Protective behaviors during COVID-19 confinement measures in Greece: the role of anxiety, perceived risk and risky-choice framing.

Confinement measures at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic imposed major changes on the global population. The aim of this study was to explore the level to which the public adhered to protective guidelines by adopting the most appropriate behaviors at that time (such as hand washing with soap and using sanitizer gel) and to identify the determinants of these behaviors. A purposive sample of 1013 individuals was invited and voluntarily participated in the online survey. The questionnaire collected information on demographic data, hand washing, risk perception, anxiety (through the S = Anxiety scale of STAI) and risky-choice framing. Results showed increased levels of anxiety, a moderate perception of the risk of catching coronavirus and increased adoption of protective behaviors, such as handwashing and cleaning surfaces with disinfectant/antiseptic products. Multiple ordinal logistic regression models showed that being female, more educated and cleaning home with disinfectant / antiseptic products predicted handwashing with soap. Additionally, having an increased perception of getting the coronavirus, being older and cleaning the home with disinfectant / antiseptic products predicted handwashing with antiseptics. Public health interventions should take into consideration the unified cleaning pattern and the combined effect of sociodemographic variables and risk perception on the adoption of protective behaviour in the context of a health crisis which is out of people's control.

When do people increase COVID-19 protective behaviors? A longitudinal analysis of the impact of infections among close contacts and in the community.

Studies examining individual-level changes in protective behaviors over time in association with community-level infection and self or close-contact infection with SARS-CoV-2 are limited. We analyzed overall and demographic specific week-to-week changes in COVID-19 protective behaviors and their association with COVID-19 infections (regional case counts and self or close contacts). Data were collected through 37 consecutive weekly surveys from 10/17/2021 - 6/26/2022. Our survey panel included 212 individuals living or working in St. Louis City and County, Missouri, U.S.A. Frequency of mask-wearing, handwashing, physical distancing, and avoiding large gatherings was self-reported (more/the same/less than the prior week). Close contact with COVID-19 was reported if the panel member, their household member, or their close contact tested positive, got sick, or was hospitalized for COVID-19 in the prior week. Regional weekly COVID-19 case counts were matched to the closest survey administration date. We used generalized linear mixed models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations. Evidence for effect modification was assessed using the likelihood ratio test. Increased protective behaviors were positively associated with COVID-19 case counts (ORhighest vs. lowest case count category = 4.39, 95% CI 3.35-5.74) and with participant-reported self or close contacts with COVID-19 (OR = 5.10, 95% CI 3.88-6.70). Stronger associations were found for White vs. Black panel members (p <.0001). Individuals modulated their protective behaviors in association with regional COVID-19 case counts and self or close contact infection. Rapid reporting and widespread public awareness of infectious disease rates may help reduce transmission during a pandemic by increasing protective behaviors.

Evaluating the influence of health literacy and health-promoting COVID-19 protective behaviors on the spread of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy and self-efficacy related to COVID-19 pandemic management are closely linked. Therefore, synthesis of relevant evidence regarding the positive aspects of health literacy and health-promoting protective measures among individuals during COVID-19 pandemic is necessary. OBJECTIVES: To determine the influence of e-health literacy and health-promoting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) protective behaviors on the spread of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases, as well as PROSPERO and ClinicalTrials.gov registry platforms were searched for eligible literature published from January 2020 to July 2022. Studies were included based on predefined Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Study design (PICOS) criteria, and a summary of each study was prepared. To estimate the effect size, the standardized mean difference (SMD) of the evaluated parameters, e-health literacy and health-promoting COVID-19 protective behaviors was extracted. Using RevMan and MedCalc software, a meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: Twelve eligible studies involving a total of 9854 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected individuals were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled SMD for e-health literacy was 40.39 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 28.14-52.63), with the following heterogeneity values: Tau2 of 396.80, ÷2 of 669.48, degrees of freedom (df) of 11, I2 of 98%, Z value of 6.47, and p < 0.001. Similarly, the pooled SM for COVID-19 protective behaviors was 15.90 (95% CI: 10.96-20.84) with Tau2 of 55.25, ÷2 of 252.92, df of 11, I2 of 98%, Z of 6.31, and p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that e-health literacy and health-promoting COVID-19 protective behaviors have a strong positive impact on preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection and on its effective management. We recommend that interventions and applicable policies for promoting such e-literacy programs and preventative measures be given a high level of consideration.

