Investigation of the Risk Awareness of Wearing Masks by the Public during COVID-19 According to the Health Belief Questionnaires of Shanxi Province Residents

Journal of Risk Analysis and Crisis Response: JRACR

article

Hou Ruyi¹  Duan Tingyu¹  Sui Chunying²  Wu Yibo²  Wang Xiujun¹  Wang Yujie¹  Sun Yu¹ 

[1] Department of Humanities, Arts and Communication, Changzhi Medical College;Key Research Base of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Shaanxi Province, Health Culture Research Center of Shaanxi;Department of Medicine, Health Science Center, Peking University

关键词: Risk;    COVID-19;    mask wearing behavior;    health belief model;    diffusion of innovation theory;    structural equation model;    influencing factors;   

DOI  :  10.2991/jracr.k.210111.001

来源: Atlantis Press

【 摘 要 】

When some parts of the world are still debating whether the public wearing masks will help prevent and control the COVID-19.We have used questionnaires to investigate the wearing of masks and its influencing factors among residents in 11 cities inShanxi Province. The questionnaire was designed based on the health belief model. We processed the collected data using thestructural equation method. The results we got are as follows: (1) the average score of perceived severity is 3.14, indicating thatthe respondents had a strong sense of risk; (2) The average score of perceived benefits was 4.00, indicating that respondentsthought that wearing masks can prevent COVID-19; (3) The average score of perceived barriers was 2.42, indicating that therespondents believed that there were fewer barriers against wearing masks during the epidemic; (4) The average score of perceivedsusceptibility was 3.23, indicating that respondents believed that they had a strong risk awareness of COVID-19 infection; (5)The average score of self-efficacy was 4.00, indicating that respondents had a strong belief in wearing masks correctly. Thestructural equation model shows that self-efficacy (l = 0.40) and perceived susceptibility (l = −0.15) had direct effects on thebehavior of wearing masks. A wide range of mediating effects exists in the model. Perceived severity has an effect on the behaviorof wearing masks through perceived susceptibility (l = 0.41), perceived benefits through self-efficacy (l = 0.68) and perceivedsusceptibility (l = −0.35), and perceived barriers through self-efficacy (l = −0.28). People are in the early adopter phase. Eachdimension has a direct or indirect impact on the wearing of masks during the COVID-19 epidemic.

【 授权许可】

Unknown