The impact of gender on emotional reactions, perceived susceptibility and perceived knowledge about COVID-19 among the Israeli public

People with long-term conditions are more adherent to protective behaviours against infectious disease

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between long-term condition (LTC) status and adherence to protective behaviours against infectious disease (face covering, physical distancing, hand hygiene).

Study design

Representative cross-sectional observational survey in summer 2020 in Scotland.

Methods

Independent variable is LTC status (LTC, disability, no LTC); dependent variable is adherence to protective behaviours (face covering, hand hygiene, social distancing); moderator variables are age, gender and area deprivation; mediator variables are perceived threat and psychological distress. P values of p < 0.05 were taken as statistically significant.

Results

3972 participants of whom 2696 (67.9 %) indicated not having a LTC. People with no LTC had lowest adherence to protective behaviours, perceived threat and psychological distress. Age did not moderate the relationship between LTC status and adherence; females were more adherent than males and this gender difference was greater in people with disability compared to people with no LTC; adherence was greater for people with a LTC in the more deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas whereas adherence in those with no LTC was not related to area deprivation; threat appraisal partially mediated the relationship between having a LTC or disability and adherence; psychological distress did not mediate the relationship between LTC status and adherence.

Conclusions

This study addresses a gap in evidence about protective behaviours of people with LTCs. Perceptions of threat may be useful intervention targets against winter flu and during future pandemics in order to protect people with LTCs who are one of the most vulnerable groups of the population.

The influence of emotional reactions and compliance with Ministry of Health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel: a longitudinal study of gender differences

This study sought to examine gender differences in emotional reactions and compliance with Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of these gender-related variations throughout the lockdown periods. A longitudinal study comprising 2509 participants was conducted during two of Israel's lockdowns: 1424 participants completed a questionnaire during the first lockdown (23 April-5 May 2020); of these, 1085 completed a follow-up questionnaire during the second lockdown (September 30-October 10, 2020). Participants exhibited higher levels of compliance with MOH guidelines (e.g., wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing) and knowledge about COVID-19 during the second lockdown, whereas they exhibited more negative emotional reactions during the first lockdown. Female participants scored higher than male participants on all measures. Multiple regression results showed that about 21% of the variance in compliance with MOH guidelines was explained by lockdown type (i.e., first or second), gender, and age, while knowledge and negative emotional reactions added another 19% to the explained variance. The results suggest that the impact of the pandemic on emotional reactions decreased over time, with people exhibiting greater compliance with MOH guidelines and more knowledge about COVID-19. Moreover, the behavioral and psychological impact of the pandemic was greater on women than on men. The results suggest that healthcare professionals should pay more attention to mental health issues during a pandemic. Moreover, policymakers should focus on women as a vulnerable group and suggest appropriate solutions to reduce their emotional distress. Furthermore, governments and employers should provide greater flexibility and support for single mothers during the pandemic. In addition, gender inequality during lockdowns may place women at greater risk of psychological distress.

Umgang mit subjektiv erlebten Coronarisiken: Sichtweisen junger chronisch kranker Erwachsener

Hintergrund

Junge Erwachsene mit chronischen Erkrankungen gelten als Gruppe, die durch Corona gefährdet ist. Ob und wie die Betroffenen sich zu schützen versuchen, welche Risikowahrnehmungen sie verdeutlichen und wie der Lockdown erlebt wird, dazu mangelt es an Erkenntnissen primär im deutschen Sprachraum.

Ziele und Fragestellung

Im Beitrag wird analysiert, welches Coronaschutzverhalten junge chronisch kranke Erwachsene berichten, welche Risikowahrnehmungen sie aufweisen und wie sie den Lockdown erleben.

Material und Methoden

Mit n = 59 jungen Erwachsenen (häufig Studierende oder Auszubildende), die von Typ‑1-Diabetes (n = 16), Krebs (n = 18), chronisch-entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen (n = 21) oder von bestimmten seltenen, komplexen Erkrankungen (n = 4) betroffen sind, wurden episodische Interviews geführt. Die Datenauswertung erfolgt mittels thematischen Kodierens.

