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Prevailing research on individuals’ compliance with public health related behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic tends to study composite measures of multiple types of behaviours, without distinguishing between different types of behaviours. However, measures taken by governments involve adjustments concerning a range of different daily behaviours...
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Context 1
... this section we describe all measures used for analyses. Descriptive statistics for all variables and the anticipated outcome variables of the PCA are presented as Supplementary Materials (Table S3) including mean, standard deviations and correlations. ...Similar publications
The corona viruses are a group of viruses that infect various mammals and have now proved to be pleomorphic. The CoVID-19 is the new corona virus that has proved to be hazardous to mankind and spreading among people as the clock ticks. It causes various flu-like symptoms many of which may prove to be fatal to anyone with a weak immune system and th...
Citations
... Auch mit Blick auf die Eindämmung der COVID-19-Pandemie sind Studierende als junge, aktive und mobile Teilpopulation immer wieder ins Zentrum der Aufmerksamkeit geraten (vgl. Barello et al. 2020;Ioannidis 2021;Rossmann et al. 2021;Schäfer et al. 2021;Wismans et al. 2020Wismans et al. , 2021, wenngleich ihre soziale und gesundheitliche Situation in Deutschland von der Politik lange Zeit vernachlässigt wurde (vgl. Dietz et al. 2021). ...
Eine zu geringe Impfbereitschaft zählt zu den größten globalen Gesundheitsgefahren und war in der COVID-19-Pandemie auch in Deutschland eine der großen Herausforderungen der öffentlichen Gesundheit. Die Identifikation potenzieller Einflussfaktoren auf das Impfverhalten ist deshalb für eine zielgruppengerechte Gesundheitskommunikation von großer Bedeutung. Studierende sind eine besonders wichtige Zielgruppe der Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung. Der Beitrag geht mit Hilfe einer Online-Befragung der Studierenden einer westdeutschen Universität (n = 1398) im Sommersemester 2021 den Fragen nach, inwieweit
sich geimpfte und ungeimpfte Studierende mit hoher bzw. niedrigerer Impfintention hinsichtlich a) ihrer Medien- und Informationsnutzung und b) ihres Vertrauens in Medien und Informationsquellen in der COVID-19-Pandemie unterschieden.
Die Ergebnisse zeigen z. T. deutliche Differenzen. Während geimpfte Studierende sich intensiver informierten und hierfür auch stärker auf klassische Medienangebote zurückgriifen, vertrauten insbesondere ungeimpfte Studierende mit niedrigerer
Impfintention u. a. mehr auf alternative Nachrichtenseiten und Blogs.
... Risk perception refers to individuals' perceived susceptibility to an external threat, which may be a potential mechanism of social factors affecting individual behaviors in uncertain situations (Sitkin and Pablo, 1992). Moreover, behavioral visibility involves the possibility of the behavior being observed by others and may be an indispensable condition for the functioning of descriptive norms (Wismans et al., 2020). Thus, we also considered risk perception and behavioral visibility to further analyze the mechanisms and applicable conditions of descriptive norms. ...
... Policy compliance in the field of public health is also a major focus of researchers and administrators, as individuals' active compliance with public health policies is key to controlling the spread of diseases (French, 2011). In a pandemic context, public health compliance behaviors refer not only to daily behaviors such as eating healthy and regularly exercising but also to a series of measures to prevent and control diseases, including washing hands, wearing masks, and maintaining physical distance (Wismans et al., 2020). These policy measures for disease prevention and control are the public health behaviors that we focused on in this study. ...
... In the context of COVID-19, the government has proposed more public health behaviors that individuals should comply with. Public health behaviors cannot simply be understood as a sole behavioral construct, because different characteristics of behaviors may have different effects on individual compliance (Wismans et al., 2020). Behavioral visibility is an important characteristic of public health behaviors, and it is defined as the performance of the individual behavior that can be observed by others through minimal effort (Leonardi and Treem, 2020). ...
