Association between precautionary behaviors against coronavirus disease and psychosocial factors in outpatients with a pre‐existing disease and their attendants
Keita Idemoto,
Tomihisa Niitsu,
Akihiro Shiina,
Osamu Kobori,
Misaki Onodera,
Kiyomitsu Ota,
Atsuhiro Miyazawa,
Masumi Tachibana,
Makoto Kimura,
Ryota Seki,
Tasuku Hashimoto,
Kensuke Yoshimura,
Shoichi Ito,
Michiko Nakazato,
Yoshito Igarashi,
Eiji Shimizu,
Masaomi Iyo
Affiliations
Keita Idemoto
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Tomihisa Niitsu
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Akihiro Shiina
Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Forensic Mental Health Chiba University Chiba Japan
Osamu Kobori
Department of Psychology International University of Health and Welfare Akasaka Japan
Misaki Onodera
Department of Medical Education, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Kiyomitsu Ota
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Atsuhiro Miyazawa
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Masumi Tachibana
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Makoto Kimura
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Ryota Seki
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Tasuku Hashimoto
Department of Psychiatry International University of Health and Welfare Narita Japan
Kensuke Yoshimura
Center for Next Generation of Community Health Chiba University Chiba Japan
Shoichi Ito
Department of Medical Education, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Michiko Nakazato
Department of Psychiatry International University of Health and Welfare Narita Japan
Yoshito Igarashi
Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Forensic Mental Health Chiba University Chiba Japan
Eiji Shimizu
Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Masaomi Iyo
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University Chiba Japan
Abstract Aim The spread of the novel coronavirus infection (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID‐19]) has caused behavioral changes and mental illness in patients and their attendants during its early phase. The present study aimed to examine the association between precautionary behaviors against COVID‐19 and psychosocial factors in outpatients with pre‐existing disease and their attendants. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional paper‐based questionnaire survey in Chiba University Hospital on 1019 patients and 513 attendants, and a web‐based questionnaire survey in Japan on 3981 individuals from the general population. We evaluated the participants' anxiety about COVID‐19, depression, health anxiety, and precautionary behaviors. Results Regarding knowledge and anxiety about COVID‐19, the protective factors for the high precautionary behaviors group were knowledge of COVID‐19 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.178, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.099–1.263), anxiety about the spread of COVID‐19 (OR = 1.348, 95% CI: 1.243–1.461), and anxiety about infecting someone with COVID‐19 (OR = 1.135, 95% CI: 1.039–0.239). Regarding psychosocial factors, the protective factors for the high precautionary behaviors group were patients (OR = 1.759, 95% CI: 1.056–2.929), their attendants (OR = 3.892, 95% CI: 1.416–10.700), health anxiety (OR = 2.005, 95% CI: 1.451–2.772), and nondepression states (OR = 1.368, 95% CI: 1.004–1.864). Conclusion Our findings suggest that patients and their attendants may perform high precautionary behaviors. Health anxiety and nondepression states may be associated with high precautionary behaviors.
