The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Quality of Life of Female Frontline Staff in Qatar

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented demands on healthcare systems worldwide, significantly affecting the well-being of healthcare workers. Female frontline healthcare workers, in particular, experienced increased occupational stress due to heightened workloads, infection risk, and psychosocial challenges. The present study investigates and compares the quality of life of female frontline healthcare workers and female healthcare workers employed in non-COVID units in hospitals in Qatar during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 100 Indian female healthcare workers participated in the study, comprising 50 frontline workers (experimental group) and 50 non-frontline healthcare workers (control group). A quantitative research design was employed using convenience sampling. Data were collected through the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire administered online. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine differences across four quality-of-life domains: physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and environmental factors. The findings revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups across all domains, with frontline workers reporting lower quality-of-life scores compared to their non-frontline counterparts (p < .01). The results highlight the substantial impact of frontline COVID-19 duties on women’s overall well-being and underscore the need for targeted psychological, social, and organizational support for female frontline healthcare workers during public health emergencies.