Application of the protection motivation theory to understand determinants of compliance with the measure of banning gathering size >4 in all public areas for controlling COVID-19 in a Hong Kong Chinese adult general population

Author:

Yu Yanqiu,Lau Mason M. C.,Lau Joseph T. F.ORCID

Abstract

BackgroundRestriction of gathering size in all public areas is a newly and commonly exercised governmental social distancing policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its effectiveness depends on the general public’s compliance. This study applied the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to investigate determinants (i.e., perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived response efficacy, and perceived self-efficacy) of compliance with the social distancing policy of banning gathering of >4 people in all public areas (BG4PA) in the Hong Kong general adult population.Methods300 participants were interviewed through a population-based telephone survey during April 21–28, 2020.ResultsThe compliance rate of BG4PA was high (78%). Adjusted for the background factors, multiple linear regression analysis found that perceived response efficacy and perceived self-efficacy were significantly and positively associated with compliance with BG4PA (p<0.05), while the associations between perceived severity/perceived susceptibility and compliance were of marginal significance (0.05<p<0.10). A stepwise linear regression model considered four PMT constructs as candidates; its final model only selected self-efficacy but not the other three PMT constructs.ConclusionsPMT can be applied to understand compliance with BG4PA. Perceived response efficacy and perceived self-efficacy were more influential than perceived severity and perceived susceptibility. Health promotion may focus on improving coping appraisal.

Funder

Internal funding of Center for Health Behaviours Research, the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Subject

Multidisciplinary

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