Magano J, Vidal DG, Sousa HFPE, Dinis MAP, Leite Â. Psychological Factors Explaining Perceived Impact of COVID-19 on Travel.
Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ 2021;
11:1120-1133. [PMID:
34698167 PMCID:
PMC8544653 DOI:
10.3390/ejihpe11040083]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This cross-sectional study aims to determine the psychological factors that contribute to the perceived impact of COVID-19 on travel using a convenience sample (N = 1122) from the general population to whom instruments assessing the perception of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on travel, anxiety, fear, phobia, risk perception, and stress were applied. The participants were mainly female (65.6%), had not attended university, and who were professionally active, with a mean age of around 30-years-old (M = 31.91, SD = 13.76, Min = 18, Max = 81). The perceived impact of COVID-19 on travel correlates with all of the psychological variables, mainly in terms of the emotional fear of COVID-19. Together with the perceived risk of COVID-19, social phobia due to COVID-19, and COVID-19 stress contamination, these variables explain 20% of the perceived impact of COVID-19 on travel variance. The relationship between COVID-19 stress socio-economic consequences and the perception of the pandemic's impact on travel is moderated by the emotional perceived risk of COVID-19. Fear and perception of this risk explain the impact of the COVID-19 on travel in pandemic times, suggesting that the psychological impact of fear and anxiety induced by the pandemic needs to be handled as a public health priority.
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