Ergebnisse

Wenige Befragte meinen, durch Corona kaum persönlich gefährdet zu sein, so dass auch Schutzmaßnahmen wie Impfungen sekundär sind. Die meisten Interviewten jedoch berücksichtigen Schutzmaßnahmen penibel. Sie können sich hierzu entweder verpflichtet fühlen, um z. B. andere vulnerable Personen zu schützen, oder sie erleben sich als sehr anfällig für schwere Coronainfektionen. Ungeachtet von erlebten Einschränkungen im Lockdown ist dieser für viele Interviewte auch mit neuen Möglichkeiten verbunden. Online-Formate erleichtern ihnen, Studium/Ausbildung trotz chronischer Erkrankung fortzusetzen und Kontakte mit Freund*innen zu halten.

Schlussfolgerung

Coronarisikowahrnehmungen und Schutzverhalten junger chronisch kranker Erwachsener sollten in ihrem subjektiven Sinn verstärkt in der Versorgung und Begleitung dieser Zielgruppen berücksichtigt werden. Hybride Lehre sollte über den Lockdown hinaus beibehalten werden, damit die jungen Erwachsenen trotz ihrer chronischen Erkrankung sozial teilhaben können und zugleich vor Corona- und weiteren Infektionen geschützt sind.

Public conformism with health regulation is crumbling as COVID-19 becomes a chronic threat: Repeated Cross-sectional Studies

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to analyze the long terms trends in public attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and compliance with self-quarantine regulations.

METHODS

Repeated cross-sectional studies looking into data collected from nationally representative samples (N = 2568) of the adult population in Israel at five points in time representing the five morbidity waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined public trust in Israeli health regulations, levels of public panic, feelings of personal worry, and compliance with health regulations, specifically self-quarantine.

RESULTS

Public trust in health regulations in January 2022 is at an all-time low (25%) compared to the maximum value of nearly 75% measured in March 2020. While reported worry is steadily reducing, the perception of public panic is increasing. In earlier rounds, public compliance with self-quarantine was reported close to 100%; however, it has dropped to 38% by January 2022 when compensation is not assumed. Regression analysis suggests that trust is a major predictor of compliance with health regulations.

CONCLUSIONS

The "fifth wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about an all-time low in public trust in health regulations. The Israeli public, normally a highly compliant one, is showing signs of crumbling conformity.

Factors associated with work-family enrichment among working Israeli parents during COVID-19 lockdowns

This study examined work-family enrichment, protective resources and psychological implications among working Israeli parents during COVID-19. In this cross-sectional study, 409 working parents were recruited during Israel's third lockdown. Levels of FWC/WFC and resilience were moderate, psychological distress and fear of COVID-19 were low, and perceived social support was high. All the study variables showed significant associations with each other. A multivariate regression analysis explained 30% of the WFC and FWC variance. We found differences in FWC/WFC based upon children's age but not on parents' gender. FWC/WFC mediated the effect of perceived social support and resilience on fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress. The findings explain the importance of personal resources during the pandemic in buffering the negative effects of parents' work- and family-related burdens and have important implications for helping families with young children cope during challenging times.

Gender Difference in Psychological, Cognitive, and Behavioral Patterns Among University Students During COVID-19: A Machine Learning Approach

The COVID-19 pandemic affects all population segments and is especially detrimental to university students because social interaction is critical for a rewarding campus life and valuable learning experiences. In particular, with the suspension of in-person activities and the adoption of virtual teaching modalities, university students face drastic changes in their physical activities, academic careers, and mental health. Our study applies a machine learning approach to explore the gender differences among U.S. university students in response to the global pandemic. Leveraging a proprietary survey dataset collected from 322 U.S. university students, we employ association rule mining (ARM) techniques to identify and compare psychological, cognitive, and behavioral patterns among male and female participants. To formulate our task under the conventional ARM framework, we model each unique question-answer pair of the survey questionnaire as a market basket item. Consequently, each participant's survey report is analogous to a customer's transaction on a collection of items. Our findings suggest that significant differences exist between the two gender groups in psychological distress and coping strategies. In addition, the two groups exhibit minor differences in cognitive patterns and consistent preventive behaviors. The identified gender differences could help professional institutions to facilitate customized advising or counseling for males and females in periods of unprecedented challenges.

