BACKGROUND

China lifted its strict COVID-19 lockdown policies on December 8, 2022, transitioning to a series of milder preventive measures. Understanding the factors influencing rural residents' satisfaction with these policies is crucial for strengthening the government's ability to effectively respond to public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey on government policy satisfaction was conducted from January 28 to 31, 2023, and a convenience sampling method was used to recruit 1,276 rural residents across 27 provinces. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were employed to identify the factors influencing rural residents' satisfaction with the government's pandemic response, with the significance level set at α = 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 59.87% of the participants reported being satisfied with the government's pandemic response. Logistic regression analysis revealed that migrant workers had lower levels of satisfaction with government pandemic policies (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.40-0.80). The worse the government's ability to treat COVID-19 patients is, the lower their level of satisfaction (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.38-0.70). Conversely, rural residents who exercised regularly presented higher levels of satisfaction (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.19-2.01). Satisfaction was positively associated with key control measures, including health screenings (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.48-3.22), pandemic control teams (OR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.51-3.23), and restrictions on gatherings (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.12-2.19). Inadequate health advocacy was negatively correlated with satisfaction (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.44-0.99). Significant regional differences were observed, with residents in eastern China (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.17-2.12) and western China (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.37-2.63) reporting higher levels of satisfaction than those in central China did.

CONCLUSION

More than half of rural residents are satisfied with the government's pandemic response, but significant room for improvement remains. Notably, the lower satisfaction levels among rural residents in central China warrant greater attention. This study identifies various factors influencing satisfaction with government pandemic policies, offering a scientific reference for enhancing responses to public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.