Why people were less compliant with public health regulations during the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak: The role of trust in governmental organizations, future anxiety, fatigue, and Covid-19 risk perception.

Trust in governmental organizations is a crucial factor in terms of encouraging people to conform to public health regulations, such as those recommended to slow down the spread of SARS-CoV-2. However, trust in governmental organizations tends to decline over time, reducing the compliance with public health regulations. This study aimed at exploring, first, the role of future anxiety and fatigue as serial mediators of the relationship between trust in governmental organizations and protective behaviors, and, secondly, the role of Covid-19 risk perception as a moderator between fatigue and protective behaviors. A total of 948 Italian participants (302 males and 646 females), ranged from 18 to 80 years (M = 27.20, SD = 11.01), answered an online survey during the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak. A moderated serial mediation model was performed using a structural equation modeling. The results indicate that: (1) a higher trust in Italian governmental organizations was associated with a greater compliance in terms of adopting protective behaviors; (2) a lower trust in Italian governmental organizations increased anxiety about the future which, in turn, raised levels of fatigue, leading, finally, to a reduction in the levels of protective behaviors; and (3) as the perceived risk related to Covid-19 increased, the effect of fatigue on protective behaviors decreased. The findings of the current study may provide indications for public health policy on how to increase compliance with the recommended behaviors to be adopted in order to decrease the spread of the SARS-CoV-2.

"Did You Wash Your Hands?" The Socioeconomic Inequalities Preventing Youth From Adopting Protective Behaviors During COVID-19 in South Africa.

Background. Behavior change has been a critical factor in slowing the spread of COVID-19. In South Africa where infection rates are high, research is needed on the protective behaviors adopted by youth who have low infection rates but are carriers of the virus. Aims. The purpose of this study is to (1) identify the protective behaviors young people adopted during the pandemic and (2) to estimate the probability of positive behavior change by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Methods. The study uses data from the South African National Income Dynamics-Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey 2020. The sample includes 985 (n) youth aged 15-24 years. The outcome of interest is behavior change due to the Coronavirus. Cross-tabulations and an adjusted binary logistic regression model showing odds ratios, are fit to the data. Results. Not all youth adopted protective behaviors. The most prevalent behaviors adopted include washing hands (67.75%) and staying at home (54.02%). Youth in households with six or more members are more likely to change their behaviors (ORs = 1.67 and 1.64, both p-values < .05). However, youth who do not have access to water to wash hands (OR = 0.71), reside in households with food insecurity (OR = 0.94), and those living in nonformal housing (OR = 0.69) are less likely to adopt behavior change. Conclusion. Due to the socioeconomic inequalities associated with behavior change, there is need for more tailored approaches to address youth living in impoverished households in the country.

Humor styles predict emotional and behavioral responses to COVID-19

A correlational study (n = 180 adults) in the United States tested the hypothesis that self-directed humor styles predict emotional responses to COVID-19, specifically stress and hopelessness, and in turn predict engagement in protective behaviors. Results from a sequential mediation analysis supported our hypotheses. First, to the extent that people have a self-enhancing humor style they perceived less stress and hopelessness associated with COVID-19 and as a result reported engaging in more protective behaviors. Second, people higher in self-defeating humor style showed the opposite pattern;they perceived more stress and hopelessness due to COVID-19 and thus reported engaging in less protective behaviors. Implications for theory and application are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

