Lin Xiao-Qing, Lv Li, Chen Yan, Chen He-Dan, Zhang Mei-Xian, Tung Tao-Hsin, Zhu Jian-Sheng
Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang 317000, China.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou Hospital, Zhejiang University, Linhai, Zhejiang 317000, China.
One Health. 2022 May 5;14:100395. doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100395. eCollection 2022 Jun.
South Africa was the first country with a case of Omicron variant infection diagnosed; therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the impact of the Omicron mutant strain outbreak on the health behavior of the South African population and encourage the population to adopt timely protective behaviors against Omicron mutant strain infection.
This was a population-based, cross-sectional study conducted in Cape Town, South Africa, in December 2021. We distributed 300 questionnaires to adults aged >18 years, and they were all returned.
Of the South African population, 60.3% expressed a high level of concern regarding Omicron; 89.3% improved on at least one of the following three health behaviors: mask-wearing, washing hands, and reducing socialization; and only 10.7% exhibited no improvement in health behaviors. Of these, 71.3% and 57.0% increased the length of time they wore a mask and washed their hands, respectively, and 47% decreased the number of times they socialized. Age, residence, education level, chronic disease, and whether they had received the COVID-19 vaccine were significantly different ( < 0.05) between the presence and absence of enhanced health behaviors. The levels of concern and knowledge regarding the Omicron virus significantly influenced health-behavior change (all < 0.05).
There has been a positive change in the South African population toward adopting mask-wearing, hand washing, and reducing socialization in response to the Omicron virus strain epidemic. Based on one health approach, it is important to focus on populations with chronic diseases, those who have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine, and other populations with low rates of health behavior change.
南非是首个诊断出奥密克戎变异株感染病例的国家；因此，本研究旨在阐明奥密克戎变异株爆发对南非人群健康行为的影响，并鼓励民众及时采取针对奥密克戎变异株感染的防护行为。
这是一项于2021年12月在南非开普敦进行的基于人群的横断面研究。我们向18岁以上的成年人发放了300份问卷，所有问卷均被收回。
在南非人群中，60.3%的人对奥密克戎表示高度关注；89.3%的人在以下三种健康行为中的至少一种上有所改善：佩戴口罩、洗手和减少社交活动；只有10.7%的人的健康行为没有改善。其中，71.3%的人增加了佩戴口罩的时长，57.0%的人增加了洗手的时长，47%的人减少了社交次数。在是否有强化健康行为方面，年龄、居住地点、教育水平、慢性病以及是否接种过新冠疫苗存在显著差异（<0.05）。对奥密克戎病毒的关注程度和了解程度显著影响了健康行为的改变（均<0.05）。
南非人群在应对奥密克戎毒株疫情时，在采取佩戴口罩、洗手和减少社交活动方面出现了积极变化。基于“同一健康”方法，关注慢性病患者、尚未接种新冠疫苗的人群以及其他健康行为改变率较低的人群非常重要。
