A dataset on the socioeconomic and behavioural impacts in Sri Lanka through multiple waves of COVID-19

Gayanthi A Ilangarathna; Lakshitha Ramanayake; Neranjan Senarath; Yasiru Ranasinghe; Harshana Weligampola; Wathsala Dedunupitiya; Isuru Thilakasiri; Roshan Godaliyadda; Parakrama Ekanayake; Vijitha Herath; Janaka Ekanayake; Sakunthala Yatigammana; Anuruddhika Rathnayake; Mallika Pinnawala; Muthucumaru Maheswaran; Ganga Thilakaratne; Samath Dharmarathne

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2024.110063

A dataset on the socioeconomic and behavioural impacts in Sri Lanka through multiple waves of COVID-19

Data Brief. 2024 Jan 15:53:110063. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110063. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Authors

Gayanthi A Ilangarathna^{1

2}, Lakshitha Ramanayake¹, Neranjan Senarath¹, Yasiru Ranasinghe^{1

3}, Harshana Weligampola^{1

4}, Wathsala Dedunupitiya¹, Isuru Thilakasiri¹, Roshan Godaliyadda¹, Parakrama Ekanayake¹, Vijitha Herath¹, Janaka Ekanayake¹, Sakunthala Yatigammana⁵, Anuruddhika Rathnayake⁶, Mallika Pinnawala⁵, Muthucumaru Maheswaran⁷, Ganga Thilakaratne⁸, Samath Dharmarathne⁶

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka.
² Department of Geography, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24060, United States.
³ Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 21218, United States.
⁴ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette 47907, United States.
⁵ Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka.
⁶ Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka.
⁷ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke Street, West Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
⁸ Institute of Policy Studies, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka.

Abstract

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was diverse and disproportionate among nations, and population segments. The impacts of the disease and the containment strategies adopted are broad and cut across multiple facets of life, society, and the economy, which are intimately interlinked. Therefore, a large household survey was conducted to ascertain the socioeconomic impact and human behavior changes due to the pandemic and the containment strategies covering all provinces of Sri Lanka. The ramifications on mobility and human behavior, income, economic status, food consumption, education, access to health services and information, and cultural and psychological changes were explored, and the data are reported in this paper. The survey was conducted on 3020 households, selected using a multistage clustering technique, to assess the impacts of the pandemic through three distinctly identified waves/phases of the pandemic in Sri Lanka. This dataset will enable researchers and policymakers to analyze the impact of the pandemic through a multifaceted perspective enabling a more holistic approach to decision-making.

Keywords: COVID-19; Door-to-door survey; Educational Impact; Household Survey; Impact of COVID-19; Socioeconomic impact.