Psychological and Behavioral Responses in South Korea During the Early Stages of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 25 April 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Vol. 17 (9), 2977
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17092977
Abstract
Background: The psychological and behavioral responses during the early stage of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Korea were investigated to guide the public as full and active participants of public health emergency preparedness (PHEP), which is essential to improving resilience and reducing the population’s fundamental vulnerability. Methods: Data were collected through an online survey four weeks after the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed the first case in South Korea; 973 subjects were included in the analysis. Results: Respondents’ perceived risk of COVID-19 infection; the majority of respondents reported that their perceived chance of infection was “neither high nor low” (51.3%). The average perceived severity score was higher than perceived susceptibility; 48.6 % reported that the severity would be “high,” while 19.9% reported “very high.” Many respondents reported taking precautions, 67.8% reported always practicing hand hygiene, and 63.2% reported always wearing a facial mask when outside. Approximately 50% reported postponing or canceling social events, and 41.5% were avoiding crowded places. Practicing precautionary behaviors associated strongly with perceived risk and response efficacy of the behavior. Conclusions: Our study confirmed the significance of the psychological responses, which associated with behavioral responses and significantly influenced the public’s level of public health emergency preparedness regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. This result has consequences not only for implementing public health strategies for the pandemic but also for understanding future emerging infectious diseases.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Research Foundation of Korea (21B20151213037)
This publication has 55 references indexed in Scilit:
- Can informal social distancing interventions minimize demand for antiviral treatment during a severe pandemic?BMC Public Health, 2013
- Knowledge and Adoption of Community Mitigation Efforts in Mexico During the 2009 H1N1 PandemicAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2010
- The Influence of Social-Cognitive Factors on Personal Hygiene Practices to Protect Against Influenzas: Using Modelling to Compare Avian A/H5N1 and 2009 Pandemic A/H1N1 Influenzas in Hong KongInternational Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2010
- Avoidance behaviors and negative psychological responses in the general population in the initial stage of the H1N1 pandemic in Hong KongBMC Infectious Diseases, 2010
- Monitoring of risk perceptions and correlates of precautionary behaviour related to human avian influenza during 2006 - 2007 in the Netherlands: results of seven consecutive surveysBMC Infectious Diseases, 2010
- Public perceptions, anxiety, and behaviour change in relation to the swine flu outbreak: cross sectional telephone surveyBMJ, 2009
- Modeling targeted layered containment of an influenza pandemic in the United StatesProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2008
- Non-pharmaceutical public health interventions for pandemic influenza: an evaluation of the evidence baseBMC Public Health, 2007
- Nutrition-Related Cancer Prevention Cognitions and Behavioral Intentions: Testing the Risk Perception Attitude FrameworkHealth Education & Behavior, 2006
- Putting the fear back into fear appeals: The extended parallel process modelCommunication Monographs, 1992