Factors associated with high compliance behaviour against COVID-19 in the early phase of pandemic: a cross-sectional study in 12 Asian countries
M Masudur Rahman,
Hiroto Miwa,
Yinglian Xiao,
Yeong Yeh Lee,
Tadayuki Oshima,
Chun En Chua,
Guan Sen Kew,
Scott Wong,
Hui Xing Lau,
Tze Liang Loh,
Shien Lung Ooi,
Uday C Ghoshal,
Ari F Syam,
Niandi Tan,
Jin-Song Liu,
Fang Lu,
Chien-Lin Chen,
Ruter M Maralit,
Yong-Sung Kim,
Kewin Tien Ho Siah,
Hao Gui,
Junxiong Pang,
Alla Demutska,
Sabrina Quek,
Evelyn Xiu Ling Loo,
En Xian Sarah Low,
Emily C W Hung,
Hei Wong,
Cynthia K Y Cheung
Affiliations
M Masudur Rahman
12 Department of Gastroenterology, Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Hiroto Miwa
24 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
Yinglian Xiao
18 Department of Gastroenterology, Wuhan Union Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Yeong Yeh Lee
21 Gut Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Tadayuki Oshima
24 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
Chun En Chua
1 Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore
Guan Sen Kew
2 Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore
Scott Wong
7 Department of Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore
Hui Xing Lau
8 Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore
Tze Liang Loh
9 Department of Otorhinolarygology, Head and Neck Surgery, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Shien Lung Ooi
10 Department of Anaesthesiology, Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt Ltd, Sarawak, Malaysia
Uday C Ghoshal
11Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute Medical Science, India
Ari F Syam
16 Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Indonesia, Depok, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Niandi Tan
17 Departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Jin-Song Liu
19 China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
Fang Lu
20 Department of Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi Hospital and University School of Medicine, Hualien, Taiwan
Chien-Lin Chen
20 Department of Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi Hospital and University School of Medicine, Hualien, Taiwan
Ruter M Maralit
22 Department of Medicine, The Medical City, Pasig City, Manila, Philippines
Yong-Sung Kim
23 Wonkwang Digestive Disease Research Institute, Gut and Food Healthcare, Wonkwang University School of Medicine Hospital, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, Korea (the Republic of)
Kewin Tien Ho Siah
2 Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore
Hao Gui
6 Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore
Junxiong Pang
6 Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore
Alla Demutska
3 Department of Clinical Psychology, James Cook University, Singapore
Sabrina Quek
4 Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Evelyn Xiu Ling Loo
5 Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
En Xian Sarah Low
7 Department of Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore
Emily C W Hung
11 Cambridge Paediatrics, Hong Kong
Hei Wong
14 Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong
Cynthia K Y Cheung
15 State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Introduction Regardless of having effective vaccines against COVID-19, containment measures such as enhanced physical distancing and good practice of personal hygiene remain the mainstay of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries across Asia have imposed these containment measures to varying extents. However, residents in different countries would have a differing degree of compliance to these containment measures potentially due to differences in the level of awareness and motivation in the early phase of pandemic.Objectives In our study, we aimed to describe and correlate the level of knowledge and attitude with the level of compliance with personal hygiene and physical distancing practices among Asian countries in the early phase of pandemic.Methods A multinational cross-sectional study was carried out using electronic surveys between May and June 2020 across 14 geographical areas. Subjects aged 21 years and above were invited to participate through social media, word of mouth and electronic mail.Results Among the 2574 responses obtained, 762 (29.6%) participants were from East Asia and 1812 (70.4%) were from Southeast Asia (SEA). A greater proportion of participants from SEA will practise physical distancing as long as it takes (72.8% vs 60.6%). Having safe distancing practices such as standing more than 1 or 2 m apart (AdjOR 5.09 95% CI (1.08 to 24.01)) or more than 3 or 4 m apart (AdjOR 7.05 95% CI (1.32 to 37.67)), wearing a mask when they had influenza-like symptoms before the COVID-19 pandemic, preferring online news channels such as online news websites/applications (AdjOR 1.73 95% CI (1.21 to 2.49)) and social media (AdjOR 1.68 95% CI (1.13 to 2.50) as sources of obtaining information about COVID-19 and high psychological well-being (AdjOR 1.39 95% CI (1.04 to 1.87)) were independent factors associated with high compliance.Conclusions We found factors associated with high compliance behaviour against COVID-19 in the early phase of pandemic and it will be useful to consider them in risk assessment, communication and pandemic preparedness.
