Income assurances are a crucial factor in determining public compliance with self-isolation regulations during the COVID-19 outbreak – cohort study in Israel

Abstract

Background The outbreak of a new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) poses dramatic challenges to public health authorities worldwide. One measure put in place to contain the spread of the disease is self-quarantine of individuals who may have been exposed to the disease. While officials expect the public to comply with such regulation, studies suggest that a major obstacle to compliance for self-quarantine is concern over loss of income or employment due to the prolonged absence from work. Methods A cohort study of the adult population of Israel was conducted in two time points during the COVID-19 outbreak, the last week of February and the third week of March 2020, in order to assess public attitudes. In particular, public compliance rates to self-quarantine with and without State-sponsored compensation for lost wages were assessed. Results The results suggest that public attitudes changed as the threat increased, making people more compliant with regulations. In February 2020, compliance rate for self-quarantine dropped from 94% to less than 57% when monetary compensation for lost wages was removed; however, in March 2020 this drop became more moderate (from 96 to 71%). The multivariate logistic regression revealed that older, non-Jewish, worried over COVID-19, and trusting the Ministry of Health were more likely than their counterparts to comply with self-isolation, even when monetary compensation was not assumed. Conclusions Despite the effects of threat on people’s obedience with regulations, this study demonstrates that providing people with assurances about their livelihood during absence from work remains an important component in compliance with public health regulations.

The Changing Patterns of Consumers’ Behavior in China: A Comparison during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In addition, respondents with a decreased income expectation of more than 3000 Chinese yuan accounted for 20% of the total number, and from the perspective of occupational characteristics, private owners, private enterprises and freelancers believed that their income levels were most negatively affected by COVID-19. This finding is consistent with Bodas [ 37 ] and Sandeep [ 38 ] who argued for a relatively short-term impact of the pandemic on people’s expected income.…”

"Apples and Oranges:" Examining Different Social Groups’ Compliance With Government Health Instructions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…[23][24][25] The Arab minority traditionally supports leftwing parties and its sectorial parties have never joined the coalition in the Israeli governments. 22,24,26 A plethora of studies have pointed out various factors associated with compliance with preventive health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic 1,[27][28][29][30][31][32][33] and in previous ones. 11,[34][35][36][37][38][39][40] Such factors include demographic factors such as gender, age and education.…”

“…1,11,27,28 These studies have also indicated that psychological and psychosocial factors, including emotional distress, risk perceptions and perceptions about the efficacy of the instructions and one's ability to comply with them are all positively associated with compliance. 1,11,27,29,[35][36][37]41 Additional factors that affect compliance are political and civic attitudes such as political orientation, trust in government and the health authorities, legal and moral norms, as well as economic conditions and considerations. 1,29,38,39,[42][43][44][45][46] Moreover, studies have found complex relationships between the factors associated with compliance.…”

“…1,11,27,29,[35][36][37]41 Additional factors that affect compliance are political and civic attitudes such as political orientation, trust in government and the health authorities, legal and moral norms, as well as economic conditions and considerations. 1,29,38,39,[42][43][44][45][46] Moreover, studies have found complex relationships between the factors associated with compliance. For example, Roma et al 1 focused on the Italian population during the first outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, and found that the association between the perceived efficacy of the governmental health directives and compliance depended on people's risk perceptions.…”

Opportunities for diversifying and enriching our article mix

“…Finally, as in 2019 almost none of the articles based on surveys looked at changes over time. In fact, out of 22 articles using survey data, only two of them used surveys to look at changes over time [ 13 ] [ 14 ], and only one of them made secondary use of data from an existing survey [ 14 ].…”