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Ketoja JA, Saurio K, Rautkoski H, Kenttä E, Tanaka A, Koponen AI, Virkajärvi J, Heinonen K, Kostamo K, Järvenpää A, Hyry N, Heikkilä P, Hankonen N, Harlin A. Design of biodegradable cellulose filtration material with high efficiency and breathability. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 336:122133. [PMID: 38670771 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Using respiratory protective equipment is one of the relevant preventive measures for infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and for various occupational respiratory hazards. Because experienced discomfort may result in a decrease in the utilization of respirators, it is important to enhance the material properties to resolve suboptimal usage. We combined several technologies to produce a filtration material that met requirements set by a cross-disciplinary interview study on the usability of protective equipment. Improved breathability, environmental sustainability, and comfort of the material were achieved by electrospinning poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) nanofibers on a thin foam-formed fabric from regenerated cellulose fibers. The high filtration efficiency of sub-micron-sized diethylhexyl sebacate (DEHS) aerosol particles resulted from the small mean segment length of 0.35 μm of the nanofiber network. For a particle diameter of 0.6 μm, the filtration efficiency of a single PEO layer varied in the range of 80-97 % depending on the coat weight. The corresponding pressure drop had the level of 20-90 Pa for the airflow velocity of 5.3 cm/s. Using a multilayer structure, a very high filtration efficiency of 99.5 % was obtained with only a slightly higher pressure drop. This opens a route toward designing sustainable personal protective media with improved user experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukka A Ketoja
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland.
| | - Kaisa Saurio
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Finland
| | - Hille Rautkoski
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Eija Kenttä
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Atsushi Tanaka
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Antti I Koponen
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Jussi Virkajärvi
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Kimmo Heinonen
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Katri Kostamo
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Finland
| | - Anastasia Järvenpää
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Niina Hyry
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Pirjo Heikkilä
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Ali Harlin
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
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Wang CW, de Jong EP, Faure JA, Ellington JL, Chen CHS, Chan CC. Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators of Mask-Wearing Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan, the United States, the Netherlands, and Haiti: A Qualitative Study. Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2024; 18:e23. [PMID: 38351541 DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2024.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study explored the barriers and facilitators of mask-wearing behaviors during the pandemic in Taiwan, the United States, the Netherlands, and Haiti. METHODS Face-to-face interviews were conducted in Taiwan and online interviews were conducted with participants in the United States, the Netherlands, and Haiti. RESULTS In general, the habit of wearing a mask before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported by Taiwanese participants. Additionally, Taiwanese participants perceived that wearing a mask was a social responsibility during the pandemic, suggesting that the collectivistic context might influence mask-wearing behavior. Unlike the Taiwanese population, some people in the United States and the Netherlands were reluctant to wear masks due to perceived restrictions on their freedom. Participants from Haiti mentioned that people who wore masks encountered violence, bullying, and discrimination. The results of this study suggest that political leadership and mask mandates have a strong impact on people's mask-wearing behavior. CONCLUSIONS These findings have valuable implications for the design of diverse behavioral interventions to enhance mask-wearing as part of infectious disease preparedness. Additionally, the findings from these countries offer valuable insights for the development of effective public health interventions to enhance society's resilience during the current pandemic and future infectious disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wen Wang
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore
- Lloyd's Register Foundation Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Erik Pieter de Jong
- Global Health Program, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Josemyrne Ashley Faure
- Global Health Program, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Chi-Hsin Sally Chen
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Chuan Chan