COVID-19-Related Knowledge and Anxiety Response among Physical Education Teachers during Practical In-Person Lessons: Effects of Potential Moderators

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in heightened anxiety levels among teachers, especially regarding PE teachers who are required to engage students in practical in-person or contact teaching lessons. Previous research showed that these levels of anxiety among PE teachers appeared to be explained by the interplay between COVID-19 knowledge, workplace safety perception, and educational qualification. This study assessed the relationship between COVID-19-related knowledge and anxiety response among PE teachers during such practical lessons while moderating the effects of workplace safety perception and educational qualification within the relationship. The study conveniently recruited 160 PE teachers to solicit responses through both online and printed questionnaires. Using correlation and linear regression analyses, the study revealed a significant negative relationship between COVID-19-related knowledge and anxiety response among PE teachers. The educational qualification of PE teachers did not significantly moderate the association between COVID-19-related knowledge and anxiety response. Workplace safety perception significantly moderated the association between COVID-19-related knowledge and anxiety response among PE teachers. The findings remind educational authorities about the essence of creating a positive and safe working environment conducive to academic work. Achieving this goal requires the provision of adequate COVID-19 management logistics (e.g., personal protective equipment, hand sanitizers) by educational authorities for PE teachers to maintain safety practices and optimal learning conditions.

COVID-19 Vaccination Did Not Change the Personal Protective Behaviors of Healthcare Workers in China

Personal protective behaviors of healthcare workers (HCWs) and dynamic changes in them are known to play a major role in the hospital transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this study, 1,499 HCWs in Chinese hospitals completed an online survey about their knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and their personal protective behaviors before and after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. Of all the respondents, 89% were vaccinated at the time of the survey and 96% believed that the vaccine was effective or highly effective. Further, 88% of the vaccinated HCWs expressed that they would get revaccinated if the vaccination failed. Compared with HCWs with a lower education level, those with a higher education level had less fear of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 and reported a lower negative impact of the pandemic on how they treated patients. Physicians and nurses were willing to believe that short-range airborne and long-range fomite are possible transmission routes. HCWs with a higher education level had a better knowledge of COVID-19 but worse personal protective behaviors. The fact that HCWs with a longer work experience had worse personal protective behaviors showed that HCWs gradually relax their personal protective behaviors over time. Moreover, vaccination reduced the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on how the HCWs treated patients. Importantly, the survey revealed that after vaccination, HCWs in China did not relax their personal protective behaviors, and it may bring a low potential risk for following waves of variant virus (e.g., delta).

Revision and psychometric properties of the negative cognitive processing bias scale

Negative cognitive processing bias (NCPB) is a cognitive trait that makes individuals more inclined to prioritize negative external stimuli (cues) when processing information. Cognitive biases have long been observed in mood and anxiety disorders, improving validation of tools to measure this phenomenon will aid us to determine whether there is a robust relationship between NCPB and major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders and other clinical disorders. Despite the development of an initial measure of this trait, that is, the negative cognitive processing bias questionnaire (NCPBQ), the lack of psychometric examinations and applications in large-scale samples hinders the determination of its reliability and validity and further limits our understanding of how to measure the NCPB traits of individuals accurately. To address these issues, the current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the NCPBQ in a large-scale sample (n = 6,069), which was divided into two subsamples (Subsample 1, n = 3,035, serving as the exploratory subsample, and Subsample 2, n = 3,034, serving as the validation subsample), and further revised it into a standardized scale, that is the negative cognitive processing bias scale (NCPBS), based on psychometric constructs. The results show that NCPBS possesses good construct reliability, internally consistent reliability, and test-retest reliability. Furthermore, by removing two original items from NCPBQ, NCPBS was found to have good criterion-related validity. In conclusion, the present study provides a reliable and valid scale for assessing negative cognitive processing bias of individuals.