In a pandemic context, public health events are receiving unprecedented attention, and identifying ways to enhance individual public health compliance behaviors has become an urgent practical problem. Considering that individual decisions are susceptible to group members’ behaviors and that descriptive norms provide social information about the typical behaviors of others, we focused on the effects of the properties and reference groups of descriptive norms on public health compliance behaviors. We also investigated the mechanism with risk perception as a mediator and the applicable condition with behavioral visibility as a moderator. Through a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subject survey experiment with 529 subjects, we demonstrated that (1) compared with the negative norm, the positive norm was more effective in promoting public health compliance behaviors; (2) compared with the distal group norm, the proximal group norm more significantly promoted public health compliance behaviors; (3) the effect of the property of descriptive norms on public health compliance behaviors was weakened in the treatment of the proximal group norm; (4) risk perception partially mediated the association between the property of descriptive norms and public health compliance behaviors and fully mediated the effect of the interaction of the property and the reference group of descriptive norms on public health compliance behaviors; in the treatment of the negative-proximal group norm, individuals perceived more risk, thus effectively nudging their public health compliance behaviors; (5) compared with low-visibility behaviors, public health compliance behaviors were significantly stronger for high-visibility behaviors; (6) the property of descriptive norms had a weaker effect on public health compliance behaviors for low-visibility behaviors. In terms of theoretical significance, we refined the study of descriptive norms to promote the application of behavioral public policy. Moreover, the new model of public health compliance behaviors constructed in this study explains the mechanism and applicable conditions of public health compliance behaviors. In practical terms, this study has implications for designing intervention programs to nudge public health compliance behaviors.
... As highlighted in previous studies [10,11,19], a lower risk perception was associated with a lower compliance with barrier gestures and could, therefore, explain a relaxation of their implementation. That said, this hypothesis should be confirmed, as a study realized in 10 universities around the world [28] showed that compliance with barrier gestures was not uniformly influenced by the same factors, given the underlying differences between hygiene measures and measures related to physical distancing. This decrease in compliance with greetings without contact during the two last periods could, therefore, be independent and not reflect a general decrease in compliance with other gestures. ...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, barrier gestures such as mask wearing, physical distancing, greetings without contact, one-way circulation flow, and hand sanitization were major strategies to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but they were only useful if consistently applied. This survey was a follow-up of the first survey performed in 2020 at the University of Liège. We aim to evaluate the compliance with these gestures on campuses and examine differences in the extent of the compliance observed in different educational activities and contexts. During 3.5 months, the counting of compliant and non-compliant behaviors was performed each week in randomly selected rooms. Using data collected during both surveys (2020 and 2021), binomial negative regression models of compliance depending on periods (teaching periods and exam sessions), type of rooms, and campuses were conducted to evaluate prevalence ratios of compliance. The percentage of compliance in this second survey was the highest for mask wearing and physical distancing during educational activities (90% and 88%, respectively) and lowest for physical distancing outside educational activities and hand sanitization (45% and 52%, respectively). Multivariate analyses revealed that the compliance with most gestures was significantly higher in teaching rooms than in hallways and restaurants and during exam sessions. The compliance with physical distancing was significantly higher (from 66%) in auditoriums, where students had to remain seated, than during practical works that allowed or required free movement. Therefore, the compliance with barrier gestures was associated with contextual settings, which should be considered when communicating and managing barrier gestures. Further studies should specify and confirm the determining contextual characteristics regarding the compliance with barrier gestures in times of pandemic.
... In this study we will analyze how macrolevel policies and individual-level factors independently and jointly associate with face mask use during the early stages of the global COVID-19 pandemic when regulations on face mask use were divergent. We use data from a large sample of approximately 7000 university students from ten countries (Belgium, Colombia, France, India, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden), collected between 23rd April-12th of May 2020, as part of the Erasmus University Rotterdam International COVID-19 Students Survey [38,57,58]. First, we study how (selfrelated and other-related) risk perception, (direct and indirect) experience with COVID-19, attitude towards government and policy stringency independently shape face mask use. ...
