Department of Preventive Medical Sciences, Fujita Health University School of Medical Sciences, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan.
Department of Economics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Environ Health Prev Med. 2021 Mar 3;26(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s12199-021-00952-2.
Public perceptions and personal characteristics are heterogeneous between countries and subgroups, which may have different impacts on health-protective behaviors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To assess whether self-reported perceptions of COVID-19 and personal characteristics are associated with protective behaviors among general adults and to compare patterns in six different countries.
This cross-sectional study uses the secondary data collected through an online survey between 15 and 23 April 2020 across six countries (China, Italy, Japan, Korea, the UK, and the USA). A total of 5945 adults aged 18 years or older were eligible for our analysis. A logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of three recommended behaviors (wearing a mask, handwashing, and avoiding social gatherings).
In most countries except for China, the participants who perceived wearing a mask as being extremely effective to curtail the pandemic were more likely to wear a mask (OR, 95%CI: Italy: 4.14, 2.08-8.02; Japan: 3.59, 1.75-7.30; Korea: 7.89, 1.91-31.63: UK: 9.23, 5.14-17.31; USA: 4.81, 2.61-8.92). Those who perceived that handwashing was extremely effective had higher ORs of this preventive behavior (OR, 95%CI: Italy: 16.39, 3.56-70.18; Japan: 12.24, 4.03-37.35; Korea: 12.41, 2.02-76.39; UK: 18.04, 2.60-152.78; USA: 10.56, 2.21-44.32). The participants who perceived avoiding social gathering as being extremely effective to curtail the pandemic were more likely to take this type of preventive behavior (OR, 95%CI: China: 3.79, 1.28-10.23; Korea: 6.18, 1.77-20.60; UK: 4.45, 1.63-11.63; USA: 4.34, 1.84-9.95). The associations between personal characteristics, living environment, psychological status, and preventive behaviors varied across different countries. Individuals who changed their behavior because of recommendations from doctors/public health officials were more likely to take preventive behaviors in many countries.
These findings suggest that higher perceived effectiveness may be a common factor to encourage preventive behaviors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These results may provide a better understanding of the homogeneity and heterogeneity of factors related to preventive behaviors and improve public health policies in various countries and groups.
公众认知和个人特征在国家和亚群之间存在异质性，这可能对 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间的健康保护行为产生不同的影响。本研究旨在评估一般成年人中自我报告的 COVID-19 认知和个人特征是否与保护行为有关，并比较六个不同国家的模式。
本横断面研究使用 2020 年 4 月 15 日至 23 日期间通过在线调查在六个国家（中国、意大利、日本、韩国、英国和美国）收集的二级数据。共有 5945 名 18 岁或以上的成年人符合我们的分析条件。使用逻辑回归模型估计三种推荐行为（戴口罩、洗手和避免社交聚会）的优势比（OR）和 95%置信区间（95%CI）。
除中国外，在大多数国家，认为戴口罩对遏制大流行非常有效的参与者更有可能戴口罩（OR，95%CI：意大利：4.14，2.08-8.02；日本：3.59，1.75-7.30；韩国：7.89，1.91-31.63；英国：9.23，5.14-17.31；美国：4.81，2.61-8.92）。那些认为洗手非常有效的人采取这种预防措施的 OR 更高（OR，95%CI：意大利：16.39，3.56-70.18；日本：12.24，4.03-37.35；韩国：12.41，2.02-76.39；英国：18.04，2.60-152.78；美国：10.56，2.21-44.32）。那些认为避免社交聚会对遏制大流行非常有效的参与者更有可能采取这种预防行为（OR，95%CI：中国：3.79，1.28-10.23；韩国：6.18，1.77-20.60；英国：4.45，1.63-11.63；美国：4.34，1.84-9.95）。在不同国家，个人特征、生活环境、心理状态与预防行为之间的关联存在差异。由于医生/公共卫生官员的建议而改变行为的个人在许多国家更有可能采取预防措施。
这些发现表明，更高的感知有效性可能是鼓励针对 COVID-19 大流行采取预防行为的共同因素。这些结果可以更好地理解与预防行为相关的因素的同质性和异质性，并改善各国和各群体的公共卫生政策。
