COVID-19 pandemic response behaviors: a Singapore experience of the "circuit breaker"

Abstract

Preventive health behaviors such as hand hygiene are crucial amidst pandemics like COVID-19 but reports on nonadherence persist. This could be due to the lack of Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC), a cognitive-motivational construct known to improve health-related behaviors. Therefore, we examined the relationship between CFC and five behaviors-mask-wearing, social distancing, hand hygiene, excessive necessities buying, and COVID-19 information searching using an internet-based Singapore-wide survey conducted from April 20 to May 4, 2020. Behavioral differences 2 weeks before and after the state-wide confinement were examined using paired t-tests. Relationships between CFC and COVID-19 behaviors were examined using regression analyses adjusted for depression and anxiety. Participants were regrouped into three categories-increased behavior performance, maintained high performance, and maintained low performance where mean differences were analysed using MANOVA. Three hundred and thirty-six participants completed the survey (mean age, SD = 32.9 years [SD = 12.6]; 38.7% males). CFCfuture predicted mask wearing (B = 0.16; p < .05), social distancing (B = 0.0.19; p < .01), hand hygiene (B = 0.17; p < .01), and information searching (B = 0.21; p < .001). CFCimmediate predicted hand hygiene (B = 0.09; p < .05), excessive necessities buying (B = 0.07; p < .05) and information searching (B = 0.08; p < .05). Anxiety predicted excessive buying (B = 0.08; p < .05) and hand hygiene (B = 0.13; p < .01). Post-hoc test showed significantly higher CFCfuture (p < .01) in participants who increased and maintained high behavioral performance.

Keywords: Anxiety; Behavior; COVID-19; Depression; Pandemic; Time perspective.