Knowledge of social distancing measures and adherence to restrictions during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

Issue addressed With no efficacious treatments or vaccines available, social distancing measures remain the most effective approach for reducing the transmission of the COVID‐19 virus. However, adherence to social distance measures presumably requires knowledge and understanding of the current social distancing restrictions. Methods A modified version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour examined the role of knowledge and understanding of current social distancing measures in predicting intentions to adhere to social distancing restrictions. An online survey was administered to respondents (N = 374) in Melbourne, Australia during a period of heightened social distancing restrictions. In addition to measuring respondents’ general intentions to adhere to restrictions, vignettes were used to assess intended behaviour in specific situations. Results Knowledge of social distancing restrictions predicted intentions to adhere in specific situations, but not general intentions to adhere. Knowledge of restrictions also predicted positive attitudes towards current restrictions and a greater perceived ability to adhere to the restrictions, while positive attitudes was a good predictor of both general and specific intentions to adhere. Conclusions The findings suggest that attitudes towards restrictions may influence whether individuals attempt to adhere to restrictions, but knowledge of the restrictions influences whether the intended behaviour actually adheres to current restrictions. So what? These outcomes indicate that members of the public should be educated regarding the negative consequences associated with the COVID‐19 virus and the capacity of social distancing to reduce transmission of the virus, and a need for social distancing restrictions to be uncomplicated and clearly communicated.

Fear of COVID-19 and Perceived COVID-19 Infectability Supplement Theory of Planned Behavior to Explain Iranians’ Intention to Get COVID-19 Vaccinated

“…That is, the present study found that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in the TPB were all significant factors explaining intention of COVID-19 vaccination uptake. This finding corresponds well with what prior TPB studies on vaccination uptake have found [ 18 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. For example, Guidry et al found that American adults who were more positive toward COVID-19 vaccination and had higher levels of subjective norms held greater intention to get COVID-19 vaccinated [ 31 ].…”

“…More specifically, the TPB (or part of the TPB) has not been applied to studies with a sample size larger than 10,000 participants. For example, the sample size was 2653 in Zhang et al’s study [ 28 ]; 398 in Shmueli’s study [ 18 ]; 374 in Sturman et al’s study [ 29 ]; 2529 in Cordina et al’s study [ 30 ]; and 788 in Guidry et al’s study [ 31 ]. In this regard, the present authors proposed to use a large-scale study incorporating more than 10,000 individuals to fully examine the effectiveness of the extended TPB.…”

Social determinants of adherence to COVID-19 preventive guidelines: a comprehensive review

“…Individuals’ knowledge, attitudes, and risk perceptions were associated with ACPG [ 6 , 23 , 32 , 37 , 38 , 51 , 56 , 58 ]. Some studies showed that health literacy [ 53 ] and knowledge about social distancing were associated with ACPG [ 32 , 42 , 50 , 59 ]. A study in Iran found that attitude toward COVID-19 risk was the strongest predictor of ACPG (B=0.362, p=0.009) [ 42 ].…”

Factors Affecting COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors among University Students in Beijing, China: An Empirical Study Based on the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior

“…For instance, Prasetyo et al [ 22 ] assessed the variables that affect the perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention measures in the Philippines based on TPB and protection motivation theory. Sturman et al [ 23 ] established a modified TPB model by incorporating knowledge to better understand adherence to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic by respondents in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Furthermore, Trifiletti et al [ 24 ] used the TPB model along with perceived risk to evaluate protective behavior against COVID-19 in adults residing in Italy.…”