Long COVID has a significant impact on the daily activities and life quality of those affected. It is currently not known why some individuals, even those who experienced a mild form of COVID-19, develop symptoms that can persist for years after infection. We explored how different demographic, personality, and health-related factors interrelate with long COVID and collectively influence the risk of its development. The study utilized data from the research project Long Covid as a Legacy of the Pandemic: Psychological Symptoms, Psychosocial Factors and Consequences (J5-4591), which reflects the structure of the Slovenian adult population. Only participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection (N = 2200) were included in the analyses. At the time of the study, 402 participants (18.27%) had recovered from long COVID, while 546 (24.82%) still experienced prolonged symptoms. Most common symptoms in both groups were fatigue, lack of energy, reduced physical capacity, muscle and joint pain. To determine the association of demographic, personality, and health-related factors with long COVID, we employed chi-square tests and analysis of variance. Long COVID was more frequently observed among female participants, those with inactive employment status, older age, higher health anxiety, and lower personality resilience. Through multinomial regression analysis, we examined how the factors collectively contribute to the risk of long COVID. Identified risk factors included older age, higher health anxiety, sufficient physical activity, and overweight, while higher resilience and male gender were protective factors. Our results provide an insight into the combination of different factors contributing to long COVID and lay the groundwork for future studies. Our findings aim to enhance the understanding, identification, and prevention of this condition in Slovenia.
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