Timeliness of information disclosure during the low transmission period of COVID-19: resident-level observational study in China.

BACKGROUND: Only when people feel they have received timely disclosure will they have sufficient incentive to implement community prevention and control measures. The timely and standardized information published by authorities as a response to the crisis can better inform the public and enable better preparations for the pandemic during the low transmission period of COVID-19; however, there is limited evidence of whether people consent that information is disclosed timely and influencing factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in China from 4 to 26 February 2021. Convenient sampling strategy was adopted to recruit participators. Participants were asked to filled out the questions that assessed questionnaire on the residents' attitudes to information disclosure timely. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors affecting the residents' attitudes. RESULTS: A total of 2361 residents filled out the questionnaire. 1704 (72.17%) consented COVID-19 information has been disclosed timely. Furthermore, age (OR = 0.093, 95%CI = 0.043 ~ 0.201), gender (OR = 1.396, 95%CI = 1.085 ~ 1.797), place of residence (OR = 0.650, 95%CI = 0.525 ~ 0.804), employed status (OR = 2.757, 95%CI = 1.598 ~ 4.756), highest educational level (OR = 0.394, 95%CI = 0.176 ~ 0.880), region (OR = 0.561, 95%CI = 0.437 ~ 0.720) and impact on life by the COVID-19 (OR = 0.482, 95%CI = 0.270 ~ 0.861) were mainly factors associated with residents' attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: The aims of this study were to evaluate the residents attitudes to information disclosure timely during the low transmission period in China and to provide a scientific basis for effective information communication in future public health crises. Timely and effective efforts to disclose information need to been made during the low transmission period. Continued improvements to local authority reporting will contribute to more effective public communication and efficient public health research responses. The development of protocols and the standardization of epidemic message templates-as well as the use of uniform operating procedures to provide regular information updates-should be prioritized to ensure a coordinated national response.

Another New Year, Will the Chinese Residents Wear Face Masks Again? A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: As more and more countries enter the low-transmission phase, maintaining prevention awareness among the population is critical to prevent a secondary outbreak. With large-scale interpersonal communication, whether Chinese residents can maintain a high awareness of prevention and control and adhere to the use of masks during the Chinese New Year of 2021 is worth studying. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in China from February 4 to 26, 2021. A convenient sampling strategy was adopted to recruit participators. Participants were asked to fill out the questions that assessed the questionnaire on face mask use. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the mask-wearing behaviors of the public. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors affecting mask-wearing behaviors. Results: A total of 2,361 residents filled out the questionnaire. In the mixed-effect logistic regression analysis, Chinese residents who were older (OR = 7.899, 95%CI = 4.183-14.916), employed (OR = 1.887, 95%CI = 1.373-2.594), had a chronic disease (OR = 1.777, 95%CI = 1.307-2.418), reused face masks (OR = 22.155, 95%CI = 15.331-32.016) and have read the face mask instructions (OR = 3.552, 95%CI = 1.989-6.341) were more likely to use face masks in interpersonal communication during the Spring Festival; while people who have breathing discomfort caused by face masks (OR = 0.556, 95%CI = 0.312-0.991) and considered that using masks repeatedly is wasteful (OR = 0.657, 95%CI = 0.482-0.895) were more unlikely to use face masks. Conclusions: Our results revealed that 83.86% of people wore face masks during the Chinese New Year; however, some aspects require further promotion. By investigating the use of masks by Chinese residents during the Spring Festival and its influencing factors, we can reflect the prevention awareness of the residents during the low transmission period of COVID-19, which can provide a reference for Chinese and global public health policymakers.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Factors 1 Year After the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Chinese Residents.

Background: By investigating the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among residents during a period of low transmission, this study reflects the long-term impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and identify which categories of residents are more likely to develop PTSD due to an acute infectious disease crisis, facilitating the development of targeted strategies to protect mental health after outbreaks of similar acute infectious diseases in the future. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in China from 4 to 26 February 2021. A convenience sampling strategy was adopted to recruit participants. Participants were asked to complete the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). A multivariable linear stepwise regression analysis model was used to identify which factors were associated with PTSD in residents of China. Results: A total of 2,361 Chinese residents completed the questionnaire. The mean PCL-5 score for the respondents was 13.65 (SD = 8.66), with 219 (9.28%) patients having probable PTSD symptoms. Respondents who were female (ß = 0.038), had a relative or friend who had contracted COVID-19 (ß = 0.041), and had poor health (ß = 0.184) had higher PCL-5 scores, while the population aged over 60 years (ß = -0.063), who agreed that COVID-19 information was released in a timely manner (ß = -0.347), who had experienced a relatively limited impact of COVID-19 on their life (ß = -0.069), and who agreed that the local prevention initiatives were sophisticated (ß = -0.165) had lower PTSD scores. Conclusions: Outbreaks of acute infectious diseases can have long-term psychological health effects in the general population. In addition, health policy makers need to be concerned about and implement measures to support the mental health of vulnerable groups.

