Public Health and Online MICE Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Beliefs and Technology Innovation

Perceived protective behavioral changes in Chinese residents post-dynamic zero-COVID policy lifting: a cross-sectional study

Objective

To investigate how Chinese residents perceived changes in their protective behaviors in the early stage after the lifting of the dynamic zero-COVID policy, and to explore the associations between the overall perceived change and factors such as demographic and health-related information, COVID-19 related perceptions, negative emotions, and coping styles.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 798 Chinese residents who completed an online questionnaire between 16 and 25 December 2022. The questionnaire covered demographic and health-related information, COVID-19 related perceptions, negative emotions, coping styles, and perceived changes in protective behaviors. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with the overall perceived change in protective behaviors.

Results

The mean score for perceived protective behavioral change among participants was 61.38 (SD = 10.20), which was significantly higher than the hypothesized no-change value of 49 (p < 0.001). The mean scores for each of the 15 behaviors (excluding the two vaccination-related items) were significantly greater than the hypothesized no-change value of 3 (p < 0.001). The mean scores for the two vaccination-related items were significantly greater than the hypothesized no-change value of 2 (p < 0.001). Among all behaviors, avoiding dining out or gathering with friends had the highest mean score (Mean = 4.16), while engaging in regular physical activity had the lowest (Mean = 3.32). Avoiding dining out or gathering with friends had the highest percentage of individuals reporting an increase (71.3%), whereas maintaining a social distance of more than 1 m had the highest percentage of individuals reporting a decrease (17.5%). Regression analysis indicated that age, worry, positive coping, female sex, negative coping, and perceived severity were associated with the overall perceived change in protective behaviors, with worry being the most predictive variable.

Conclusion

This study suggested that Chinese residents perceived an increase in their protective behaviors in the early stage after the policy change, with varying magnitudes across behaviors. We identified some potentially modifiable factors associated with perceived protective behavioral change, with worry emerging as the strongest predictor, followed by positive coping, negative coping, and perceived severity. These insights offer valuable information for developing effective communication strategies, psychological support, and comprehensive models in health behavior research.

Smoking cessation policy and treatments derived from the protective motivation of smokers: a study on graphic health warning labels

Introduction

Smoking is a leading public health risk. Many countries are reducing the demand for tobacco through graphic health warning labels (GHWLs). This study aims to explore smokers' perceptions of GHWLs and analyze the effect of GHWLs on their behavioral intentions to quit smoking.

Methods

A theoretical model is designed by synthesizing protection motivation theory, an extension of the extended parallel process model, and the theory of planned behavior. We collected a cross-sectional sample of 547 anonymous smokers through a stratified random sampling strategy. GHWLs published in 2011 by the US Food and Drug Administration were used in the survey to assess smokers' responses to them, and then the hypotheses are validated through structural equation models.

Results

The results suggest that perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy, and health anxiety have a significant impact on smokers' protection motivation. Furthermore, smokers' protection motivation directly impacts the behavioral intention to quit smoking and indirectly influences intention to quit through attitudes.

Discussion

These findings have practical implications for the implementation and improvement of GHWLs policies. Meanwhile, this study enriches the literature on public health protection measures (i.e., GHWLs) and smokers' behavioral intention to quit smoking.

Understand Delegates Risk Attitudes and Behaviour: The Moderating Effect of Trust in COVID-19 Vaccination

The continuing COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many people to receive the needed vaccines. However, how trust in vaccination affects the attitude and behavior of delegates attending a convention in Macau has yet to be determined. Accordingly, we applied quantitative method in conducting a survey involving 514 participants and analysed the data using AMOS and SPSS. The results showed that trust in vaccines has a significant impact on moderating the relationship between risk attitude and satisfaction. Trust in vaccines has a significant positive effect on involvement. Risk attitude negatively affects involvement, satisfaction, and loyalty. The major contribution of this research is the introduction of a model based on trust in vaccination. To boost delegates' confidence to attend convention activities, governments and organizations should deliver accurate information on vaccines and pandemic risks, and that delegates should obtain accurate information about it. Lastly, unbiased and professional operators of the MICE industry also can offer precise COVID-19 vaccination information to reduce misperception and increase the security.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence in People Living with HIV: A pan-Canadian Survey

