What makes people intend to take protective measures against influenza? Perceived risk, efficacy, or trust in authorities.

BACKGROUND: Influenza outbreaks occur annually across the world, causing a global health challenge. This study aims to explore the association between risk perception (perceived severity and perceived probability), perceived efficacy (individual's efficacy and government's efficacy), trust in authorities, and intention to implement influenza protective behaviors. METHODS: The data (N = 1,372) used in this paper comes from the 2013 Taiwan Social Change Survey dataset. Six intentions of protective behaviors (getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, washing hands, avoiding going to public settings, sanitizing home, and eating nutritional supplements) were investigated. Tobit and ordered logistic regressions were used to conduct data analysis. RESULTS: Respondents were most inclined to washing hands, followed by wearing a mask, avoiding going to public settings, getting vaccine, sanitizing their homes, and eating nutritional supplements. Perceived severity and individual's efficacy were positively correlated with all 6 behavioral intentions. Trust in authorities has positive effect on all the protective behaviors except sanitizing home. Moreover, perceived probability has positive relationships with overall intention, intention to wear mask, and intention to wash hands. Government's efficacy was only positively correlated with eating nutritional supplements. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived severity and perceived response efficacy towards flu, as well as trust in authorities were relatively important factors in motivating people's intention to adopt influenza protective behaviors.

How is COVID-19 Being Contained in China? An Observational Study on the Local Level.

OBJECTIVE: This article investigates how a Chinese local government responded to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, and the lessons can be valuable for the ongoing response efforts worldwide. METHODS: This case study used primarily participant observations and interviews with stakeholders. RESULTS: We find that nonpharmaceutical interventions, especially the physical distancing measures, are the primary tools used to contain the spread of the virus, and these actions keep changing to adapt to the situation of the local cases and the directions from the central government. Medical countermeasures, maintenance of essential public services, and effective public communications tactics are important allies of the strict physical distancing measures, which can enforce the public's compliance. CONCLUSIONS: Local governments are the frontlines of emergency response. Both regulated policies (eg, physical distancing) and supportive services (eg, medical and essential living support) are necessary to the success of public health emergency response.