How level of understanding and type of used sources relate to adherence to COVID-19 public health measures in Canada

Abstract

Previous studies have highlighted the importance of promoting health literacy and minimizing misinformation to encourage higher adherence to key public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores how one’s self-reported understanding of information and types of sources used to get information regarding COVID-19 can hinder adherence to public health measures implemented by the Canadian government. Data was collected following a longitudinal design of 11 time points for April 2020 to April 2021. The sub-sample used for this study included 2659 Canadians who completed the survey for at least four time points. Using Latent Class Growth Analysis, we modelled typical trajectories of adherence to three key public health measures: staying home, social distancing and mask wearing. Overall, a lower level of understanding was associated with lower adherence trajectories to public health measures, and vice-versa. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) showed that the higher the level of understanding, the higher were the chances of following a high adherence trajectory. The type of used sources also showed a significant statistical association with adherence trajectories for social distancing and staying home (AOR: between 1.1 and 3.4). These results are discussed considering future policy implications.

Beyond What Meets the Eye: Unveiling Dynamics of Compliance with Preventive Measures in the COVID-19 Era

“…This shift in trend implies that situational factors, such as the easing of measures, might negatively impact the motivation to comply for individuals already at risk of non-compliance. In contrast to ndings from other longitudinal studies [15] [36], where the lowest compliance trajectory exhibited a decline from the onset of the pandemic, our trajectory modelling reveals a distinct pattern-a decline in compliance commencing as the measures were lifted for this group. This differentiation is crucial, as it enhances the precision of our understanding of longitudinal compliance patterns by scrutinising speci c periods more susceptible to in uencing trajectory trends.…”

“…Interestingly, this predominant group, encompassing the majority of Canadians, appeared unaffected by the imposition or lifting of measures; they simply adopted the necessary behaviours and gradually exhibited a waning interest in maintaining these practices. A similar characterization was noted in previous LCGA studies [77] [36] [15] [73]. Existing literature has proposed the concept of pandemic fatigue as a potential explanation for this decline in compliance levels, positing that sustaining bene cial yet demanding behaviours, such as social distancing and staying-at-home, becomes progressively challenging compared to initially adopting them [51].…”

“…Upon further analysis of the representativeness of the sample, the researchers found that the sample was representative in terms of household composition, employment rate, immigration status. However, when the sample is compared with other socio-demographic characteristics, it is less representative for certain groups, such as Francophones, Canadians with lower levels of education and First Nations [15]. Attrition was observed from the second wave of data collection onward, with an average attrition rate of 43.35% (standard deviation = +/-6.12%) for measurement time points two to twelve, ranging from a minimum of 34.50% to a maximum of 53.77%.…”

“…Furthermore, several social and sociodemographic factors were identi ed as probable reasons behind non-compliance to preventive measures, but these factors were only examined in regard to their relationship with compliance levels and not change in compliance levels ( [54]; [5]; [64]; [3]). Hence, this study represents a continuation of a longitudinal investigation initiated by Courdi et al (2023) with a representative Canadian sample (N = 3617). The primary aim of the earlier study was to identify trajectories of compliance with social distancing, contacts limitation, and mask wearing throughout the rst year of the pandemic and its relation with factors.…”

“…A team of researchers from France investigated the impact of health literacy on compliance with social distancing measures and discovered a positive association, indicating that higher health literacy was linked to increased compliance with social distancing [54]. Other studies also con rmed the pivotal role of health literacy in fostering the adoption of preventive behaviours in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic [21] [15]. In addition to facilitating the adoption of new health behaviours, health literacy also acts as a facilitator when individuals need to better adapt to evolving situations, like the gradual easing of governmental restrictions [46].…”