EXPLORING THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND HEALTH-PROTECTIVE BEHAVIORS OF PRECAUTIONS-OBSERVING PAKISTANIS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Objectives: This study aimed to qualitatively explore how those people who regularly observe covid-19 precautions. practice and think about covid-19 health-protective behaviors during this pandemic. Design of the study: A core research design of the study was qualitative research followed by thematic analysis. Place and Duration of the study: Data collection was carried out from the cities of Faisalabad, and Sargodha, districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan from June 2021 to August 2021. Sample and Method: The purposive sample comprising (n=20) participants were selected from cities of Faisalabad and Sargodha from different professions like teachers (public and private school), the armed forces of Pakistan, and also from other business sectors. The participants were first given a questionnaire that asked them about their practices regarding health-protective behaviors and then semi-structured interviews were conducted with only those who scored high on this questionnaire and gave informed consent for the said purpose. Results and Conclusion: The study resulted in themes and subthemes. Themes that appeared in the study include Covid-19 as a global pandemic, Precautionary Measures, Actions of Government of Pakistan, Importance of Face Mask, Usage of Hand sanitizers, Social Distancing, Covid-19 Vaccination Importance, Difference in Covid-19 waves other health-protective behaviors. Pakistanis are serious about the Covid-19 pandemic and adopted pharmaceutical (vaccine) and non-pharmaceutical (facemask, social distancing, and hand hygiene) health-protective behaviors during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The role of collaboration in complying with COVID-19 health protective behaviors: A cross-national study

On March 11, 2020 COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. As the virus spread, governments called on citizens to comply with handwashing and social distancing behaviors. We use survey data from Finland and the United States to examine whether collaborative dimensions help predict compliance with health protective behaviors related to combatting COVID-19. We also investigate whether these factors' influence on compliance varies between a market regime such as the United States and a more statist regime such as Finland. Our findings provide important insight for public administrators in crafting messages to the public that emphasize citizens' collaborative role in combatting a pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Paradox of Protective Behaviors Among Muslim Men During the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Aceh, Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: The imposition of protective health protocols in public spaces to curb the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has confronted the ritual of congregational prayers in mosques for Muslims. This study examines the adoption of protective behaviors in the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak and the influence of religion on risk perception by comparing precautionary behaviors in public and in mosques. METHODS: Data were collected through an online survey of 327 Muslim men across the Aceh Province, Indonesia, from April 21, 2020, to May 2, 2020. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the paired t-test were employed to compare the uptake of protective behaviors in public and mosques. RESULTS: The adoption of protective behaviors was higher in public rather than in mosques. It further revealed that the understanding of Islamic teachings during the pandemic has influenced perceived risk and the way Muslim men comply with the protective guidelines. Those who have complete, incomplete, or no compliance of precautionary behaviors have their own interpretation of Islamic teachings that inform their individual actions to manage the risk. CONCLUSION: This study suggests the significance of religious views for developing public health preparedness during the current and future pandemics in Aceh and other Muslim majority regions.

Daily implementation of health-protective behaviors and family life during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated the use of health-protective behaviors (HPB), such as social distancing, staying at home, frequent handwashing, and wearing facemasks to mitigate the transmission of disease. An investigation of interpersonal costs associated with the use of HPB can help inform strategies to promote their sustained implementation. This study examined the daily associations between the implementation of HPB and family functioning and assessed moderation by coparenting quality, economic strain, and the number of days that state-level stay-at-home policies had been in effect, during the early days of the pandemic. Mothers and fathers from 155 families with children who were 9 years old, on average, completed daily reports of HPB, parental stress, and family relationship quality over eight consecutive days in April or May of 2020. Hierarchal linear models showed that HPB was associated with increased levels of parental stress and interparental conflict. Negative coparenting relations exacerbated the next-day association between HPB and interparental conflict. HPB was also associated with increased levels of parent-child and interparental closeness, but these linkages dissipated for families who had spent more days under state-level stay-at-home policies. Although crucial for public health, the implementation of HPB may have detrimental short-term effects on daily family life. Family support and interventions are necessary to minimize the psychosocial burden of these important public health measures and increase their sustained adherence.

The Relationship Between Barriers and Drivers of COVID-19 Protective Behaviors in Germany and the UK.

