Association between social capital and COVID-19 preventive behaviors: Country-level ecological study.
Int J Disaster Risk Reduct
; 82: 103335, 2022 Nov.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2049279
ABSTRACT
Background:
The association between social capital and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 remains controversial. We examined the association between social capital and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 at country level.Methods:
The data on country-level social capital (i.e., social trust, group affiliations, civic responsibility, and confidence in state institutions) was obtained from a previous literature based on World Value Survey. Preventive behaviors were calculated as the percentage of people in a country who took COVID-19 preventive behaviors (i.e., physical distancing, hand hygiene, and the use of face mask) from an international survey of Facebook users, from July to October 2020 (207 data points for 9 waves of 23 countries). The scores on social capital were standardized. The association was investigated with multilevel linear regression analysis.Results:
High civic responsibility (per 1 standard deviation, SD) was associated with low percentage points of physical distancing (ß = -4.66, 95% confidence interval, CI 7.23, -2.09), hand hygiene (ß = -2.88, 95% CI 3.98, -1.78) and the use of face mask (ß = -3.95, 95% CI 5.29, -2.62). Group affiliations were associated with high percentage points of physical distancing (ß = 2.96, 95% CI 0.35, 5.58) and the use of face mask (ß = 1.80, 95% CI 0.45, 3.16). Social trust had significant positive association with performing hand hygiene (ß = 1.22, 95% CI 0.09, 2.35).Conclusions:
These results suggested that in countries with higher levels of civic responsibility, preventive behaviors should be more intensified during a pandemic.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Language:
English
Journal:
Int J Disaster Risk Reduct
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.ijdrr.2022.103335
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