Weakening personal protective behavior by Chinese university students after COVID-19 vaccination

Personal protective behaviors and their dynamic change are known to play a major role in the community spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal pathogen of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this study, a total of 3229 students in Chinese universities completed an online survey about their knowledge on transmission and personal protective behavior before and after COVID-19 vaccination. Of the respondents, 87.6% had been vaccinated. Most students believed that the large droplet (97.0%) and short-range airborne (89.3%) routes were the two most likely SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes, whereas only 24.1% considered long-range airborne transmission to be possible. Students who would be expected to possess better knowledge about virus transmission (e.g., students of medicine) reported better personal protective behaviors. Female students reported relatively better personal hygiene practices than male students, so did the confident students than their diffident peers. Students washed their hands on average of 5.76 times per day during the pandemic. Students at universities in southern regions washed their hands more frequently but paid less attention to indoor ventilation than did their northern counterparts. Interestingly, students who are fear of being infected had the bad personal hygiene. University students wore 22% less masks in public indoor environments after vaccination. Chinese university students weakened their personal protective behavior after vaccination and it may increase the potential risk of infection in the new waves of variant virus (e.g. delta).

The Assessment of Fear of COVID-19 among the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the mental health and well-being of individuals. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the perceived fear of COVID-19 among older adults in Poland and identify subpopulations with the highest risk of potential mental health disorders. The study was conducted in November–December 2020 on 500 people aged ≥60 years (mean M = 67.9, standard deviation SD = 4.2). In order to collect information on participants’ characteristics and COVID-19-related information, they were asked to complete a questionnaire based on recorded telephone calls. Perceived fear of COVID-19 was measured using Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), which ranges from 7 to 35. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with the perceived fear of COVID-19. Our results showed that the highest level of fear of COVID-19 infection was observed among women (p = 0.025) and patients taking anticoagulants (p = 0.004). Moreover, older adults with higher anxiety levels were more likely to be fearful of COVID-19 (according to the GAS-10 scale; p < 0.001). These findings may help policy makers and healthcare workers to adapt and implement better mental health strategies to help the elderly fight fear and anxiety during the prevailing pandemic.

Associations of COVID-19 Knowledge and Risk Perception with the Full Adoption of Preventive Behaviors in Seoul

This study explores the levels of COVID-19 knowledge, risk perception, and preventive behavior practice in Seoul, to determine whether knowledge and risk perception are significantly associated with the full adoption of preventive behaviors, for the delivery of a customized public campaign to Seoul's citizens. A total of 3000 Seoul residents participated in this study through an online questionnaire survey. They had a mean score of 84.6 for COVID-19 knowledge (range: 0-100 points) and 4.2 (range: 1-7 points) for risk perception. Of the participants, 33.4% practiced full adoption of all three preventive behaviors: hand hygiene, wearing a face mask, and social distancing; wearing a face mask was practiced the most (81.0%). Women significantly adopted these three preventive behaviors more often compared with men. Both COVID-19 knowledge and risk perception were found to be significantly associated with the full adoption of preventive behaviors; however, this association differed by the type of preventive behavior. This indicates that city-level information on the levels of COVID-19 knowledge, risk perception, and preventive behaviors should be clearly and periodically communicated among public officers and healthcare professionals to continually raise the public's awareness of the full adoption of non-pharmaceutical preventive behaviors.