Current Status and Associated Factors of Depression and Anxiety Among the Chinese Residents During the Period of Low Transmission of COVID-19.

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has contributed to depression and anxiety among the general population in China. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of these psychological problems among Chinese adults during the period of low transmission, which could reflect the long-term depression and anxiety of the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in China from 4 to 26 February 2021. Convenient sampling strategy was adopted to recruit participators. Participants were asked to filled out the questions that assessed questionnaire on the residents' depression and anxiety. Results: A total of 2,361 residents filled out the questionnaire. The mean age was 29.72 years (SD = 6.94) and majority of respondents were female (60.10%). Among the respondents, 421 (17.83%), 1470 (62.26%), and 470 (19.91%) were from eastern, central, and western China, respectively. 1704 (72.17%) consented COVID-19 information has been disclosed timely. 142 (6.01%) and 130 (5.51%) patients suffered from depression and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, some influencing factors were found, including marital status, place of residence, employment status. Conclusion: This study revealed that anxiety and depression still are potential depression and anxiety for some residents, which suggested early recognition and initiation of interventions during the period of low transmission is still indispensable.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Home Quarantine Strategy Implementation Among Chinese Residents During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

Background: Home quarantine is an important strategy to contain the mass spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, there are a dearth of studies on the prevalence and risk factors of home quarantine strategy implementation among residents. This study aims to assess the state of home quarantine strategy implementation among Chinese residents, which could provide a reference for quarantine policymakers around the world during the pandemic. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 3,398 residents in China by adopting a convenience sampling strategy. We measured the prevalence and risk factors of home quarantine strategy implementation with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 10), and Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS). A multivariable model was used to determine the factors associated with home quarantine strategy implementation. Results: A total of 2,936 (86.4%) respondents carried out home quarantine. There were some factors significantly associated with home quarantine strategy implementation among Chinese residents during the COVID-19 outbreak. Respondents who were male, lived in western and central China, were aware of the primary symptoms of COVID-19, were willing to accept recommendations on relevant protective measures, understood local quarantine measures, had better resilience, and had better social support were more likely to engage in home quarantine. Respondents who were married, were employed, were healthy, and had high depression scores were more likely to refuse to follow home quarantine guidance. Conclusions: Gender, region, marital status, employment status, health status, awareness of the primary symptoms of COVID-19, willingness to accept recommendations on relevant protective measures, understanding of local quarantine measures, depression, psychological resilience, and perceived social support were the main factors affecting the implementation of residents' home quarantine strategy. Health service policymakers should adopt relevant measures to improve the prevalence of home quarantine strategy implementation among residents during the pandemic.

Public Opinion and Expectations: Development of Public Health Education in China After COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Policymakers must promote the development of public health education and human resources. As a feature of the political environment, public opinion is essential for policy-making, but virtually the attitudes of Chinese citizens toward human resources development in public health is unknown. Methods: This study conducted a crosssectional survey from February 4, 2021 to February 26, 2021 in China. We adopted a convenient sampling strategy to recruit participators. Participants filled out the questions, which assess the attitudes of the expanding public health professionals. A logistic regression analysis was given to identify the predictors associated with the attitudes of the subjects. Results: There were 2,361 residents who have finished our questionnaire. Chinese residents who lived in urban (OR = 1.293, 95% CI = 1.051-1.591), "themselves or relatives and friends have participated in relevant epidemic prevention work" (OR = 1.553, 95% CI = 1.160-2.079), "themselves or family members engaged in medical-related work" (OR = 1.468, 95% CI = 1.048-2.056), and those who "were aware of public health before the outbreak of COVID-19" (OR = 1.428, 95% CI = 1.125-1.812) were more likely to support the promotion of public health education and training. Conclusions: The present study found that 74.50% of Chinese citizens supported the promotion of public health education and training in China, in which economic status, personal perception, and comprehension are the crucial factors that influence public opinion. COVID-19 has aroused the attention of Chinese residents to public health education, with only 22.11% of residents being aware of public health before the outbreak of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has profound implications for human society. Literally, this impact will feed back into future public health policies based on public opinion. This innovative perspective will also help us better understand the potential social impact of COVID-19 on human resources and development for health in the modern world.