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Global Health Program, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Bentum-Micah G, Cai L, Ahoto AT. Observation of covid-19 safety protocols by persons with chronic health conditions in Ghana: The influence of health belief model. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 236:103928. [PMID: 37121072 PMCID: PMC10133890 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Covid-19 has brought distortion to health delivery globally and made it challenging to seek healthcare, but persons with chronic health conditions who require continuous medical attention have suffered the most as all attention at the medical front was directed to covid-19 related issues. The study explores how the five primary constructs of the health belief model were used to drive adherence to covid-19 preventive protocols among persons with chronic health conditions in Ghana. A quantitative technique was used for data collection and analyses. SPSS version 21 and AMOS version 21 were used to analyze data. Hierarchical regression from SPSS were used to examine the influences of health belief model constructs on chronic patients' adherence to covid-19 preventive protocols. The study's finding indicates that perceived susceptibility, severity, and self-efficacy influence adherence to covid-19 protocols among persons with chronic conditions. While perceived benefits and perceived barriers though they have negative and positive influences on adherence, they were not statistically significant. Perceived self-efficacy has a negative influence on the perceived barrier and a positive influence on perceived benefit. Gender has positive influence on Perceived susceptibility. The study's outcome indicated that persons with chronic health conditions need special arrangements to ease their access to healthcare during outbreaks. Hence, public health professionals need to educate chronic patients on how to practice the covid-19 preventive protocols and support them with covid-19 preventive materials to increase their self-efficacy to adhere to covid-19 protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lianya Cai
- College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
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Yan M, Zhang M, Kwok APK, Zeng H, Li Y. The Roles of Trust and Its Antecedent Variables in Healthcare Consumers' Acceptance of Online Medical Consultation during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11091232. [PMID: 37174774 PMCID: PMC10177990 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11091232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Online medical consultation (OMC) is generating considerable interest among researchers and practitioners due to the mandatory quarantine measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. However, the acceptance rate of OMC has declined over time. This paper aims to empirically investigate OMC acceptance using a proposed research model by integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) with trust and its antecedent variables. A quantitative self-administered cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data from 260 healthcare consumers. A partial least squares structural equation modeling method was used to examine the data. Results revealed that healthcare consumers' behavioral intention was influenced by attitudes, while perceived usefulness and trust significantly influenced behavioral intention through attitude as a mediator. In addition, perceived risk, perceived privacy protection, network externalities, cognitive reputation, and interactivity directly influenced trust. Overall, the research model explained 50% of the variance in attitude and 71% of the variance in behavioral intention. The study's findings should provide useful insights into making effective design, development, and implementation decisions for OMC services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mian Yan
- School of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Zhuhai 519070, China
- GBA and B&R International Joint Research Center for Smart Logistics, Jinan University, Zhuhai 519070, China
| | - Meijuan Zhang
- School of Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Alex Pak Ki Kwok
- Data Science and Policy Studies Programme, Faculty of Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Haoyan Zeng
- School of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Zhuhai 519070, China
| | - Yanfeng Li
- School of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Zhuhai 519070, China
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He J, Yang W, He Q, Tang Y, Wang Y, Wang G, Jiang X, Ren J. Chinese pregnant women's knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-protection against coronavirus disease 2019 during the post-pandemic period: A structural equation modeling-based survey. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION : IJDRR 2023; 87:103559. [PMID: 36714184 PMCID: PMC9869621 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the Chinese pregnant women's levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of self-protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the post-pandemic period, to aid the development of targeted health education. An online questionnaire was conducted for 2156 Chinese pregnant women from October 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, to collect socio-demographic and KAP information. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine self-protection-related factors. The mean age of the participants was 30 ± 4.1 years. SEM indicated that pregnant women's level of knowledge can directly and indirectly affect the practice of self-protection (r = 0.23) through their belief, with a correlation coefficient of 0.56 and 0.46 between knowledge and belief and belief and practice, respectively. The "basic protection" and "hospital visits after infection" exerted the greatest impact on knowledge formation, with correlation coefficients of 0.85 and 0.89, respectively. Attitude had a direct effect on practice with a correlation coefficient of 0.46. "Awareness of prevention and control" and "family and social support" had the greatest impact on belief formation, with correlation coefficients of 0.77 and 0.73, respectively. Pregnant Chinese women were generally familiar with COVID-19 knowledge, and their levels of knowledge and beliefs particularly affect the practice of self-protection. Health education aimed at improving pregnant women's knowledge and belief toward self-protection against COVID-19 may be an effective way to guide them toward positive practices and promote their health and that of their babies.
