scholarly journals Perception of Risk, Self-Efficacy and Social Trust during the Diffusion of Covid-19 in Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3427
Author(s):  
Pierluigi Diotaiuti ◽  
Giuseppe Valente ◽  
Stefania Mancone ◽  
Lavinia Falese ◽  
Fernando Bellizzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Interpersonal Trust ◽  
Central Area ◽  
Perception Of Risk ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Perceived Trust ◽  
Health Authorities

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of people all over the world. The perception of risk and people’s consequent behaviour during a pandemic are very complex and are affected by multiple cultural and psychological factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the change in risk perception, perceived self-efficacy and the perceived trust in the behaviour of others, the decisions of health authorities and government provisions, as well as the variation of self-restraint behaviours during the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy. We used a convenience sample of 707 university students (Mage = 22.99; SD = 4.01) from a central area of Italy. Participants freely joined the research by answering an online questionnaire between February and March 2020. Three time intervals defined by the progressive containment measures implemented by the Italian Government were considered. Main outcome measures were the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, the Risk Perception Index, the Index of Self-restraint Behaviours, and Institutional and Interpersonal Trust Measures. Results confirmed that significant changes in the time progression have occurred in the perception of risk, in the perception of individual self-efficacy, in the value attributed to social responsibility, in interpersonal trust and in trust in health authorities. The study also identified the participants’ personality traits and locus of control as predictors (positive and negative) of perceived self-efficacy and tested a mediation model of trust on the effect of risk perception on self-restraint intentions.

scholarly journals Risk perception regarding the COVID-19 outbreak among the general population: a comparative Middle East survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Abdel Hameed Shahin ◽  
Rasha Mohammed Hussien
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
General Population ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Background People’s perceptions of pandemic-associated risk are key factors contributing to increased public participation in disease preventive measures. The aim of the study was to investigate risk perceptions regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, among the general population. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of 723 participants, recruited from the general population of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan. Data collection was performed using a standardized risk perception assessment questionnaire, in April 2020. Results The mean score for the perception of COVID-19 seriousness was significantly higher and the mean scores for the perception of disease susceptibility and extent of anxiety were also higher among Saudi Arabian participants than participants from Egypt and Jordan. Participants from Egypt had significantly lower mean scores for the perception of efficacy and self-efficacy to cope with COVID-19, and significantly lower intention to comply with COVID-19 precautionary measures than the other populations. A significant positive correlation was detected between the perception of COVID-19 seriousness and self-efficacy to handle COVID-19, for the entire sample. The primary reasons reported by participants driving their willingness to perform certain preventive measures against COVID-19 was a feeling of responsibility toward their own health, followed by preventing transmission to other people and the feeling that COVID-19 can be serious. Most of the study sample reported a desire to receive information about COVID-19 treatment, ways to prevent disease contraction, and the incubation period for the novel coronavirus. Also, most of the study sample reported that they prefer receiving COVID-19 updates from national authorities. Conclusions During the COVID-19 pandemic, communications designed to promote the adoption of preventive behaviors should focus on increasing the perception of seriousness, the risk perception, self-efficacy to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effectiveness of the adopted behavioral measures for reducing risk. Health education programs that are tailored to various sociodemographic categories, to improve public awareness, perceptions, and attitudes, are vital for increasing the adoption of outbreak preventive measures.

scholarly journals The COSMO-Spain Survey: Three First Rounds of the WHO Behavioral Insights Tool

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez ◽  
María Romay-Barja ◽  
María Falcón ◽  
Alba Ayala ◽  
Maria João Forjaz
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Spanish Population ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
Loved One ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
High Degree

Objective: To describe changes in knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices (KAP), risk perception, and psychological variables of Spanish population toward the COVID-19 pandemic from July to November 2020.Methods: Three samples, each of one composed by 1,000+ persons aged 18 years or older, were interviewed online in three rounds, every 2 months, from July to November 2020.Results: The level of knowledge on COVID-19 was high in the three rounds, with percentages above 95% of correct answers related to ways of contagion and correct use of face masks. The most accepted measure was the mandatory use of face masks (80–86% of agreement in the three rounds, p = 0.001), followed by the night curfew (63% of agreement). Most participants (>80%) consistently reported using face masks, ventilating spaces, and washing or disinfecting hands. However, risk perception and self-efficacy were low. Worry about losing a loved one, the health system overload and people who do not wear face masks was high (>85% of the samples). The percentage of respondents who felt depressed due to COVID-19 increased from round 1 to round 3 (p = 0.044).Conclusions: Spanish population has a high degree of KAP, but a relatively low risk perception and self-efficacy. These findings can help health authorities to guide containment measures and campaigns addressed to improve preventive practices.

scholarly journals “How to use it more?” Self-efficacy and its sources in the use of social media for knowledge sharing