The Preventive Role of Exercise on the Physiological, Psychological, and Psychophysiological Parameters of Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): A Mini Review

The world has been severely challenged by the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak since the early 2020s. Worldwide, there have been more than 66 million cases of infection and over 3,880,450 deaths caused by this highly contagious disease. All sections of the population including those who are affected, those who are not affected and those who have recovered from this disease, are suffering physiologically, psychologically or psychophysiologically. In this paper we briefly discuss the consequences of COVID-19 on physiological, psychological and psychophysiological vulnerability. We also attempt to provide evidence in support of exercise management as a prevention strategy for improving and minimizing the physiological, psychological and psychophysiological effects of COVID-19. Moderate exercise including walking, yoga and tai-chi to name but a few exercise regimes are critical in preventing COVID-19 and its complications. Governments, public health authorities and the general population should maintain physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent additional physical and mental distress.

Structural Zero Data of COVID-19 Discovers Exodus Probabilities

Background

Challenges to manage, mitigate, or prevent the COVID-19’s pandemics are felt by medical, healthcare professionals and governing agencies. Health researchers conduct survey among the citizens to capture their opinion on COVID-19. In such surveys like in Hanafiah and Wan (2020), structural-zero (different from sampling zero) category occurs as they question about perception, knowledge, and communication regarding COVID-19.

Materials

The data were collected in a survey conducted among Malaysians by Hanafiah and Wan regarding COVID-19. The survey focused on people’s response about the public communication, knowledge, and perception.

Methods

One of the four question categories in the survey is mutually exclusive with the other three questions. Consequently, there will be no entry in that category. Such group is called structurally zero category in the literature. The literature never probed the migrative split to other categories of the unknown proportion belonging to the structural zero category. In this article, the probability-based new and innovative method configures what proportion in that mutually exclusive category and it is the essence of our method.

Results

The mutually exclusive nature of subquestions manufactured structural zero in their data. A careful analysis of the data has created so far unknown probability concepts in the literature, which we named as “Exodus probabilities” in this article. Its discovery and utility are illustrated and elaborated with application in COVID-19. This methodology is also useful in applications in engineering, epidemiology, marketing, communication networking, etc.

Conclusion

What is quite novel about the discovery of the exodus probability in this article is the evolution of the concepts from the structural-zero category. In such situation, when a category is eliminated, the proportions of the sample might have uncommunicatively transited to other viable categories and our research question is all about configuring their proportions. This is an innovative approach.

Differences in risk perception, knowledge and protective behaviour regarding COVID-19 by education level among women and men in Germany. Results from the COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring (COSMO) study

The main strategy for combatting SARS-CoV-2 infections in 2020 consisted of behavioural regulations including contact reduction, maintaining distance, hand hygiene, and mask wearing. COVID-19-related risk perception and knowledge may influence protective behaviour, and education could be an important determinant. The current study investigated differences by education level in risk perception, knowledge and protective behaviour regarding COVID-19 in Germany, exploring the development of the pandemic over time. The COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring study is a repeated cross-sectional online survey conducted during the pandemic in Germany from 3 March 2020 (waves 1-28: 27,957 participants aged 18-74). Differences in risk perception, knowledge and protective behaviour according to education level (high versus low) were analysed using linear and logistic regression. Time trends were accounted for by interaction terms for education level and calendar week. Regarding protective behaviour, interaction terms were tested for all risk perception and knowledge variables with education level. The strongest associations with education level were evident for perceived and factual knowledge regarding COVID-19. Moreover, associations were found between low education level and higher perceived severity, and between low education level and lower perceived probability. Highly educated men were more worried about COVID-19 than those with low levels of education. No educational differences were observed for perceived susceptibility or fear. Higher compliance with hand washing was found in highly educated women, and higher compliance with maintaining distance was found in highly educated men. Regarding maintaining distance, the impact of perceived severity differed between education groups. In men, significant moderation effects of education level on the association between factual knowledge and all three protective behaviours were found. During the pandemic, risk perception and protective behaviour varied greatly over time. Overall, differences by education level were relatively small. For risk communication, reaching all population groups irrespective of education level is critical.