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Key Words
- AGFI, adjusted goodness of fit index
- BMI, body mass index
- CFI, comparative fix index
- CMIN/DF, Chi-square fit statistics/degree of freedom
- COVID-19
- COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019
- GFI, goodness-of-fit index
- I-CVI, individual-item content validity index
- IFI, incremental fix index
- KAP theory
- KAP, knowledge attitude and practice
- MERS, Middle eastern respiratory syndrome
- Post-pandemic period
- Pregnant women
- RMSEA, root mean square error of approximation
- S-CVI, scale-content validity index
- SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome
- SEM, structural equation modeling
- Self-protection
- TLI, Tucker-Lewis index
- UA, universal agreement
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing He
- West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University / West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University / Department of Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University / Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), No. 20, Section 3, Renmin Road South, Chengdu, Sichuan , SC 28/610000, China
| | - Wenqian Yang
- West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University / West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University / Department of Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University / Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), No. 20, Section 3, Renmin Road South, Chengdu, Sichuan , SC 28/610000, China
| | - Qiuyang He
- West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University / West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University / Department of Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University / Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), No. 20, Section 3, Renmin Road South, Chengdu, Sichuan , SC 28/610000, China
| | - Yuxin Tang
- West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University / West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University / Department of Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University / Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), No. 20, Section 3, Renmin Road South, Chengdu, Sichuan , SC 28/610000, China
| | - Yonghong Wang
- West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University / West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University / Department of Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University / Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), No. 20, Section 3, Renmin Road South, Chengdu, Sichuan , SC 28/610000, China
| | - Guoyu Wang
- West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University / West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University / Department of Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University / Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), No. 20, Section 3, Renmin Road South, Chengdu, Sichuan , SC 28/610000, China
| | - Xiaolian Jiang
- West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University / West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University / West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan, SC 28/610000, China
| | - Jianhua Ren
- Department of nursing, West China Second University Hospital / West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University / Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), No. 20, Section 3, Renmin Road South, Chengdu, Sichuan, SC 28/610000, China
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Zhang H, Shen L, Sun M, Zhao C, Li Q, Yang Z, Liu J, Liu K, Xiao B. Spatiotemporal impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions against COVID-19 on the incidence of infectious diarrhea in Xi'an, China. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1011592. [PMID: 36518571 PMCID: PMC9742410 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1011592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) against COVID-19 may prevent the spread of other infectious diseases. Our purpose was to assess the effects of NPIs against COVID-19 on infectious diarrhea in Xi'an, China. Methods Based on the surveillance data of infectious diarrhea, and the different periods of emergence responses for COVID-19 in Xi'an from 2011 to 2021, we applied Bayesian structural time series model and interrupted time series model to evaluate the effects of NPIs against COVID-19 on the epidemiological characteristics and the causative pathogens of infectious diarrhea. Findings A total of 102,051 cases of infectious diarrhea were reported in Xi'an from 2011 to 2021. The Bayesian structural time series model results demonstrated that the cases of infectious diarrhea during the emergency response period was 40.38% lower than predicted, corresponding to 3,211 fewer cases, during the COVID-19 epidemic period of 2020-2021. The reduction exhibited significant variations in the demography, temporal and geographical distribution. The decline in incidence was especially evident in children under 5-years-old, with decreases of 34.09% in 2020 and 33.99% in 2021, relative to the 2017-2019 average. Meanwhile, the incidence decreased more significantly in industrial areas. Interpretation NPIs against COVID-19 were associated with short- and long-term reductions in the incidence of infectious diarrhea, and this effect exhibited significant variations in epidemiological characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Department of Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Xi'an Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Li Shen
- School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Minghao Sun
- School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chenxi Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Xi'an Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zurong Yang
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jifeng Liu
- Department of Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Xi'an Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China,Kun Liu
| | - Bo Xiao
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China,*Correspondence: Bo Xiao
