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Adoption of Preventive Measures During the Very Early Phase of the COVID-19 Outbreak in China: National Cross-sectional Survey Study.
Lau, Joseph; Yu, Yanqiu; Xin, Meiqi; She, Rui; Luo, Sitong; Li, Lijuan; Wang, Suhua; Ma, Le; Tao, Fangbiao; Zhang, Jianxin; Zhao, Junfeng; Hu, Dongsheng; Li, Liping; Zhang, Guohua; Gu, Jing; Lin, Danhua; Wang, Hongmei; Cai, Yong; Wang, Zhaofen; You, Hua; Hu, Guoqing.
  • Lau J; Centre for Health Behaviours Research, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
  • Yu Y; Centre for Health Behaviours Research, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
  • Xin M; Centre for Health Behaviours Research, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
  • She R; Centre for Health Behaviours Research, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
  • Luo S; Centre for Health Behaviours Research, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
  • Li L; Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
  • Wang S; School of Public Health, Dali University, Dali, China.
  • Ma L; Graduated School of Baotou Medical College, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China.
  • Tao F; School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China.
  • Zhang J; Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
  • Zhao J; School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
  • Hu D; Department of Psychology, School of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
  • Li L; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
  • Zhang G; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
  • Gu J; Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
  • Lin D; Department of Psychology, School of Psychiatry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
  • Wang H; Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
  • Cai Y; Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
  • Wang Z; School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
  • You H; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
  • Hu G; Public Health Department, Qinghai University Medical College, Xining, China.
JMIR Public Health Surveill ; 7(10): e26840, 2021 10 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2141319
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The outbreak of COVID-19 in China occurred around the Chinese New Year (January 25, 2020), and infections decreased continuously afterward. General adoption of preventive measures during the Chinese New Year period was crucial in driving the decline. It is imperative to investigate preventive behaviors among Chinese university students, who could have spread COVID-19 when travelling home during the Chinese New Year break.

OBJECTIVE:

In this study, we investigated levels of COVID-19-related personal measures undertaken during the 7-day Chinese New Year holidays by university students in China, and associated COVID-19-related cognitive factors.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional anonymous web-based survey was conducted during the period from February 1 to 10, 2020. Data from 23,863 students (from 26 universities, 16 cities, 13 provincial-level regions) about personal measures (frequent face-mask wearing, frequent handwashing, frequent home staying, and an indicator that combined the 3 behaviors) were analyzed (overall response rate 70%). Multilevel multiple logistic regression analysis was performed.

RESULTS:

Only 28.0% of respondents (6684/23,863) had left home for >4 hours, and 49.3% (11,757/23,863) had never left home during the 7-day Chinese New Year period; 79.7% (19,026/23,863) always used face-masks in public areas. The frequency of handwashing with soap was relatively low (6424/23,863, 26.9% for >5 times/day); 72.4% (17,282/23,863) had frequently undertaken ≥2 of these 3 measures. COVID-19-related cognitive factors (perceptions on modes of transmission, permanent bodily damage, efficacy of personal or governmental preventive measures, nonavailability of vaccines and treatments) were significantly associated with preventive measures. Associations with frequent face-mask wearing were stronger than those with frequent home staying.

CONCLUSIONS:

University students had strong behavioral responses during the very early phase of the COVID-19 outbreak. Levels of personal prevention, especially frequent home staying and face-mask wearing, were high. Health promotion may modify cognitive factors. Some structural factors (eg, social distancing policy) might explain why the frequency of home staying was higher than that of handwashing. Other populations might have behaved similarly; however, such data were not available to us.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Communicable Disease Control / Disease Outbreaks / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Randomized controlled trials Topics: Vaccines Limits: Female / Humans / Male Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Journal: JMIR Public Health Surveill Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 26840

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Communicable Disease Control / Disease Outbreaks / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Randomized controlled trials Topics: Vaccines Limits: Female / Humans / Male Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Journal: JMIR Public Health Surveill Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 26840