Table 1
Ranking of opinions on the efficacy of different preventive measures against coronavirus infection.
| Mean rank* | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Isolation (quarantine) | 8.59 | 92.4 |
| Hand disinfection | 7.68 | 84.2 |
| Hand washing | 7.62 | 83.7 |
| Disinfection of objects and surfaces | 7.44 | 78.5 |
| Mask wearing | 5.27 | 33.0 |
| Vitamin C | 4.92 | 27.3 |
| Antiviral drugs | 3.84 | 14.3 |
| Seasonal influenza vaccination | 3.41 | 14.6 |
| Herbs/tea | 3.40 | 10.2 |
| Essential oils | 2.83 | 7.1 |
Table 2
Ranking of preventive measures being taken on the day the epidemic was declared.
| Mean rank* | % | |
|---|---|---|
| I wash my hands more often | 7.37 | 97.0 |
| I cough in a handkerchief or sleeve | 7.32 | 97.3 |
| I avoid crowded places | 6.92 | 93.5 |
| I avoid people who I think are at increased risk of infection | 6.74 | 89.6 |
| I regularly disinfect my hands | 6.55 | 89.9 |
| I stay home (I do not go to work) | 5.41 | 67.8 |
| I disinfect objects | 5.00 | 70.8 |
| I have food supply at home for at least 2 weeks | 4.59 | 59.3 |
| I use a face mask | 2.82 | 24.9 |
| I have bought face masks | 2.26 | 19.9 |
Table 3
Descriptive statistics for analysed scores (preventive behaviour, perceived infectability, germ aversion, psychological burden and anxiety) and ANOVA between the analysed scores and demographic characteristics (results presented as mean score (SD); shading represents a statistically significant difference between the demographic categories with ANOVA – level of significance p<0.05)
| Variables | N | Preventive behaviour | Germ aversion | Perceived infectability | Anxiety | Psychological burden | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score descriptive statistics | Score range Mean score (SD) | 10–50 38.31 (5.56) | 1–7 3.40 (0.97) | 1–7 4.98 (1.03) | 1–10 4.36 (2.50) | 0–21 4.55 (5.01) | |
| Gender | 1,642 | Male | 36.0 (5.95) | 4.68 (1.02) | 3.33 (0.92) | 3.12 (4.12) | 3.65 (2.50) |
| 6,089 | Female | 38.9 (5.19) | 5.06 (1.01) | 3.41 (0.98) | 4.94 (5.16) | 4.56 (2.47) | |
| ANOVA | p | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.001 | <0.001 | 0.001 | |
| Education level | 3,460 | Undergraduate | 38.3 (5.70) | 4.92 (1.04) | 3.43 (0.95) | 4.52 (5.12) | 4.25 (2.52) |
| 1,383 | Bachelor’s degree or equivalent | 37.9 (5.21) | 5.04 (1.00) | 3.39 (1.00) | 4.56 (4.90) | 4.38 (2.50) | |
| 2,418 | Master’s degree or equivalent | 38.4 (5.35) | 5.01 (1.03) | 3.35 (0.99) | 4.60 (4.96) | 4.53 (2.48) | |
| 400 | Doctoral degree or equivalent | 38.1 (5.31) | 5.04 (0.97) | 3.31 (0.94) | 4.64 (4.93) | 4.41 (2.56) | |
| ANOVA | p | 0.067 | 0.005 | 0.001 | 0.929 | <0.001 | |
| Healthcare worker | 857 | Yes | 38.7 (5.43) | 4.97 (1.01) | 3.45 (1.03) | 4.59 (5.16) | 4.66 (2.51) |
| 6,316 | No | 38.2 (5.52) | 4.97 (1.02) | 3.38 (0.96) | 4.53 (4.99) | 4.34 (2.50) | |
| 517 | Unemployed | 38.8 (5.20) | 4.99 (1.09) | 3.47 (0.97) | 4.80 (5.12) | 4.16 (2.58) | |
| ANOVA | p | 0.057 | 0.956 | 0.025 | 0.502 | 0.001 | |
| Living arrangements | 714 861 | alone with older>65 | 37.7 (5.98) 38.7 (5.84) | 4.84 (1.05) 4.95 (1.00) | 3.38 (1.03) 3.47 (0.93) | 4.04 (4.74) 4.72 (5.47) | 4.15 (2.56) 4.50 (2.53) |
| 2,905 | with children | 38.5 (5.26) | 4.99 (1.00) | 3.31 (0.94) | 4.47 (4.89) | 4.42 (2.52) | |
| 1,108 | with older>65 and children | 38.8 (5.65) | 5.01 (1.03) | 3.48 (1.00) | 5.00 (5.34) | 4.46 (2.47) | |
| 2,106 | with partner or other | 37.8 (5.34) | 5.00 (1.06) | 3.44 (0.98) | 4.56 (4.90) | 4.26 (2.48) | |
| ANOVA | p | <0.001 | 0.003 | <0.001 | 0.001 | 0.006 | |
| Knows an infected person | 885 | Yes | 39.0 (5.54) | 5.07 (1.00) | 3.51 (1.02) | 5.66 (5.60) | 4.77 (2.57) |
| 6,846 | No | 38.2 (5.48) | 4.96 (1.03) | 3.38 (0.96) | 4.41 (4.91) | 4.31 (2.49) | |
| ANOVA | p | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.006 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
Table 4
Correlation between preventive behaviour score and perceived infectability, germ aversion, psychological burden and anxiety scores.
| Pearson correlation of preventive behaviour score with: | Pearson correlation | Sig. (2-tailed) |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived infectability | 0.094 | p<0.001 |
| Germ aversion | 0.288 | p<0.001 |
| Psychological burden | 0.130 | p<0.001 |
| Anxiety | 0.128 | p<0.001 |