Objectives: To explore and evaluate the impact of factors including public risk perceptions on COVID-19 protective behaviors across the UK and Germany. Methods: We used survey data collected from a representative sample for Germany and the UK (total N = 1,663) between April and May 2021. Using a Structural Equation Model, we evaluate the role of personal health risk perceptions, official message quality, source of news, age and political orientation on COVID-19 protective behaviors in the context of German and UK risk communication strategies. Results: Personal health risk perceptions had a significant positive influence on protective behaviors. Economic risk perceptions had a negative direct influence on protective behaviors, particularly in Germany, as well as a positive indirect influence. Official message quality, use of official news sources and age had positive impacts on risk perceptions and protective behaviors. Left-wing political orientation was linked to greater likelihood of undertaking protective behaviors. Conclusion: For future pandemics, more attention should be paid to evaluating and conceptualizing different varieties of risk perceptions, risk communication strategies, and demographic variables alongside their impacts on undertaking protective behaviors.

Understanding Information Processing and Protective Behaviors during the Pandemic: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: Few existing studies have examined information processing as an independent variable to predict subsequent information behaviors in a pandemic context, and the mechanism of subsequent information behavior processing following the initial or prior information behavior is unclear. OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to apply the risk information seeking and processing model to explain the mechanism of subsequent systematic information processing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A three-wave longitudinal online national survey was administered during the period of July 2020 to September 2020. Path analysis was conducted to test the relationships between prior and subsequent systematic information processing and protective behaviors. RESULTS: One important finding was the key role of prior systematic information processing, as indirect hazard experience was found to be a direct predictor of risk perception (ß = 0.15, p = 0.004) and an indirect predictor of protective behaviors. Another important finding was the central role of information insufficiency as a mediator/driving force in subsequent systematic information processing and protective behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The study has made important contributions in that it extends the scholarship on health information behaviors by (a) highlighting that relevant hazard experience in risk information seeking and processing model should be expanded to include indirect experience, and (b) providing the mechanism of subsequent systematic information processing following prior information processing. Our study also provides practical implications on health/risk communication and protective behaviors' promotion in the pandemic context.

Reactions for actions? Trust in protective behaviors and safeguarding measures in the early phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in Sweden.

To minimize the spread of Covid-19, changing every-day behavior has been key. Trust in the effectiveness of individual protective measures (response efficacy) and confidence in collective safeguarding measures (strategy efficacy), offers an incitement for acting adequately. Efficacy beliefs of protective measures might be especially relevant to study in the Swedish context, since Sweden, in contrast to countries facing hard lock-downs, launched safeguarding measures based on individual responsibility and voluntary actions. We aimed to assess associations between on the one hand, response efficacy and strategy efficacy, and on the other hand, propensity for behavior change and support of protective measures. Furthermore, to assess associations between the efficacy beliefs and comprehension of and confidence in information about the virus, prosocial beliefs and worry of Covid-19. Reactions were assessed in a Swedish sample close in time to experiences via the SEMA3 app from March 25th to May 17th 2020. Study participants had replied to questions on strategy efficacy (n = 175) or response efficacy (n = 157) and 146 participants had replied to both. High response efficacy was associated with propensity for behavior change, support of protective measures and confidence in Covid-19 information. Low strategy efficacy was associated with lower comprehension of and confidence in information about Covid-19. The results suggest that strengthening efficacy beliefs can be a way to promote protective behaviors. Furthermore, the result underscores the importance of information being easy to understand and trustworthy. Finding ways to increase public understanding of the effectiveness of protective measures, including vaccination, seems crucial in pandemic times.

"You Are Responsible for Your Own Safety”: An Intersectional Analysis of Mask-Wearing During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the US has been heavily criticized for its reliance on people's voluntary uptake of health protective behaviors like mask-wearing. Such voluntary approaches to public health crises assume individuals are altruistic and will put the good of the community before themselves. However, social groups operate in distinct ways and have different motivations. Since ideas of individualism in the US are both gendered and racialized, we adopt an intersectional approach to examine how both race and gender interact to shape mask-wearing behaviors. Using a survey of 1,269 adults in the US, we find that white women are less likely to wear a mask than Latinas and Black women but observe no differences amongst men. Our data suggest that these differences arise because white women are more likely to approach mask-wearing as a personal choice, whereas Latinas and Black women are more likely to take a collectivist approach and view mask-wearing as a social responsibility. We highlight the importance of adopting an intersectional approach to understand true variability in health protective behaviors. We also draw attention to the importance of developing community-specific public health messaging that resonates with its members' norms and experiences. © The Southern Sociological Society 2022.

