Infection control in the home: a qualitative study exploring perceptions and experiences of adhering to protective behaviours in the home during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ObjectivesWe sought to explore people’s experiences and perceptions of implementing infection control behaviours in the home during the COVID-19 pandemic, guided by an online behavioural intervention.DesignInductive qualitative study.SettingUK public during the COVID-19 pandemic.ParticipantsThirteen people took part in telephone interviews, and 124 completed a qualitative open-text survey. All were recruited from the public. Most survey participants were aged over 60 years, while interview participants were more distributed in age. Most reported being at increased risk from COVID-19, and were white British.InterventionOnline behavioural intervention to support infection control behaviours in the home during the COVID-19 pandemic.Data collectionTelephone think-aloud interviews and qualitative survey data.Data analysisThe think-aloud interview data and qualitative survey data were analysed independently using inductive thematic analysis. The findings were subsequently triangulated.ResultsThematic analysis of the telephone interviews generated seven themes: perceived risk; belief in the effectiveness of protective behaviours; acceptability of distancing and isolation; having capacity to perform the behaviours; habit forming reduces effort; having the confidence to perform the behaviours; and social norms affect motivation to engage in the behaviours. The themes identified from the survey data mapped well onto the interview analysis. Isolating and social distancing at home were less acceptable than cleaning and handwashing, influenced by the need for intimacy with household members. This was especially true in the absence of symptoms and when perceived risk was low. People felt more empowered when they understood that even small changes, such as spending some time apart, were worthwhile to reduce exposure and lessen viral load.ConclusionsThe current study provided valuable insight into the acceptability and feasibility of protective behaviours, and how public health guidance could be incorporated into a behaviour change intervention for the public during a pandemic.

The Rapid Adaptation and Optimisation of a Digital Behaviour-Change Intervention to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 in Schools

“…Whilst a lack of physical space and appropriate resources was occasionally an issue within the home, the major practical barrier to infection-control behaviours was around the physical care needs of young children (e.g., feeding, dressing, personal hygiene, providing comfort). This finding mirrors what has been suggested previously regarding the importance of physical closeness between household members, even when a household is identified as high risk [ 36 , 44 ]. Although content was included in which these challenges were acknowledged, and users were encouraged to action what was possible, future research is needed to explore how such logistical barriers may be overcome to allow for optimal infection control in future pandemics.…”

“…It should be noted, however, that the parents within the current sample were predominantly from non-vulnerable households and had had experience of living in the pandemic for 12 months or more by the time of their interview, so perhaps may not have shared the same attitudes towards protective behaviours as those in more vulnerable families, or even those they themselves may have held at an earlier stage of the pandemic. This finding regarding how risk perceptions relate to protective behaviours is very much in line with previous research that suggests risk perception, as well as perceived response efficacy of infection-control behaviours, is significantly related to the adoption of preventive health behaviours [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. These findings also provide support for theoretical models such as the Health Belief Model [ 40 ] and Protection Motivation Theory [ 41 ].…”

“…For instance, wearing a face covering in crowded spaces and regularly washing or sanitising hands were viewed as realistic behaviours to implement all the time. Recent evidence has similarly indicated that regular handwashing or hand-sanitising is an acceptable behaviour during the pandemic [ 35 , 36 ] and our study provides support for the acceptability of handwashing in schools.…”

Experiences and perceptions of social eating for patients living with and beyond head and neck cancer: a qualitative study

“…Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted from February 2021 to June 2021 via telephone or video call, due to COVID-19 restrictions. Recent research indicates that telephone or remote interviews did not negatively impact the richness of collected data [ 20 , 21 ]. The first author, a Registered Nurse and academic researcher (MD), completed research training in qualitative data collection and analysis training before conduction all interviews.…”

Exploring the impact of shielding advice on the wellbeing of individuals identified as clinically extremely vulnerable amid the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods evaluation

“…The individual focus of shielding advice was considered impractical and restrictive by some participants, with 66% of survey responders considering it necessary to shield with all household members. Interview participants described a spectrum of rational adaptations to the advice, with adjustments based on living situation and personal perceptions of risk [ 33 ]. Such findings suggest that it would be beneficial to engage CEV groups in the policy-making decision process for future public health emergencies; co-creation of targeted communication strategies has been shown to result in higher levels of adherence to behaviour change messages [ 34 – 36 ].…”