Purpose:

To evaluate the prevalence of long COVID (LC) among Mexican adults and its association with sociodemographic, epidemiological, lifestyle, and socioemotional factors related to the pandemic.

Methodological Design:

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in northwestern Mexico between December 2023 and January 2024, targeting individuals who reported having contracted COVID-19. Differences between participants with and without LC symptoms were analyzed using the Chi-square test, and potential predictors of LC prevalence were identified through hierarchical multiple linear regression, incorporating sociodemographic, epidemiological, and socioemotional variables.

Results:

LC was identified in 52% of participants, with a wide range of symptoms, predominantly among women (70%). Significant differences were observed based on infection severity (p = .021). Predictors of LC included sex, age, infection severity, presence of comorbidities, reduced physical activity, and socioemotional factors.

Research limitations:

The online data collection method may have excluded individuals without internet access, potentially leading to underrepresentation, and self-reported measures lack external validation.

Findings:

LC prevalence is high among the studied population. The likelihood of LC is associated with the severity of the initial infection and the number of persistent symptoms, irrespective of sex. Middle-aged women and men with pre-existing comorbidities and moderate infection severity are particularly at risk.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español     · Español ( pdf )