Assessment of behavioral and economic changes in various phases of lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic among people living in an urban slum of Pune city

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has affected all sections of society; this study was conducted with the aim to assess the behavioral and economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdown among people living in an urban slum in Pune city, Maharashtra. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among people living in an urban slum of the southeastern Pune region using a semistructured questionnaire by house-to-house interviews of residents. Participants were asked about knowledge and practice of COVID-appropriate behavior and change in income and expenditure patterns to assess economic impact. Results: A total of 130 households with one adult member from each household were included in the study with a mean age of 46 years with a standard deviation of 15. On inquiring about the COVID appropriate behavior, 94.6% agree that face mask is essential and 93% of the respondents agree that hand washing is essential for the prevention of COVID-19 infection. Out of 130 respondents, 49% were unemployed at the time of the study and 39% had monthly household income < Rs. 10,000 per month. A notable decrease in the monthly household income after the lockdown period was reported by 76.2% of the study participants while 46% of the study participants reported a decrease in monthly expenditure on food. About 24% of the study participants gave a history of selling personal belongings to meet monthly expenses during the lockdown period. Conclusion: COVID-appropriate behavior was adequately practiced by the study participants during COVID restrictions. A significant decrease in household income coupled with a change in trends of monthly expenditure affected the slum population. These transitions need to be further deliberated to understand the shift in administrative and economic policies needed to combat the effects of the pandemic.