Scientific Reports (Mar 2022)

Predictors of adherence to public health behaviors for fighting COVID-19 derived from longitudinal data

  • Birga M. Schumpe,
  • Caspar J. Van Lissa,
  • Jocelyn J. Bélanger,
  • Kai Ruggeri,
  • Jochen Mierau,
  • Claudia F. Nisa,
  • Erica Molinario,
  • Michele J. Gelfand,
  • Wolfgang Stroebe,
  • Maximilian Agostini,
  • Ben Gützkow,
  • Bertus F. Jeronimus,
  • Jannis Kreienkamp,
  • Maja Kutlaca,
  • Edward P. Lemay,
  • Anne Margit Reitsema,
  • Michelle R. vanDellen,
  • Georgios Abakoumkin,
  • Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom,
  • Vjollca Ahmedi,
  • Handan Akkas,
  • Carlos A. Almenara,
  • Mohsin Atta,
  • Sabahat Cigdem Bagci,
  • Sima Basel,
  • Edona Berisha Kida,
  • Allan B. I. Bernardo,
  • Nicholas R. Buttrick,
  • Phatthanakit Chobthamkit,
  • Hoon-Seok Choi,
  • Mioara Cristea,
  • Sara Csaba,
  • Kaja Damnjanović,
  • Ivan Danyliuk,
  • Arobindu Dash,
  • Daniela Di Santo,
  • Karen M. Douglas,
  • Violeta Enea,
  • Daiane Faller,
  • Gavan J. Fitzsimons,
  • Alexandra Gheorghiu,
  • Ángel Gómez,
  • Ali Hamaidia,
  • Qing Han,
  • Mai Helmy,
  • Joevarian Hudiyana,
  • Ding-Yu Jiang,
  • Veljko Jovanović,
  • Zeljka Kamenov,
  • Anna Kende,
  • Shian-Ling Keng,
  • Tra Thi Thanh Kieu,
  • Yasin Koc,
  • Kamila Kovyazina,
  • Inna Kozytska,
  • Joshua Krause,
  • Arie W. Kruglanski,
  • Anton Kurapov,
  • Nóra Anna Lantos,
  • Cokorda Bagus J. Lesmana,
  • Winnifred R. Louis,
  • Adrian Lueders,
  • Najma Iqbal Malik,
  • Anton P. Martinez,
  • Kira O. McCabe,
  • Jasmina Mehulić,
  • Mirra Noor Milla,
  • Idris Mohammed,
  • Manuel Moyano,
  • Hayat Muhammad,
  • Silvana Mula,
  • Hamdi Muluk,
  • Solomiia Myroniuk,
  • Reza Najafi,
  • Boglárka Nyúl,
  • Paul A. O’Keefe,
  • Jose Javier Olivas Osuna,
  • Evgeny N. Osin,
  • Joonha Park,
  • Gennaro Pica,
  • Antonio Pierro,
  • Jonas H. Rees,
  • Elena Resta,
  • Marika Rullo,
  • Michelle K. Ryan,
  • Adil Samekin,
  • Pekka Santtila,
  • Edyta Sasin,
  • Heyla A. Selim,
  • Michael Vicente Stanton,
  • Samiah Sultana,
  • Robbie M. Sutton,
  • Eleftheria Tseliou,
  • Akira Utsugi,
  • Jolien A. van Breen,
  • Kees Van Veen,
  • Alexandra Vázquez,
  • Robin Wollast,
  • Victoria Wai-Lan Yeung,
  • Somayeh Zand,
  • Iris Lav Žeželj,
  • Bang Zheng,
  • Andreas Zick,
  • Claudia Zúñiga,
  • N. Pontus Leander

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04703-9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

Read online

Abstract The present paper examines longitudinally how subjective perceptions about COVID-19, one’s community, and the government predict adherence to public health measures to reduce the spread of the virus. Using an international survey (N = 3040), we test how infection risk perception, trust in the governmental response and communications about COVID-19, conspiracy beliefs, social norms on distancing, tightness of culture, and community punishment predict various containment-related attitudes and behavior. Autoregressive analyses indicate that, at the personal level, personal hygiene behavior was predicted by personal infection risk perception. At social level, social distancing behaviors such as abstaining from face-to-face contact were predicted by perceived social norms. Support for behavioral mandates was predicted by confidence in the government and cultural tightness, whereas support for anti-lockdown protests was predicted by (lower) perceived clarity of communication about the virus. Results are discussed in light of policy implications and creating effective interventions.