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Zheng B, Zhu W, Pan J, Wang W. Patterns of human social contact and mask wearing in high-risk groups in China. Infect Dis Poverty 2022; 11:69. [PMID: 35717198 PMCID: PMC9206088 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-00988-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed human behavior in areas such as contact patterns and mask-wearing frequency. Exploring human–human contact patterns and mask-wearing habits in high-risk groups is an essential step in fully understanding the transmission of respiratory infection-based diseases. This study had aims to quantify local human–human (H–H) contacts in high-risk groups in representative provinces of China and to explore the occupation-specific assortativity and heterogeneity of social contacts. Methods Delivery workers, medical workers, preschoolers, and students from Qinghai, Shanghai, and Zhejiang were recruited to complete an online questionnaire that queried general information, logged contacts, and assessed the willingness to wear a mask in different settings. The “group contact” was defined as contact with a group at least 20 individuals. The numbers of contacts across different characteristics were assessed and age-specific contact matrices were established. A generalized additive mixed model was used to analyze the associations between the number of individual contacts and several characteristics. The factors influencing the frequency of mask wearing were evaluated with a logistic regression model. Results A total of 611,287 contacts were reported by 15,635 participants. The frequency of daily individual contacts averaged 3.14 (95% confidence interval: 3.13–3.15) people per day, while that of group contacts was 37.90 (95% CI: 37.20–38.70). Skin-to-skin contact and long-duration contact were more likely to occur at home or among family members. Contact matrices of students were the most assortative (all contacts q-index = 0.899, 95% CI: 0.894–0.904). Participants with larger household sizes reported having more contacts. Higher household income per capita was significantly associated with a greater number of contacts among preschoolers (P50,000–99,999 = 0.033) and students (P10,000–29,999 = 0.017). In each of the public places, the frequency of mask wearing was highest for delivery workers. For preschoolers and students with more contacts, the proportion of those who reported always wearing masks was lower (P < 0.05) in schools/workplaces and public transportation than preschoolers and students with fewer contacts. Conclusions Contact screening efforts should be concentrated in the home, school, and workplace after an outbreak of an epidemic, as more than 75% of all contacts, on average, will be found in such places. Efforts should be made to improve the mask-wearing rate and age-specific health promotion measures aimed at reducing transmission for the younger demographic. Age-stratified and occupation-specific social contact research in high-risk groups could help inform policy-making decisions during the post-relaxation period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-022-00988-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zheng
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wenlong Zhu
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 138 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jinhua Pan
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Weibing Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 138 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Pan JY, Liu D. Mask-wearing intentions on airplanes during COVID-19 - Application of theory of planned behavior model. TRANSPORT POLICY 2022; 119:32-44. [PMID: 35185300 PMCID: PMC8841390 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the air transport industry, forcing airlines to take measures to ensure the safety of passengers and crewmembers. Among the many protective measures, mask mandate onboard the airplane is an important one, but travelers' mask-wearing intentions during flight remain uninvestigated especially in the US where mask use is a topic of on-going debate. This study focused on the mask use of airline passengers when they fly during COVID-19, using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model to examine the relationship between nine predicting factors and the mask-wearing intention in the aircraft cabin. A survey instrument was developed to collect data from 1124 air travelers on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), and the data was statistically analyzed using structural equation modeling and logistic regression. Results showed that attitude, descriptive norms, risk avoidance, and information seeking significantly influenced the travelers' intention to wear a mask during flight in COVID-19. Group analysis further indicated that the four factors influenced mask-wearing intentions differently on young, middle-aged, and senior travelers. It was also found that demographic and travel characteristics including age, education, income, and travel frequency can be used to predict if the airline passenger was willing to pay a large amount to switch to airlines that adopted different mask policies during COVID-19. The findings of this study fill the research gap of air travelers' intentions to wear a mask when flying during a global pandemic and provide recommendations for mask-wearing policies to help the air transport industry recover from COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yu Pan
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
| | - Dahai Liu
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
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Tien Thanh P, Thanh Tung L. The role of government risk communication in public health emergencies: evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. TRANSFORMING GOVERNMENT- PEOPLE PROCESS AND POLICY 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/tg-01-2022-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
During the COVID-19 pandemic, government risk communication to the public was among the critical works, as the governments had to fight two enemies at once: the pandemic itself and the infodemic surrounding the COVID-19. Government risk communication could provide the public with prompt and accurate information as well as eliminate fake news, rumors and misinformation, thereby raising the public’s knowledge and risk perception and, thus, shaping their compliance with the government’s advices and directives. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of government risk communication through mass media on the public’s knowledge, risk perception and compliance with safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
The ordinary least square and probit regression models were used for analyzing data collected from citizens living in Vietnam during the COVID-19 social distancing.
