AUTHOR=Pengpid Supa , Peltzer Karl , Sathirapanya Chutarat , Thitichai Phanthanee , Faria de Moura Villela Edlaine , Rodrigues Zanuzzi Tamara , de Andrade Bandeira Felipe , Bono Suzanna A. , Siau Ching Sin , Chen Won Sun , Hasan M Tasdik , Sessou Philippe , Ditekemena John D. , Hosseinipour Mina C. , Dolo Housseini , Wanyenze Rhoda K. , Nelson Siewe Fodjo Joseph , Colebunders Robert
TITLE=Psychosocial Factors Associated With Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Measures in Low-Middle- Income Countries, December 2020 to February 2021
JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health
VOLUME=67
YEAR=2022
URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604398
DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1604398
ISSN=1661-8564
ABSTRACT=Objectives: To investigate psychosocial factors associated with adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Methods: This online cross-sectional survey included 10,183 adults (median age 45 years) from nine LMICs. Participants were asked about adhering to four COVID-19 preventive measures (physical distancing, wearing a face mask, hand, and cough hygiene); a composite adherence score was calculated, ranging from 0–4 positive responses. Psychosocial measures included worry, anxiety, depression, social and demographic, and COVID-19 related factors.
Results: Factors associated with adherence to more preventive measures included being a participant from Malaysia or Bangladesh, older age, higher education, belonging to the healthcare sector (either as or worker), having health personnel as a trusted source of COVID-19 information/advice, possessing correct COVID-19 knowledge, worry or fear about being (re)infected with COVID-19, and screening negative for general anxiety symptoms.
Conclusion: Moderate to high adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures was found, with significant variations across countries. Psychosocial factors (worry, anxiety, knowledge, education, age, and country) seemed determinant in predicting the number of measures to which participants adhered.