A systematic survey of adults' health-protective behavior use during early COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, and the United States, and vaccination hesitancy and status eight months later.

Adoption of health-protective behaviors, including social distancing measures, are a mainstay of mitigating pandemics, so it is important to understand the characteristics associated with those who use them or not. We aimed to delineate local and personal factors associated with self-reported use of health-protective behaviors (HPB) in response to COVID-19, among adults across 4 economically developed countries. We conducted an exploratory, cross-sectional, representative, on-line survey of adults in Canada, Germany, U.K., or the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic (June-July 2020) with two and eight month follow-ups. All countries were experiencing the initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. We obtained N = 6,990 participants, who reported 20 specific health-protective behaviors (dependent measure), along with locally mandated health measures, individual characteristics and psychological scales. Using health-protective behaviors (HPB-Quartile score) was significantly associated with 28 of 35 variables studied. In stepwise logistic regression, 21 variables predicted 23.51 % of the variance in HPB-Q scores (p <.000). The strongest predictors were locally mandated protective measures, immature defense mechanisms, COVID-fears, age, moving due to COVID-19, domestic violence, and perceived emotional support from significant others. HPB-Q predicted vaccination hesitancy/willingness (OR = 4.61, CI-95 %: 2.66-8.00) and adoption 8 months later. During the early pandemic, HPB use was most strongly associated with locally mandated measures, followed by psychiatric, demographic, and other personal factors. Considering these empirically derived characteristics may improve public health approaches to optimize HPB and vaccination adoption, mitigating SAR-CoV-2 transmission. Findings may also inform public health responses to future epidemics/pandemics.

Impact of COVID-19 Awareness on Protective Behaviors during the Off-Peak Period: Sex Differences among Chinese Undergraduates.

COVID-19 remains an extreme threat in higher education settings, even during the off-peak period. Appropriate protective measures have been suggested to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in a large population context. Undergraduate students represent a highly vulnerable fraction of the population, so their COVID-19 protective behaviors play critical roles in enabling successful pandemic prevention. Hence, this study aims to understand what and how individual factors contribute to undergraduate students' protective behaviors. After building multigroup structural equation models using data acquired from the survey taken by 991 undergraduates at a large research university in eastern China, I found that students' COVID-19 awareness was positively associated with their protective behaviors, such as wearing a mask, using hand sanitizer, and maintaining proper social distance, but not with getting vaccinated. In addition, I found students with higher COVID-19 awareness were more likely to have more COVID-19 knowledge than those with less awareness. Furthermore, sex differences were observed in the mediation effects of COVID-19 awareness on wearing a mask and getting vaccinated, via COVID-19 knowledge, respectively. The results of this study have implications in helping higher education stakeholders enact effective measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

Media exposure, threat processing, and mitigation behaviors in Gulf Coast residents facing the co-occurring threats of COVID-19 and hurricanes.

The 2020 hurricane season threatened millions of Americans concurrently grappling with COVID-19. Processes guiding individual-level mitigation for these conceptually distinct threats, one novel and chronic (COVID-19), the other familiar and episodic (hurricanes), are unknown. Theories of health protective behaviors suggest that inputs from external stimuli (e.g., traditional and social media) lead to threat processing, including perceived efficacy (self- and response) and perceived threat (susceptibility and severity), guiding mitigation behavior. We surveyed a representative sample of Florida and Texas residents (N = 1846) between April 14, 2020 and April 27, 2020; many had previous hurricane exposure; all were previously assessed between September 8, 2017 and September 11, 2017. Using preregistered analyses, two generalized structural equation models tested direct and indirect effects of media exposure (traditional media, social media) on self-reported (1) COVID-19 mitigation (handwashing, mask-wearing, social distancing) and (2) hurricane mitigation (preparation behaviors), as mediated through perceived efficacy (self- and response) and perceived threat (susceptibility and severity). Self-efficacy and response efficacy were associated with social distancing (p = .002), handwashing, mask-wearing, and hurricane preparation (ps < 0.001). Perceived susceptibility was positively associated with social distancing (p = 0.017) and hurricane preparation (p < 0.001). Perceived severity was positively associated with social distancing (p < 0.001). Traditional media exhibited indirect effects on COVID-19 mitigation through increased response efficacy (ps < 0.05), and to a lesser extent self-efficacy (p < 0.05), and on hurricane preparation through increased self-efficacy and response efficacy and perceived susceptibility (ps < 0.05). Social media did not exhibit indirect effects on COVID-19 or hurricane mitigation. Communications targeting efficacy and susceptibility may encourage mitigation behavior; research should explore how social media campaigns can more effectively target threat processing, guiding protective actions.

