Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
BMJ Open. 2022 Jul 12;12(7):e058239. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058239.
As mass gathering events resume in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a pressing need to understand (a) engagement in COVID-safe behaviour at these events and (b) how attending a mass gathering impacts subsequent behaviours. This study examined anticipated COVID-safe behaviour before, during, and after a youth mass gathering event.
Longitudinal cohort study.
Self-report data were collected online at five timepoints from secondary-school graduates participating in celebrations linked to an annual week-long youth mass gathering event in Australia.
Australian secondary-school graduates completed surveys before the event (N=397), on days 1 (N=183), 3 (N=158) and 5 (N=163) of the event, and 3 weeks after the event (N=140). Of those who completed the first survey, 72 indicated they would attend a primary mass gathering site where the largest mass gathering of graduates in Australia occurs in a typical (non-pandemic) year; 325 indicated they would be celebrating at other locations (ie, secondary sites).
Anticipated COVID-safe behaviour: physical distancing from friends and strangers and additional protective behaviours (hand hygiene and mask wearing).
At all timepoints, participants anticipated maintaining appropriate (>1.5 m) physical distance from strangers, but not from friends (<0.5 m). Attendees at the primary site reported less physical distancing from friends over time throughout the mass gathering, χ(4)=16.89, p=0.002. Physical distancing from strangers, χ(4)=26.93, p<0.001, and additional protective behaviours, χ(4)=221.23, p<0.001, also declined across the mass gathering among both groups. These reductions in COVID-safe behaviour were significant and enduring, with all declines persisting at follow-up.
It is critical that public health messaging and interventions emphasise the risks of disease transmission arising from other attendees who are known to us during mass gathering events, and that such messaging is sustained during and following the event to combat reductions in COVID-safe behaviour.
随着 COVID-19 大流行之后大规模集会活动的恢复，迫切需要了解(a)在这些活动中参与 COVID-安全行为，以及 (b)参加大规模集会如何影响后续行为。本研究调查了青少年大规模集会活动前、活动中和活动后的预期 COVID-安全行为。
纵向队列研究。
在澳大利亚一年一度的为期一周的青年大规模集会活动的庆祝活动中，从参与活动的中学毕业生那里在线收集五个时间点的自我报告数据。
澳大利亚中学毕业生在活动前（N=397）、活动第 1 天（N=183）、第 3 天（N=158）和第 5 天（N=163）以及活动后 3 周（N=140）完成了调查。在完成第一次调查的人中，有 72 人表示他们将参加澳大利亚最大的毕业生大规模集会所在地的主要集会地点，这是在典型（非大流行）年份发生的；325 人表示他们将在其他地点（即二级地点）庆祝。
预期 COVID-安全行为：与朋友和陌生人保持适当（>1.5 m）的身体距离以及额外的保护行为（手部卫生和戴口罩）。
在所有时间点，参与者都预计会与陌生人保持适当（>1.5 m）的身体距离，但不会与朋友保持适当距离（<0.5 m）。主要地点的参与者报告说，随着集会的进行，与朋友的身体距离逐渐缩短，χ(4)=16.89，p=0.002。与陌生人的身体距离，χ(4)=26.93，p<0.001，以及额外的保护行为，χ(4)=221.23，p<0.001，在两组中也随着集会的进行而下降。这些 COVID-安全行为的减少是显著和持久的，所有减少都在随访中持续存在。
在大规模集会活动中，强调我们认识到的其他与会者传播疾病的风险的公共卫生信息和干预措施至关重要，并且此类信息应在活动期间和之后持续传播，以防止 COVID-安全行为的减少。