... We use data from the first wave of the Erasmus University Rotterdam International COVID-19 Student Survey [38,57,58]. The dataset consists of survey data from a large sample of university students from multiple countries. ...
... The survey was shared with students in Belgium, Colombia, France, India, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden, primarily using university e-mail addresses and online university platforms. Previous studies have already used this dataset [38,57,58]. The survey was completed online using survey software from Qualtrics. ...
Background
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, governments imposed numerous regulations to protect public health, particularly the (mandatory) use of face masks. However, the appropriateness and effectiveness of face mask regulations have been widely discussed, as is apparent from the divergent measures taken across and within countries over time, including mandating, recommending, and discouraging their use. In this study, we analyse how country-level policy stringency and individual-level predictors associate with face mask use during the early stages of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Method
First, we study how (self and other-related) risk perception, (direct and indirect) experience with COVID-19, attitude towards government and policy stringency shape face mask use. Second, we study whether there is an interaction between policy stringency and the individual-level variables. We conduct multilevel analyses exploiting variation in face mask regulations across countries and using data from approximately 7000 students collected in the beginning of the pandemic (weeks 17 through 19, 2020).
Results
We show that policy stringency is strongly positively associated with face mask use. We find a positive association between self-related risk perception and mask use, but no relationship of mask use with experience with COVID-19 and attitudes towards government. However, in the interaction analyses, we find that government trust and perceived clarity of communication moderate the link between stringency and mask use, with positive government perceptions relating to higher use in countries with regulations and to lower use in countries without regulations.
Conclusions
We highlight that those countries that aim for widespread use of face masks should set strict measures, stress self-related risks of COVID-19, and use clear communication.
... In contrast, while respondents practiced hand washing frequently and experienced the behaviours to be automatic, their behaviours remained to be highly predicted by their intentions. These contrasting results corroborate a recent study that identified distinct predictors for physical distancing versus personal hygiene behaviours among university students in the Netherlands and other European countries [41]. ...
Background:
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing and hand washing have been used as effective means to reduce virus transmission in the Netherlands. However, these measures pose a societal challenge as they require people to change their customary behaviours in various contexts. The science of habit formation is potentially useful for informing policy-making in public health, but the current literature largely overlooked the role of habit in predicting and explaining these preventive behaviours. Our research aimed to describe habit formation processes of physical distancing and hand washing and to estimate the influences of habit strength and intention on behavioural adherence.
Methods:
A longitudinal survey was conducted between July and November 2020 on a representative Dutch sample (n = 800). Respondents reported their intentions, habit strengths, and adherence regarding six context-specific preventive behaviours on a weekly basis. Temporal developments of the measured variables were visualized, quantified, and mapped onto five distinct phases of the pandemic. Regression models were used to test the effects of intention, habit strength, and their interaction on behavioural adherence.
Results:
Dutch respondents generally had strong intentions to adhere to all preventive measures and their adherence rates were between 70% and 90%. They also self-reported to experience their behaviours as more automatic over time, and this increasing trend in habit strength was more evident for physical-distancing than for hand washing behaviours. For all six behaviours, both intention and habit strength predicted subsequent adherence (all ps < 2e-16). In addition, the predictive power of intention decreased over time and was weaker for respondents with strong habits for physical distancing when visiting supermarkets (B = -0.63, p <.0001) and having guests at home (B = -0.54, p <.0001) in the later phases of the study, but not for hand washing.
Conclusions:
People's adaptations to physical-distancing and hand washing measures involve both intentional and habitual processes. For public health management, our findings highlight the importance of using contextual cues to promote habit formation, especially for maintaining physical-distancing practices. For habit theories, our study provides a unique dataset that covers multiple health behaviours in a critical real-world setting.
... In contrast, while respondents practiced hand washing frequently and experienced the behaviours to be automatic, their behaviours remained to be dependent largely on their intentions. These contrasting results corroborate a recent study that identified distinct predictors for physical distancing versus personal hygiene behaviours among university students in the Netherlands and other European countries (Wismans et al., 2020). ...