Findings
The results of this paper show that government risk communication enhances the public’s knowledge of the COVID-19 and raises their risk perception of the virus. In addition, government risk communication is found to shape the public’s compliance with most safety measures.
Practical implications
This paper offers practical implications for containing a pandemic (especially in the context that vaccines are unavailable or insufficient) by emphasizing the role of government risk communication.
Originality/value
This paper is among the first attempts that examine the role of government risk communication through mass media in enhancing the public’s knowledge, their risk perception and their compliance with safety measures during a pandemic.
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Shen L, Sun M, Song S, Hu Q, Wang N, Ou G, Guo Z, Jing D, Shao Z, Bai Y, Liu K. The impact of anti‐COVID‐19 non‐pharmaceutical interventions on hand, foot, and mouth disease—a spatiotemporal perspective in Xi'an, northwestern China. J Med Virol 2022; 94:3121-3132. [PMID: 35277880 PMCID: PMC9088661 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence has shown that anti‐COVID‐19 nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) can support prevention and control of various infectious diseases, including intestinal diseases. However, most studies focused on the short‐term mitigating impact and neglected the dynamic impact over time. This study is aimed to investigate the dynamic impact of anti‐COVID‐19 NPIs on hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) over time in Xi'an City, northwestern China. Based on the surveillance data of HFMD, meteorological and web search data, Bayesian Structural Time Series model and interrupted time series analysis were performed to quantitatively measure the impact of NPIs in sequent phases with different intensities and to predict the counterfactual number of HFMD cases. From 2013 to 2021, a total number of 172,898 HFMD cases were reported in Xi'an. In 2020, there appeared a significant decrease in HFMD incidence (−94.52%, 95% CI: −97.54% to −81.95%) in the first half of the year and the peak period shifted from June to October by a small margin of 6.74% compared to the previous years of 2013 to 2019. In 2021, the seasonality of HFMD incidence gradually returned to the bimodal temporal variation pattern with a significant average decline of 61.09%. In particular, the impact of NPIs on HFMD was more evident among young children (0–3 years), and the HFMD incidence reported in industrial areas had an unexpected increase of 51.71% in 2020 autumn and winter. Results suggested that both direct and indirect NPIs should be implemented as effective public health measures to reduce infectious disease and improve surveillance strategies, and HFMD incidence in Xi'an experienced a significant rebound to the previous seasonality after a prominent decline influenced by the anti‐COVID‐19 NPIs. HFMD transmission changed during the COVID‐19 pandemic; The impact of anti‐COVID‐19 NPIs on HFMD varied between different populations; The responsive NPIs indeed affected the HFMD incidence at different stages with potential long‐term impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Shen
- School of Remote Sensing and Information EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Minghao Sun
- School of Remote Sensing and Information EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Shuxuan Song
- Department of EpidemiologyMinistry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Qingwu Hu
- School of Remote Sensing and Information EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Nuoya Wang
- School of Remote Sensing and Information EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Guangyu Ou
- School of Remote Sensing and Information EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Zhaohui Guo
- School of Remote Sensing and Information EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Du Jing
- School of Resource and Environmental ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Zhongjun Shao
- Department of EpidemiologyMinistry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Yao Bai
- Department of Infectious Disease Control and PreventionXi'an Center for Disease Prevention and ControlXi'anChina
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of EpidemiologyMinistry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical UniversityXi'anChina
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