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 231-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussain Alshahrani ◽  
Diane Rasmussen Pennington
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate sources of self-efficacy for researchers and the sources’ impact on the researchers’ use of social media for knowledge sharing. It is a continuation of a larger study (Alshahrani and Rasmussen Pennington, 2018). Design/methodology/approach The authors distributed an online questionnaire to researchers at the University of Strathclyde (n=144) and analysed the responses using descriptive statistics. Findings Participants relied on personal mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion and emotional arousal for social media use. These elements of self-efficacy mostly led them to use it effectively, with a few exceptions. Research limitations/implications The convenience sample utilised for this study, which included academic staff, researchers and PhD students at one university, is small and may not be entirely representative of the larger population. Practical implications This study contributes to the existing literature on social media and knowledge sharing. It can help researchers understand how they can develop their self-efficacy and its sources in order to enhance their online professional presence. Additionally, academic institutions can use these results to inform how they can best encourage and support their researchers in improving their professional social media use. Originality/value Researchers do rely on their self-efficacy and its sources to use social media for knowledge sharing. These results can help researchers and their institutions eliminate barriers and improve online engagement with colleagues, students, the public and other relevant research stakeholders.

scholarly journals Social Distancing in the Context of COVID-19 Anxiety: A Social Cognitive Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allyson S Graf ◽  
Abigail Nehrkorn-Bailey ◽  
Amy Knepple Carney
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The Impact

As the impact of COVID-19 continues, engagement in social distancing is essential. Using Social Cognitive Theory, the current study examined the unique roles of COVID-19 anxiety and self-efficacy on the relationships between information-seeking and risk perception as predictors of social distancing intention. A convenience sample of 960 adults (<em>M </em>= 37.81 years, <em>SD </em>= 11.65) completed an author-designed online survey. Participants completed measures on behavioral intention, information-seeking, risk perception, COVID-19 anxiety, and self-efficacy. Moderated mediations examined the theoretically proposed relationships among the variables. COVID-19 anxiety moderated the relationship between risk perception and self-efficacy, but not the association between information-seeking and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy mediated the role of risk perception and information-seeking on behavioral intent. Self-efficacy was strongly associated with social distancing intention, consistent with previous research and underscoring the need to identify factors influencing self-efficacy in the context of a pandemic. Risk perception and information-seeking both directly and indirectly related to intention to social distance, with COVID-19 anxiety dampening the influence of perceived risk on self-efficacy. The roles of risk perception and information-seeking in relation to self-efficacy suggest the need to adequately describe risk, reduce pandemic-related anxiety, and provide accurate, transparent information.

scholarly journals The Association of Chronic Diseases with Covid-19 Outcomes and its Role on Risk Perception (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Almeida Laires ◽  
Sónia Dias ◽  
Ana Gama ◽  
Ana Marta Moniz ◽  
Ana R Pedro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Renal Diseases ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Perception Of Risk ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease, which became a global threat to public health. Further understanding of the epidemiology of this virus and on the risk perception of the community may better inform health authorities for targeted interventions to reduce the impact and spread of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE In this study we aimed to examine the association between chronic diseases and worse outcomes following COVID-19 infection, and to explore its role on the self-perception of risk for worse COVID-19 outcomes. METHODS This study draws from 2 databases: 1) The nationwide database of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in Portugal, extracted in 28th of April 2020 (n=20,293); and 2) the community-based survey “COVID-19 Barometer”, which contains data on health status, perceptions and behaviors during the first wave of COVID-19 (n=171,087). We assessed the association of relevant chronic diseases (i.e. respiratory, cardiovascular, renal disease, diabetes, and cancer) with death and ICU use following COVID-19 infection, and identified determinants of self-perception of risk for severe COVID-19 disease using logistic regression models. RESULTS Respiratory, cardiovascular, and renal diseases were associated with mortality and ICU use among patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection (ORs [95%CI]: 1.48 [1.11-1.98]; 3.39 [1.80-6.40]; 2.25 [1.66-3.06]). Diabetes and cancer are associated with such outcomes but only when considered the full sample of COVID-19 infected cases in the country (ORs: 1.30 [1.03-1.64]; 1.40 [1.03-1.89], respectively). Older age and male sex were both associated with mortality and ICU use. The prevalence of at least one of the analyzed health conditions is high in the country’s population, particularly on those aged 65 years old or over (19.6% and 44.6%, respectively). Self-awareness of risk for severe COVID-19 disease in the country’s population is 23.9%, which is markedly increased on older people (46.4%), those with at least one chronic disease (51.7%), or those under both conditions (67.7%). All the analyzed diseases were associated with self-perception of high risk in the population. CONCLUSIONS Our study results demonstrate the association of some prevalent chronic diseases with increased risk of worse COVID-19 outcomes. It also brings further understanding on the current population risk perception for COVID-19 severe disease and useful insights into factors influencing if, in particular morbidity. Hence, this study may aid health authorities to better adapt measures to the real needs of the population and to identify those more vulnerable requiring further education and awareness on due preventive measures. CLINICALTRIAL NA

scholarly journals The Level of Lymphedema Awareness among Women with Breast Cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 627
Author(s):  
Fatmah Alsharif ◽  
Wedad Almutairi ◽  
Faygah Shibily ◽  
Fatmah Alhothari ◽  
Fidaa Batwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Medical Team ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The Status