Introduction: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing and hand washing have been used as effective means to reduce virus transmission in the Netherlands. However, they pose a societal challenge as they require people to change their customary behaviours in various contexts. The science of habit formation is potentially useful for informing policy-making in public health, but the current literature largely overlooked the role of habit in predicting and explaining these preventive behaviours. Our research aimed to describe habit formation processes of physical distancing and hand washing and to estimate the influences of habit strength and intention on behavioural adherence. Methods: A longitudinal survey was conducted between July and November 2020 on a representative Dutch sample (n = 800). Respondents reported weekly their intention, habit strength, and actual adherence regarding six context-specific behaviours. Temporal developments of the measured variables were visualized, quantified, and mapped to five distinct phases of the pandemic. Regression models were used to test the effects of intention, habit strength, and their interaction on future adherence. Results: Dutch respondents generally had strong intention to adhere to all preventive measures and their actual adherence rates were between 70% and 90%. They also self-reported to experience their behaviours as more automatic over time, and this increasing trend in habit strength was more evident for physical distancing than hand washing behaviours. For all six behaviours, both intention and habit strength predicted future adherence (all ps < 2e-16). In addition, the predictive power of intention decreased over time and was weaker for respondents with strong habits for physical distancing when visiting supermarket (B = -0.63, p < .0001) and having guests at home (B = -0.54, p < .0001) in the later phases of the study, but not for hand washing. Conclusions: People’s adaptation to physical distancing and hand washing involves both intentional and habitual processes. For public health management, our findings highlight the importance of using contextual cues to promote habit formation, especially for maintaining physical distancing practice. For habit theories, our study provides a unique data set that covers multiple health behaviours in a critical real-world setting.
... Several studies focused on the compliance with the COVID-19 regulations. Among them, Wismans et al. (2020) analysed compliance with hygiene measures and social distancing. Overall, they found higher compliance with social distancing measures than with hygiene measures. ...
... In Spain, following the guidelines by the WHO, people must keep social distancing and wear face masks in public spaces or when social distancing is not possible to keep (Han et al., 2020). As a public health concern, the level of compliance with COVID-19 regulations has been studied in several countries (Nivette et al., 2021;Tong et al., 2020;Wismans et al., 2020;Yang et al., 2020). However, there are still many gaps in knowledge regarding compliance with COVID-19 regulations. ...
... In our study, social distancing was reported to be kept always only by 12.9%. Other studies with adult samples found higher percentage of compliance with social distancing (Nivette et al., 2021;Tong et al., 2020;Wismans et al., 2020), but Oosterhoff and Palmer (2020) pointed out that just around a fifth of adolescents complied with this recommendation. Moreover, only one out of three students in our study reported never kissing and/or hugging their friends. ...
Prevalence rates of compliance with anti-COVID measures have been widely studied, but little is known about this issue in early adolescence. Moreover, the relation between substance use and compliance with anti-COVID regulations is still unexplored. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of compliance with anti-COVID measures by adolescents and the link between substance use and compliance with anti-COVID regulations. This was a cross-sectional study including 909 participants ( M age = 12.57; SD = 0.81). The most complied measure was mask-wearing, followed by avoiding hug/kiss friends and, finally, social distancing. All substance use negatively correlated with compliance with measures. However, strong alcohol and tobacco were the only substances significantly related to less compliance of anti-COVID measures after controlling for covariates. These results provide evidence about the relation between substance use and compliance with anti-COVID measures. Strategies addressed to decrease substance use could be effective to reduce behaviours associated with coronavirus transmission.
... COVID-19 cases may be associated with many factors, such as available health resources or health expenditure [32,33], policies adopted by countries to contain the pandemic [34,35] or compliance with hygiene and sanitary measures [36,37]. However, it may also be associated with environmental factors, which have not been sufficiently explored, especially in Europe; we aim to fill this gap in the literature. ...
COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented crisis, resulting in a global pandemic with millions infected and dying. Given the importance given to sustainability and the reduction in pollutant gases in recent years, the main objective of this study was to determine whether pollutant emissions are associated with an increased number of COVID-19 cases in Europe. Other demographic variables that may have an impact on the number of coronavirus cases, such as population density, average age or the level of restrictive policies implemented by governments, are also included. It has been shown that the emission of carbon monoxide pollutant gases and pollutant emissions from transport positively affect the incidence of COVID-19, so that the sustainable policy implemented in recent years in Europe should be reinforced, and tougher sanctions and measures should be imposed when pollution thresholds are exceeded.
... As already highlighted by Romero and colleagues (2020), one of the main priorities for schools is minimizing all aspects of COVID-19 exposure. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created guidance for Institutions of Higher Education providing risk assessment and implementing several strategies to encourage behaviors that reduce the spread of One of the most effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease is adopting physical distancing measures between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other [3,[9][10][11]. This kind of strategy is also generally implemented to limit the effects of other respiratory viruses in closed environments [5,12]; N [13]. ...
... Consequently, exposure models in buildings seem to be generally based on theoretical assumptions of physical distances rather than on experimental data in indoor scenarios. Concerning educational spaces, studies exist on recommending safety measures including physical distancing, and on the consequences of physical distancing on the mental health of students [3,6,10]. However, there is still a lack of research on how students react to distancing inside the school spaces, and, mainly, in universities. ...
Closed university buildings proved to be one of the main hot spots for virus transmission during pandemics. As shown during the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing is one of the most effective measures to limit such transmission. As universities prepare to manage in-class activities, students’ adherence to physical distancing requirements is a priority topic. Unfortunately, while physical distancing in classrooms can be easily managed, the movement of students inside common spaces can pose high risk of close proximity.
This paper provides an experimental analysis of unidirectional student movement inside a case-study university building to investigate how physical distancing requirements impact student movement and grouping behaviour.
Results show general adherence with the minimum required physical distancing guidance, but spaces such as corridors pose higher risk of exposure than doorways. Doorway width, in combination with group behaviour, affect the students' capacity to keep the recommended physical distance. Furthermore, questionnaire results show that students report higher perceived vulnerability while moving along corridors. Evidence-based results can support decision-makers in understanding individuals’ exposure to COVID-19 in universities and researchers in developing behavioural models in preparation of future outbreaks and pandemics.
... The data used in this study are part of the Erasmus University Rotterdam International COVID-19 Student Survey. This is a longitudinal study on COVID-19-related behaviors and attitudes among university students from multiple countries [24]. Thus far, data have been collected at two points in time. ...
To achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, it is crucial to know the drivers of vaccination intention and, thereby, vaccination. As the determinants of vaccination differ across vaccines, target groups and contexts, we investigate COVID-19 vaccination intention using data from university students from three countries, the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal. We investigate the psychological drivers of vaccination intention using the 5C model as mediator. This model includes five antecedents of vaccination: Confidence, Complacency, Constraints, Calculation and Collective Responsibility. First, we show that the majority of students have a positive propensity toward getting vaccinated against COVID-19, though only 41% of students are completely acceptant. Second, using the 5C model, we show that ‘Confidence’ (β = 0.33, SE = 03, p < .001) and ‘Collective Responsibility’ (β = 0.35, SE = 04, p < .001) are most strongly related to students’ COVID-19 vaccination intention. Using mediation analyses, we show that the perceived risk and effectiveness of the vaccine as well as trust in the government and health authorities indirectly relate to vaccination intention through ‘Confidence’. The perceived risk of COVID-19 for one’s social circle and altruism, the need to belong and psychopathy traits indirectly relate to vaccination intention through ‘Collective Responsibility’. Hence, targeting the psychological characteristics associated with ‘Confidence’ and ‘Collective Responsibility’ can improve the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns among students.
