Dataset Information

Association between social capital and COVID-19 preventive behaviors: Country-level ecological study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The association between social capital and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 remains controversial. We examined the association between social capital and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 at country level.

Methods

The data on country-level social capital (i.e., social trust, group affiliations, civic responsibility, and confidence in state institutions) was obtained from a previous literature based on World Value Survey. Preventive behaviors were calculated as the percentage of people in a country who took COVID-19 preventive behaviors (i.e., physical distancing, hand hygiene, and the use of face mask) from an international survey of Facebook users, from July to October 2020 (207 data points for 9 waves of 23 countries). The scores on social capital were standardized. The association was investigated with multilevel linear regression analysis.

Results

High civic responsibility (per 1 standard deviation, SD) was associated with low percentage points of physical distancing (β = -4.66, 95% confidence interval, CI: 7.23, -2.09), hand hygiene (β = -2.88, 95% CI: 3.98, -1.78) and the use of face mask (β = -3.95, 95% CI: 5.29, -2.62). Group affiliations were associated with high percentage points of physical distancing (β = 2.96, 95% CI: 0.35, 5.58) and the use of face mask (β = 1.80, 95% CI: 0.45, 3.16). Social trust had significant positive association with performing hand hygiene (β = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.09, 2.35).

Conclusions

These results suggested that in countries with higher levels of civic responsibility, preventive behaviors should be more intensified during a pandemic.

SUBMITTER: Khin YP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9523911 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Association between social capital and COVID-19 preventive behaviors: Country-level ecological study.

Khin Yu Par YP Matsuyama Yusuke Y Fujiwara Takeo T

International journal of disaster risk reduction : IJDRR 20220930

<h4>Background</h4>The association between social capital and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 remains controversial. We examined the association between social capital and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 at country level.<h4>Methods</h4>The data on country-level social capital (i.e., social trust, group affiliations, civic responsibility, and confidence in state institutions) was obtained from a previous literature based on World Value Survey. Preventive behaviors were calculated as ...[more]

PMID: 36196251

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Project description:The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a variable worldwide impact, likely related to country-level characteristics. In this ecological study, we explored the association of COVID-19 case rates (per 100,000 people) and death rates (per 100,000 people) with country-level population health characteristics, economic and human development indicators, and habitat-related variables. To calculate country-level COVID-19 case and death rates, the number of cases and deaths were extracted from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center through September 30, 2021. Country-level population health characteristics, economic, human development, and habitat-related indicators were extracted from several publicly available online sources of international organizations. Results were tabulated according to world zones and country economies. Unadjusted and adjusted multiple imputation linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between country-level variables (per 1-standard deviation [SD] increase) and COVID-19 case and death rates. To satisfy the linear regression model assumptions of normality of residuals, we used the square root transformation of both outcomes. A total of 187 countries and territories were analyzed, with a median (25th, 75th percentiles) aggregate COVID-19 case rate of 3,605 (463, 8,228) per 100,000, a COVID-19 death rate of 45.9 (8.9, 137.1) per 100,000, and a case-fatality rate of 1.6% (1.2%, 2.6%). On multivariable analyses, each country-level 1-SD higher percentage of adults with obesity (β coefficient 13.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 13.7; 8.9, 18.4), percentage of smokers (5.8; 95% CI 1.2, 10.5), percentage of adults with high blood pressure (4.9; 95% CI 0.3, 9.6), and gross national income (GNI) per capita (9.5; 95% CI 4.6, 14.5) was independently associated with higher square root of COVID-19 case rate, while average household size (-1.7; 95% CI -12.3, -3.2) was independently associated with lower square root of COVID-19 case rate. Similarly, each 1-SD higher percentage of adults with obesity (1.76; 95% CI 0.99, 2.52), percentage of adults with high blood pressure (1.11; 95% CI 0.48, 1.74), percentage of adults with physical inactivity (1.01; 95% CI 0.10, 1.191), and travel & tourism competitiveness index (1.05; 95% CI 0.06, 2.04) was independently associated with higher square root of COVID-19 death rate, whereas GNI per capita (-0.92; 95% CI -1.81, -0.03), and average household size (-1.07; 95% CI -1.87, -0.27) was independently associated with lower square root of COVID-19 death rate. This ecological study informs the need to develop country-specific public health interventions to better target populations at high risk for COVID-19, and test interventions to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, taking into consideration cross-country differences in population health characteristics, and economic, human development and habitat-related factors.

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Dataset Information

Association between social capital and COVID-19 preventive behaviors: Country-level ecological study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Association between social capital and COVID-19 preventive behaviors: Country-level ecological study.

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