Understanding the roots of Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy in at-risk groups, such as persons living with HIV (PLWH), is of utmost importance. We developed a modified Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) questionnaire using items from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization Acceptability Matrix. To examine factors associated with receiving COVID-19 vaccine and the link between vaccine attitudes and beliefs with vaccine behavior, PLWH were recruited via social media and community-based organizations (February-May 2022). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results. Total VHS score was generated by adding Likert scale scores and linear regression models used to compare results between participants who received or did not receive COVID-19 vaccines. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with vaccine uptake. A total of 246 PLWH indicated whether they received a COVID-19 vaccine. 89% received ≥ 1 dose. Mean total VHS(SD) for persons having received ≥ 1 COVID-19 vaccine was 17.8(6.2) vs. 35.4(9.4) for participants not having received any COVID-19 vaccine. Persons who received ≥ 1 dose were significantly older than those who had not received any (48.4 ± 13.8 vs. 34.0 ± 7.7 years, p < 0.0001). The majority of participants considered COVID-19 vaccination important for their health(81.3%) and the health of others(84.4%). Multivariate logistic regression revealed the odds of taking ≥ 1dose were increased 2.4-fold [95% CI 1.6, 3.5] with each increase in age of 10 years (p < 0.0001). Sex and ethnicity were not different between groups. In conclusion, PLWH accept COVID-19 vaccines for both altruistic and individual reasons. With evolving recommendations and increasing numbers of booster vaccines, we must re-examine the needs of PLWH regularly.

Increasing Couriers' Job Satisfaction through Social-Sustainability Practices: Perceived Fairness and Psychological-Safety Perspectives

Due to the spike in online-retail demand during the pandemic, couriers confront increased workload and safety concerns, posing significant social-sustainability challenges for courier companies. This study explores the impact of social-sustainability practices on couriers' job satisfaction in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We designed the research model from the theoretical lens of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, equity, and psychological-safety theories. We collected the views of 428 couriers from the Chinese market, where there is a developed e-commerce industry. The structural-equation-model analysis results found that social-sustainability practices such as working environment, working conditions, health and safety, education, and training positively affected the job satisfaction of couriers during the pandemic through the mediators (psychological safety and perceived fairness). These findings provide empirical recommendations for improving employees' job satisfaction in courier companies during COVID-19 and addressing the social-sustainability issues of courier companies.

The impact of users' trust on intention to use the mobile medical platform: Evidence from China

Introduction

The mobile medical platform effectively complements offline medical services as it can provide patients with broader and more convenient medical services, effectively solving the shortage of medical resources in the public health system. Although the public interest in healthcare service platforms continues to rise, the market data shows that the adoption and acceptance have not reached a high level. How to increase the utilization rate of the mobile medical platform to relieve medical pressure has become an urgent issue to be discussed. Based on the framework of "trust-intention" this research introduces innovation acceptance and technical risk concerns as the two moderating variables to attempt to build a research model of users' intention to use the mobile medical platform. The analysis illustrated that users' trust in the mobile medical platform would positively affect their use intention. The researchers further explored the moderating role of innovation acceptance and technical risk concerns.

Methods

Use questionnaire to collect data in China, then use the OLS least square method for the regression test.

Results

The results showed that users with high personal innovation acceptance would positively promote the relationship between trust and use intention. In contrast, users who are more concerned about the risks of innovative technologies will weaken the relationship between trust and use intention.

Discussion

The findings theoretically extend the academic research of use intention to the specific context of the mobile medical platform and enrich the research framework of "trust-intention".

Revisit the Effects of Health Literacy on Health Behaviors in the Context of COVID-19: The Mediation Pathways Based on the Health Belief Model

Background

Emerging research has identified health literacy as an important resource for individual health care and disease prevention. In the context of COVID-19, People with limited HL are less likely to follow preventive measures such as wearing masks, social isolation, or taking the vaccination. However, the pathways of how health literacy affects decision-making have remained unclear.

Methods

With a cross-sectional study, a total of 613 responses (mean age is 25.64 ± 6.46 years) were collected. The relationship between health literacy and health behaviors under COVID-19 was examined, and the potential mediation pathways were assessed based on the health belief model.

Results

With linear regression, it was found that health literacy has a direct effect on health behaviors and three constructs in the health belief model, i.e., perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, as well as an indirect effect on health behaviors via increasing perceived barriers related with COVID-19 preventive measures. The results showed that health literacy only goes through the pathway of perceived barriers to influence health behaviors, and the indirect effects via other pathways were not significant.

Conclusions

The research addressed the mediation model underlying the effects of health literacy on health behaviors and identified a partial mediation role of perceived barriers. Health literacy could promote individual health behavior by reducing the perceived barriers to forming a healthy lifestyle and making health decisions. Future health promotion interventions increasing people's health literacy should be advocated to promote health initiatives in the whole population.