Fear and Attitude towards SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infection in Spanish Population during the Period of Confinement

In January 2020, the WHO classified SARS-CoV-2 infection as a public health emergency and it was declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020. The media warned about the danger of infection, fuelling the population’s fear of the new situation and increasing the perception of risk. This fear can cause behaviour that will determine the course of the pandemic and, therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyse the fear of infection from COVID-19 among the Spanish population during the state of emergency. A cross-sectional, descriptive observational study was conducted with 16,372 participants. Data on sociodemographic factors, health factors, risk perception and fear were collected through an online survey. Level of fear is associated with older age, a lower level of education, having a person infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the immediate surroundings and living with and belonging to the most socioeconomically vulnerable group of people. Risk perception is associated with increased preventive behaviour. This paper provides relevant information for the public health sector since it contributes first-hand knowledge of population data that is highly useful in terms of prevention. Understanding the experiences of people in this pandemic helps to create more effective future intervention strategies in terms of planning and management for crisis situations.

Socio-psychological profile of Latvian inhabitants who did not comply with the COVID-19 epidemiological requirements

Since the beginning of 2020, the world has been affected by the corona virus COVID-19. Since the spring, a number of nations around the world, including Latvia, have declared a state of emergency, with specific government restrictions developed in cooperation with WHO, to reduce spread of the COVID-19. The aim of this study is to examine socio-psychological profile of Latvian inhabitants who did not comply with the COVID-19 epidemiological requirements. A randomized nationally representative sample (N = 2608, aged from 18–74, men 39.8%, women 60.2%) from the online survey, carried out in the frame of the National research program, project Nr. VPP-COVID-2020/1-0011, was used in this study. The results showed that less compliant with COVID-19 epidemiological requirements were males, rural inhabitants, persons aged less than 60 years old, unemployed, with lower education level, and those, who are less afraid of COVID-19 and think that its dangerousness is exaggerated. Compliance with the restrictions did not relate to the marital and parental status. Based on this study, policy suggestions were made regarding a more targeted way of the providing important information on the preventive behaviour to reduce the spread of the virus.

Indonesian Adaptation of New Norms during The Early Phase of The Pandemic Against COVID-19

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread dramatically since March 2020. At the end of May 2020, the Indonesian government stated that Indonesia would soon enter a new phase facing COVID-19. This phase forced people to adopt new living norms to suppress the spread of COVID-19. This study attempted to analyze how the society in Indonesia adapted to new norms and their relation with perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers experienced using the Health Belief Model theory.Method: This cross-sectional study voluntarily involved 948 participants across the island of Java through an online survey conducted between June 30 to July 9 2020, with Google Forms. The indicators measured in the study were: healthy living practices, changes in healthy behaviour, perceptions of susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers to the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: The study found that more than half of the respondents practised a healthy lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of them admitted that their health behaviour was better than before the pandemic. People with positive perceptions of the benefits and barriers to COVID-19 practiced a healthy lifestyle during the pandemic better (AOR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.20-2.48 and AOR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.60-3.14, respectively). People who had positive perceptions of susceptibility and severity about COVID-19 problems had a higher chance of improving previous preventive behaviour (AOR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.37-3.09 and AOR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.20-2.69, respectively). Thus, the conclusion was Indonesian people have positive practices and perceptions about the susceptibility and severity of COVID-19, which are useful for enforcing COVID-19 preventive behaviour.

Public Health Communication: Skin Cancer Prevention Implications

Research question: What are the characteristics of the target population which public health messages should be tailored to, in order to contribute to skin cancer prevention and early detection? Motivation: The implementation of preventive behaviour is of key importance taking into account the global increase in the incidence of skin cancer over the past decades. Communication campaigns represent an effective tool in creating awareness and education of population on harmful effects of exposure to UVR and a necessity of conducting preventive measures. The basis for creating such campaigns is to examine the knowledge, behaviour and information habits of target population. Idea: To examine the knowledge and attitudes regarding harmful effects of exposure to UVR, as well as preventive practices of adult urban population and determine the main sources of information on this topic. Data: The research took place in the period March-May 2018 in Belgrade and was based on surveing of 237 adult respondents from Belgrade. The sample was acquired by using the method of convenience sampling. Tools: The questionnaire consited of close-type questions with multiple choices of answers regarding socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge about risks of UVR exposure, preventive behaviour and preferred information sources. It was distributed in paper to patients while waiting for their appointments. Obtained data were manually coded and analysed by using SPSS. Results: A majority of both women (45.6%) and men (42.9%) report that they use sunscreens regularly, but a larger percentage of men (25% vs. 11.9%), as well as older respondents did not use sunscreens at all. Women reported to spend longer hours sunbathing (41.9% vs. 33%) and using indoor tanning than men (17.6% vs. 5.2%). Youngest respondents (age 20-30) also claim to practice excessive sunbathing (52.6%) and use indoor tanning (23.2%). Older respondents consider them being at higher risk of skin cancer (68.2% of those older than 60). There is a higher level of awareness of female in comparison with male respondents regarding the importance of skin cancer screening (62.3% vs. 44.7%), as well as of university educated respondents. Television has been noted to be the most significant source of information (57.8%), followed by internet sources (43.5%) and printed media (40.5%). Contribution: Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, as well as preferred sources of information differ by gender, age and education of respondents so targeted public health campaigns should be tailored to specific characteristics of target groups.

