Abstract
Purpose: Identifying drivers of behavior is essential to develop effective messaging around COVID-19 prevention and mitigation. Our study assessed for behavioral antecedents of social distancing, wearing face coverings, and sheltering in place during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although ours is an early assessment, understanding motivation for behavior will remain critical as U.S. vaccination uptake has stalled and variants continue to pose a health threat.
Design: Cross-sectional survey; Setting: Online assessments in April 10-13 and 17-20, 2020; Subjects: 2,279 U.S. adults identified through a national, probability-based web panel (34% response rate). Measures: self-reported behavior, perceived effectiveness and risk, worry, social norms, and knowledge.
Analysis: Multivariable regression analyses.
Results: Most Americans reported social distancing (91%) and sheltering in place (86%). Just over half reported wearing face coverings (51%), whereas more (77%) said they intended to do so. Perceived effectiveness of the behavior was consistently associated with each outcome (OR = 2.34, 1.40, 2.11, respectively; all P < .01). Perceptions about the extent to which others should comply with behavior (social norms) were strongly associated with intentions to wear a face covering only (OR = 6.30, 95% CI 4.34-9.15; P < .001) and worry about getting COVID-19 was associated with sheltering in place and social distancing (OR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.15-5.00; 4.91, 95% CI 1.66, 14.50, respectively; all P < .05).
Conclusion: Behavioral constructs were strongly associated with COVID-19 preventive and mitigation behaviors and have implications for communication.
Keywords: COVID-19; behavior; communication; public health.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, communication, public health., Behavior, 【초록키워드】 public health, vaccination, social distancing, knowledge, motivation, communication, COVID-19 pandemic, variant, risk, outcome, variants, Health, Effectiveness, Mitigation, Intention, Behavior, assessment, Critical, Worry, Perception, cross-sectional survey, response rate, Drivers, 95% CI, Multivariable regression, National, MOST, identifying, implication, effective, develop, reported, analyses, American, driver, Perceived, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 Attitude, Public, American,