ABSTRACT
Introduction: During a public health crisis, preventive measures are essential. However, to make them effective, all citizens must be engaged. Objective(s): To analyse the differential role of individual and contextual variables in the adherence to public health recommendations. Method(s): 1376 adults (70.5% female;mean age=35.55+/-14.27) completed a survey between September/2020 and May/2021 with: Adherence Scale to the Recommendations during COVID-19 (ASR-COVID19;evaluates three dimensions of adherence), Fear of Covid-19 Scale (FC19S) and Toronto and Coimbra Prosocial Behaviour Questionnaire (ProBeQ;assesses empathy and altruism). Result(s): Adherence did not differ between individuals with or without personal or family history of COVID-19 infection. ASRCOVID19 and all dimensions were positively correlated to ProBeQ's altruism and empathy (from r=.32 to r=.54);FCV19S correlated positively to total adherence score and house sanitation (from r=.18 to r=.26;all p<.01). Linear regressions revealed that altruism and empathy (first model), as well as fear of Covid-19 (second model), were significant predictors of adherence;however, while the first model explained ffi28% of its variance, the second (FCV19S as independent variable) only explained ffi3%. Regression models performed in a subsample of participants with personal or family history of COVID-19 revealed that only empathy, but not altruism, was a significant predictor of adherence;in this subsample, fear was no longer a significant predictor of adherence, except for lockdown and use of teleservices. Conclusion(s): Based on our results, we suggest health care providers and public health campaigns should take into consideration social solidarity and altruism, as well as previous experiences, when appealing to public's engagement in health behaviour.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 crisis has generated an increasing stress throughout the population. Objective(s): To develop and validate the Adherence Scale to the Recommendations for Mental Health during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Portuguese General Directorate of Health (GDH) (ASR-MH-COVID19). Method(s): The items content was based on the GDH guides for the prevention of mental health and psychosocial well-being of the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak. After content and facial validity analysis, the preliminary version of the ASR-MHCOVID19 (8 items to be answered on a Likert scale) was completed by 413 individuals (69.2% female;mean age=31.02+/-14,272), in September-December 2020 (Sample1) and then by 967 (70.9% female;mean age=34.02+/-14,272), in February-May 2021 (Sample2). Sample1 was randomly divided in two sub-samples. Sample1A was used for exploratory factor analysis/EFA and Sample1B for confirmatory factor analysis/CFA;CFA was then replicated with Sample2. The online surveys also included the Adherence Scale to the Recommendations of Portuguese GDH to minimize the impact of COVID-19 (ASR-COVID-19;Pereira et al. 2020). Result(s): CFAs were informed by EFA and showed that the unidimensional model presented acceptable-good fit indexes (Sample1B: chi2 /df=2.747;RMSEA=.0980, p<.001;CFI=.973;TLI=.918, GFI=.972;Sample2: chi2 /df=3.327;RMSEA=.0490, p<.001;CFI=.993;TLI=.983, GFI=.990). Cronbach's alfas were alpha<.850. Pearson correlations between ASR-MH-COVID19 and ASR-COVID19 were significant (p<.01) and moderate-high for the total (r=.753) and dimensional scores (Distance and respiratory hygiene, r=.739;House and personal hygiene, r=.584;Use of remote services and isolation r=.425). Conclusion(s): The new ASR-MH-COVID19 has shown validity and reliability, allowing the investigation of this (mental) health behaviour.