Peers for the fearless: Social norms facilitate preventive behaviour when individuals perceive low COVID-19 health risks

A strategy frequently adopted to contain the COVID-19 pandemic involves three non-pharmaceutical interventions that depend on high levels of compliance in society: maintaining physical distance from others, minimizing social contacts, and wearing a face mask. These measures require substantial changes in established practices of social interaction, raising the question of which factors motivate individuals to comply with these preventive behaviours. Using Austrian panel survey data from April 2020 to April 2021, we show that perceived health risks, social norms, and trust in political institutions stimulate people to engage in preventive behaviour. A moderation analysis shows that the effectiveness of social norms in facilitating preventive behaviour increases when people’s perceptions of health risks decrease. No such moderation effect is observed for trust in political institutions. These results suggest that strong social norms play a crucial role in achieving high rates of preventive behaviour, especially when perceived levels of health risks are low.

Gender-specific psychological and social impact of COVID-19 in Pakistan

Background COVID-19 has rapidly spread across the world. Women may be especially vulnerable to depression and anxiety as a result of the pandemic. Aims This study attempted to assess how gender affects risk perceptions, anxiety levels and behavioural responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan, to recommend gender-responsive health policies. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. Participants were asked to complete a sociodemographic data form, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and questions on their risk perceptions, preventive behaviour and information exposure. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the effects of factors such as age, gender and household income on anxiety levels. Results Of the 1391 respondents, 478 were women and 913 were men. Women considered their chances of survival to be relatively lower than men (59% v. 73%). They were also more anxious (62% v. 50%) and more likely to adopt precautionary behaviour, such as avoiding going to the hospital (78% v. 71%), not going to work (72% v. 57%) and using disinfectants (93% v. 86%). Men were more likely to trust friends, family and social media as reliable sources of COVID-19 information, whereas women were more likely to trust doctors. Conclusions Women experience a disproportionate burden of the psychological and social impact of the pandemic compared with men. Involving doctors in healthcare communication targeting women might prove effective. Social media and radio programmes may be effective in disseminating COVID-19-related information to men.

ECONOMIC INSECURITY AND STRESS AS DETERMINANTS OF COVID-19 PREVENTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN DENPASAR

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has constituted concurrent public health and economic crises. An inter-correlation between economic and public health impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic needs to be studied to improve mitigation measures.Aims: This study identified a correlation of the economic insecurity and perceived stress with adherence to recommended preventive behaviours Methods: This across-sectional analytic study was conducted to adults in the working areas of East Denpasar Primary Healthcare Center I. Respondents were selected using consecutive sampling and given a self-administered questionnaire. The research variables included demographic characteristics, economic insecurity indicators, perceived stress, and adherence to handwashing, mask-wearing, physical distancing, and limitation on the social gathering. Correlations, linear regressions, and path analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS 23.0.Results: As many as 161 respondents of which 34.2% males were involved had a mean age of 36.31 (± 7.16) years. Sex, job insecurity, income insecurity, and perceived stress were found as independent determinants in females. Female sex and job insecurity was associated with better preventive behaviours with an adjusted β value of 0.276 and 0.306, while income insecurity and perceived stress had the opposite association with a β value of -0.247 and -0.224.Conclusion: There are correlations between economic insecurity and preventive behavioural practices during COVID-19. It is suggested that public health policies against COVID-19 cover measures of economic safety nets to improve adherenceKeywords: behaviour, COVID-19, economic insecurity, perceived stress, prevention.

COVID-19 Pandemic—Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviours, and Actions among Faculty of Health Sciences Students

The aim of the study was to assess the level of knowledge about COVID-19 disease and preventive behaviour of undergraduate students of nursing, midwifery, and emergency medicine. Material and Methods: An electronic survey was conducted among students of nursing, midwifery, and emergency medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, from 8 April 2021 to 6 June 2021 in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Results: A total of 37 men and 238 women participated in the study. A moderate level of knowledge was found in 88% and high in 11% of students Midwifery students had a higher level than nursing students (p = 0.002) and students of emergency medicine (p = 0.003). The female gender is much more afraid of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection (p = 0.021). The most common preventive measure was to avoid people who coughed or had a cold (93%). Only 84% of students were vaccinated. Students who had a high level of knowledge more often avoided people who coughed or had a cold (p = 0.03) and gave up on meeting with friends (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Constant education of students on the principles of dealing with the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 is necessary. It is important to continually motivate students to adhere to the principles of prevention. In the face of the existing epidemiological threat, there is a need to change the curricula for the fields of health sciences by adding the subject infectious diseases—clinic and nursing, with special attention to practical aspects.

How is COVID-19 perceived by medical students? A survey in Aceh province, Indonesia

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has burdened the health system and medical education programmes both locally and globally, requiring medical students to continue their education whilst engaging in prevention programmes to support primary health services. This study aims to describe medical students’ knowledge, attitudes in the prevention of COVID-19, and to determine the relationship between the knowledge of COVID-19 preventive behaviour and attitudes towards it. This study used an analytical cross-sectional observational design with a sample of 290 students. Data were collected through a self-assessment method using a validated questionnaire. Analysis of the frequency distribution test for knowledge found that 54.1% of the respondents and 99.0% of the students had a good understanding of the mode of transmission of COVID-19. The majority of medical students (73.1%) also had a good attitude towards COVID-19 and around 84.3% of the students considered that good ethics is needed when coughing or sneezing during this pandemic. As many as 46.6% of the respondents had good preventive behaviour against COVID-19 and always imposed restrictions on using public transportation during a pandemic. The Spearman’s correlation test shows a weak but meaningful relationship between knowledge (r = 0.214, p = 0.000) and COVID-19 preventive behaviour, and a significant relationship between attitudes (r = 0.477, p = 0.000) towards COVID-19 preventive behaviour. This study concludes that medical students have good knowledge, preventive behaviour and an understanding of infection risk. An enhanced knowledge and awareness will increase preventive behaviours that will provide support in controlling the disease.