5
White	43	40.2	128	25.2	119	29.4
Latino	0	0.0	1	0.2	1	0.3
More than one	9	8.4	49	9.6	30	7.4
Education
8th grade or less	0	0.0	1	0.2	1	0.3
Did not finish high school	2	1.9	17	3.3	20	5.0
High school or GED	10	9.3	143	28.1	136	33.7
Some college, Associate’s, or vocational programme	55	51.4	216	42.5	149	36.9
College degree, post-grad, or professional school	40	37.4	131	25.8	98	24.3
Missing	–	–	–	–	1	0.2
Annual Income
< $10,000	6	5.6	76	15.0	60	15.0
$10,000-$29,999	15	14.0	122	24.0	78	19.5
$30,000-$49,999	21	19.6	76	15.0	99	24.7
$50,000-$69,999	18	16.8	82	16.1	57	14.2
$70,000-$89,999	14	13.1	55	10.8	41	10.2
$90,000 and over	31	29.0	90	17.7	66	16.5
Missing	2	1.9	7	1.4	4	1.0
Healthcare Access*
Hospital	58	54.2	191	37.6	139	34.6
Health centre	36	33.6	132	26.0	128	31.8
Community health aid clinic	48	44.9	301	59.3	250	62.2
None of the above	3	2.8	12	2.4	10	2.5

*Participants could select more than one response.

Figure 1. Percent of respondents who reported engaging in various coping strategies (n) in descending order of total frequency across all survey waves.

Table 3. Percent of respondents who reported stress or violence in their household (n).

Stress manifestation	Survey 1 (n = 107)	Survey 2 (n = 508)	Survey 3 (n = 405)
1. Short-tempered but not physically violent	59.3 (67)	43.6 (212)	45.7 (181)
2. Yelling, screaming, or saying hurtful things	27.4 (31)	23.7 (116)	25.9 (102)
3. Adults are spanking or hitting children	5.3 (6)	3.3 (16)	9.4 (27)
4. Adults in the home are hitting, harming, or throwing things at other adults	1.8 (2)	2.3 (11)	6.1 (24)