Knowledge About COVID-19 Symptoms, Transmission, and Prevention: The Relationship With Cognitive Status in Older Adults.

Objective: Advanced age poses an increased risk for cognitive impairment, and therefore, poor knowledge regarding the risks associated with COVID-19 may confer vulnerability. We administered a COVID-19 Knowledge Questionnaire to older persons to evaluate the association between knowledge regarding public health recommendations, and cognitive status as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Method: Ninety-nine participants completed a 22-item questionnaire about COVID-19 symptoms, risks, and protective strategies, and they also completed the MoCA. Associations between knowledge and cognitive status were examined via Spearman correlations. Results: The mean (SD) age of participants was 72.6 (7.6) years, and MoCA scores averaged 23.4 (4.5) points. Higher MoCA total scores were significantly (p < .001) correlated with a greater number of correct questionnaire responses. Higher Orientation and Memory Index scores were moderately associated with an increased number of correct responses (p < .001), with the Executive Index exhibiting a significant albeit weaker association. MoCA Index scores assessing attention, language, and visuospatial functioning were not significantly associated with COVID-19 knowledge. Conclusions: Given the rapid transmission rate of the SARS CoV-2 infections, COVID knowledge lapses will likely have deleterious repercussions. Public health messages should ensure effective acquisition and retention of COVID specific information, especially in cognitively compromised older adults.

Madness of the crowd: Understanding mass behaviors through a multidisciplinary lens.

Mass or crowd behaviors refer to those that occur at a group level and suggest that crowds behave differently to individuals. Mass behaviors are typically triggered by a significant societal event. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has provided many tangible examples of crowd behaviors that have been observed globally, suggesting possible common underlying drivers. It is important to provide a deeper understanding of such behaviors to develop mitigation strategies for future population-level challenges. To gain deeper insight into a variety of crowd behaviors, we perform a conceptual analysis of crowd behaviors using three detailed case studies covering observable behavior (panic buying and health protective actions) and mass beliefs (conspiracy theories) that have resulted or shifted throughout the pandemic. The aim of this review was to explored key triggers, psychological drivers, and possible mitigation strategies through a mixture of theory and published literature. Finally, we create experimental mathematical models to support each case study and to illustrate the effects of manipulating key behavioral factors. Overall, our analyses identified several commonalties across the case studies and revealed the importance of Social Identity Theory and concepts of trust, social connection, and stress.

Predictors of Health-Protective and Helping Behaviors during the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Role of Social Support and Resilience.

The COVID -19 pandemic dramatically affected people's lives. In this study, we explored the role of social and personal factors underlying individuals' adaptive responses during the critical onset period of the outbreak. In particular, we tested two models on the mediating role of health-protective behaviors in the relationship between social support, resilience, and helping behavior. A sample of 1085 participants from Portugal and Brazil took part in an online survey during the first wave of the pandemic. First, through an Exploratory Factor Analysis of the health-protective behaviors to prevent contagion by the coronavirus, we identified two distinct dimensions, one aggregating active protective behaviors and the other as avoidant behaviors. Secondly, we found that resilience and active protective behavior sequentially mediated the relationship between social support and willingness to help. In addition, a multigroup analysis showed that this mediational process was similar in both countries. Given the wide range of social and individual factors that may predict prosocial behaviors, we highlight the role of social support on the intention to help through resilience and active protective behaviors.