Department of Molecular Biology, Virtual University of Pakistan-Faisalabad Campus, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan.
Department of Economics, Virtual University of Pakistan-Faisalabad Campus, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Aug;28(30):40329-40345. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-10931-9. Epub 2020 Oct 4.
The COVID-19 pandemic is straining public health systems and the global economy, triggering unprecedented measures by governments around the globe. The adoption of a preventive measure is required to control the spread. This research explores the impact of influencing factors like COVID-19 knowledge, behavioral control, moral and subject norms, preventive e-guidelines by the government, and environmental factors on the intention to prevent COVID-19 and risk aversion. A cross-sectional study was performed of 310 respondents about different COVID-19 related influencing factors in Pakistan. The partial least square-structural equation modeling was applied to estimate the path coefficient. Moral and subject norms (0.359) had a comparatively higher path coefficient. Other influencing factors/drivers were preventive e-guideline by the government (0.215) followed by COVID-19 knowledge (0.197), and behavioral control (0.121). The intention to prevent COVID-19 showed a positive and significant impact (0.705) on risk aversion. The indirect analysis also confirmed that the positive influence of moral and subject norms, COVID-19 knowledge, preventive e-guideline by the government, and behavioral control on risk aversion. However, the path coefficient of environmental factors was negative but insignificant, which implies than environmental factors do not influence the intention to prevent COVID-19. It is suggested to provide clear guidelines using print, social, electronic media. It is also suggested to provide e-guidelines in local languages. The COVID-19 knowledge about its transmission, symptoms, and precautions is also useful. It is suggested to include the causes, symptoms, and precaution of viral diseases in the educational syllabus. The government should ensure the availability of preventive medical items like surgical masks and sanitizers to meet the demand of the public.
新冠疫情正在给公共卫生系统和全球经济带来压力，促使各国政府采取前所未有的措施。需要采取预防措施来控制其传播。本研究探讨了新冠知识、行为控制、道德和主体规范、政府发布的预防电子指南以及环境因素等影响因素对预防新冠和风险规避意愿的影响。在巴基斯坦，对 310 名不同新冠相关影响因素的受访者进行了横断面研究。采用偏最小二乘-结构方程模型来估计路径系数。道德和主体规范（0.359）的路径系数相对较高。其他影响因素/驱动力包括政府发布的预防电子指南（0.215），其次是新冠知识（0.197）和行为控制（0.121）。预防新冠的意愿对风险规避有积极且显著的影响（0.705）。间接分析也证实了道德和主体规范、新冠知识、政府发布的预防电子指南以及行为控制对风险规避的正向影响。然而，环境因素的路径系数为负但不显著，这意味着环境因素不会影响预防新冠的意愿。建议使用印刷、社会和电子媒体提供明确的指南。还建议提供当地语言的电子指南。提供关于其传播、症状和预防措施的新冠知识也是有用的。建议在教育大纲中加入病毒性疾病的原因、症状和预防措施。政府应确保提供预防医疗用品，如外科口罩和消毒剂，以满足公众的需求。
