Risk Perception and Protective Behavior in the Context of COVID-19: a Qualitative Exploration

Abstract

As a result of the devastating health effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, the lockdown has been considered a safety measure in many countries. In Pakistan, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in February 2020. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate people’s risk perception and protective behavior during the lockdown. Twenty-two (22) participants from eight big cities across Pakistan were interviewed. A six-step reflective thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The study focused on risk perception and protective behaviors. Our main analytical goal was to understand how risk perception shapes human behavior in the context of lockdown, pandemic-related information flow, and corresponding meaning-making. The study revealed that people influenced by information and advice campaigns form a perception of risk that has shaped their protective behavior. They used familiar means of coping with distress, including the search for strength through religious belief practices and following the precautions recommended by health professionals through the media.

Analyzing Risk Communication, Trust, Risk Perception, Negative Emotions, and Behavioral Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China Using a Structural Equation Model

“…Our results showed that RC and DT had direct and indirect effects on public behavioral coping strategies during the COVID-19 epidemic. Our results were consistent with the previous literature ( 12 , 13 , 17 ). RC directly and positively affected the public's PCB; the higher the degree of RC, the more likely the public were to adopt PCB.…”

“…Furthermore, RP mediates the relationship between RC and protective behaviors ( 11 ). A qualitative study revealed that when public RP was influenced by relevant information, the public's protective behavior was subsequently modified ( 12 ). The massively developing social network phenomenon has become the main dissemination platform for COVID-19 information and has attracted significant attention from emergency management agencies.…”

COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors and Influencing Factors in the Thai Population: A Web-Based Survey

“…The lockdown policy influenced the preventive behaviors of COVID-19, consistent with the previous study that the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown was significantly associated with health-related behaviors ( 41 ). Another study also found that people has shaped their protective behavior during the lockdown ( 39 ). People have responded differently to lockdown policy, and these differences might be associated with a number of factors such as personal, social, cultural, mental, and economic variables ( 42 ).…”

“…Moreover, there was a positive relationship between severity perception and preventive behaviors ( 37 ). Higher risk perception was subsequently associated with higher frequency/probability of practicing preventive behaviors ( 38 ), and people's risk perception has shaped their protective behaviors during the lockdown ( 39 ). However, some studies found that perceived severity was not significantly predictive of COVID-19 preventive behaviors ( 40 ).…”

Attitudes and Behavior toward COVID-19 Vaccination in Japanese University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…It is thought that many young adults can contribute to the prevention of the spread of infection by taking thorough infection prevention measures along with vaccination. Siddiqui et al [31] reported three types of protective behaviors: the physical level measures (personal hygiene); the social level measures (physical distancing as directed by the government and healthcare professionals); and the third level measures (religious coping, which is a cognitive reappraisal of the stressful event, human limitations, and corresponding religious beliefs). The present study reveals that preventive measures are taken at the social level as well as at the level of individual students.…”