Table 1 Descriptive characteristics and bivariate associations between study variables and long COVID, weighted (N = 1581)

 Long COVID status

  Yes, but not formally diagnosed

–

81.47%

–

  Yes, formally diagnosed

–

18.53%

–

  Presence of specific long COVID symptoms

–

  Mobility (e.g., walking or climbing steps)

–

55.49%

–

  Cognition (e.g., remembering or concentrating)

–

62.58%

–

  Self-care (e.g., washing all over or dressing)

–

15.81%

–

 Exercise frequency (ref no exercise)

   < 30 min to 2 hours

62.53%

66.66%

0.73

0.40

1.35

  3h hours

30.07%

22.55%

0.51

0.25

1.08

  Days of fresh air (>  15 minutes)

5.72 (1.99)

5.31 (2.35)

0.92

0.83

1.01

 Sleep quality (ref very good/good)

  Average

42.80%

45.14%

2.46

1.50

4.04

  Not good/very poor

21.49%

41.09%

4.59

2.75

7.68

  Smoking (ref non-smoker)

5.72%

10.14%

1.86

0.79

4.38

  More than 14 weekly alcoholic drinks (ref = <  14)

11.44%

6.97%

0.58

0.32

1.04

  Number of mental health care behaviours (range 0–9)

0.59 (1.00)

0.74 (1.10)

1.14

0.96

1.35

 COVID-19 infection severity in first 2 weeks (ref asymptomatic)

  Mild

48.45%

23.35%

1.37

0.41

4.60

  Moderate

41.37%

65.67%

4.50

1.42

14.23

  Severe

1.32%

7.85%

16.85

4.16

68.26

 Dominant strain in the UK at time of COVID-19 infection (ref original variant)^a

  Alpha (1 November 2020 to 30 June 2021)

35.34%

47.44%

1.34

0.78

2.27

  Delta (1 July to 30 November 2021)

47.74%

35.56%

0.74

0.41

1.33

 Female (ref male)

53.00%

43.62%

0.69

0.47

1.00

 Age (ref 60+)

  45–59

30.41%

33.26%

1.04

0.67

1.61

  30–44

20.60%

20.63%

0.95

0.54

1.68

  18–29

11.42%

6.70%

0.56

0.22

1.41

  Ethnic minority groups (ref White)

5.00%

11.46%

2.46

1.00

6.04

Education (ref degree or higher)

  A-levels or vocational

31.93%

29.57%

1.45

0.97

2.18

  Up to GCSE

26.85%

44.09%

2.57

1.66

3.97

  Low household income (<£30,000)

39.63%

47.11%

1.36

0.91

2.02

  Employed (ref not employed)

59.32%

59.82%

1.02

0.68

1.53

  Key worker

25.18%

25.06%

0.99

0.65

1.52

  Crowded household

9.93%

17.78%

1.96

1.05

3.68

 Living arrangement (ref alone)

  With others, not with children

55.77%

49.52%

0.89

0.53

1.50

  With others, including children

26.79%

33.06%

1.24

0.70

2.20

  Live in a rural area (ref urban)

18.77%

23.77%

1.35

0.84

2.18

 Long-term physical health condition (ref none)

40.11%

55.34%

1.85

1.25

2.74

 Long-term mental health condition (ref none)

13.88%

16.19%

1.20

0.75

1.91