Background: Lymphedema is a condition in which excessive fluid accumulates in soft tissues. It is a common complication of breast cancer treatments. It can lead to serious consequences and interfere with the activity of daily living. This study aimed to determine the level of awareness of breast-cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) among women with breast cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This was a descriptive quantitative cross-sectional design that included a convenience sample of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected by distributing a self-administrated online questionnaire consisting of four parts, including demographic data (five items), the status of education about BCRL (three items), basic medical history of breast cancer (six items), and BCRL level of awareness of risk factors and management (nine items). Results: In total, 95 out of 135 of participants did not know about lymphedema, 119 of the participants (88.1%) did not receive any explanation about the possibility of lymphedema from their medical team before surgery, and 121 of them (89.6%) did not receive it after surgery. The most significant factor affecting participants’ level of awareness regarding BCRL was the lack of information about the possibility of BCRL occurrence, which was not provided to them by the medical team. Recommendation: Early and continuous education for future management is essential to prevent problems related to BCRL and improve quality of life.

scholarly journals Uncertainty about the risks associated with microplastics among lay and topic-experienced respondents

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina J. Thiele ◽  
Malcolm D. Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Environmental Issue ◽  
Contaminants Of Emerging Concern ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Present Part ◽  
Fact Checking ◽  
Level Of Concern ◽  
People’S Perceptions

AbstractMicroplastics are contaminants of emerging concern but there is currently a lack of evidence on actual risks relating to them, despite claims in media and scientific articles. Research on people’s perceptions on microplastics is in its infancy. Here we present part of a larger survey about people’s perceptions of issues with microplastics. Our analysis of 1681 responses across the globe to an online questionnaire demonstrates a certain level of uncertainty, not only in lay people but also respondents who study/work on the topic of plastics and microplastics as a pollutant. This uncertainty ranges from level of concern about microplastics as an environmental issue to existing evidence for effects. Further, there is some discrepancy between risk perception and state of the research. Some of this may be driven by scientific work with some serious limitations in reporting and methods. This highlights the need for fact-checking of circulating information about microplastics, but also for addressing the discordance between ecotoxicological risk and how risk is framed within the scientific community.

scholarly journals Impact of ambient sound on risk perception in humans: neuroeconomic investigations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Payzan-LeNestour ◽  
Lionnel Pradier ◽  
James Doran ◽  
Gideon Nave ◽  
Bernard Balleine
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Multisensory Perception ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Perception Of Risk ◽  
Asset Risk ◽  
Financial Trading ◽  
Ambient Sound ◽  
General Relevance ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Professional Traders

AbstractResearch in the field of multisensory perception shows that what we hear can influence what we see in a wide range of perceptual tasks. It is however unknown whether this extends to the visual perception of risk, despite the importance of the question in many applied domains where properly assessing risk is crucial, starting with financial trading. To fill this knowledge gap, we ran interviews with professional traders and conducted three laboratory studies using judgments of financial asset risk as a testbed. We provide evidence that the presence of ambient sound impacts risk perception, possibly due to the combination of facilitatory and synesthetic effects of general relevance to the perception of risk in many species as well as humans. We discuss the implications of our findings for various applied domains (e.g., financial, medical, and military decision-making), and raise new questions for future research.

scholarly journals Social Networks, Trust, and Disaster-Risk Perceptions of Rural Residents in a Multi-Disaster Environment: Evidence from Sichuan, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaijing Xue ◽  
Shili Guo ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Shaoquan Liu ◽  
Dingde Xu
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Mountainous Areas ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Response Efficacy ◽  
The Impact

Individual perception of disaster risk is not only the product of individual factors, but also the product of social interactions. However, few studies have empirically explored the correlations between rural residents’ flat social networks, trust in pyramidal channels, and disaster-risk perceptions. Taking Sichuan Province—a typical disaster-prone province in China—as an example and using data from 327 rural households in mountainous areas threatened by multiple disasters, this paper measured the level of participants’ disaster-risk perception in the four dimensions of possibility, threat, self-efficacy, and response efficacy. Then, the ordinary least squares method was applied to probe the correlations between social networks, trust, and residents’ disaster-risk perception. The results revealed four main findings. (1) Compared with scores relating to comprehensive disaster-risk perception, participants had lower perception scores relating to possibility and threat, and higher perception scores relating to self-efficacy and response efficacy. (2) The carrier characteristics of their social networks significantly affected rural residents’ perceived levels of disaster risk, while the background characteristics did not. (3) Different dimensions of trust had distinct effects on rural residents’ disaster-risk perceptions. (4) Compared with social network variables, trust was more closely related to the perceived level of disaster risks, which was especially reflected in the impact on self-efficacy, response efficacy, and comprehensive perception. The findings of this study deepen understanding of the relationship between social networks, trust, and disaster-risk perceptions of rural residents in mountainous areas threatened by multiple disasters, providing enlightenment for building resilient disaster-prevention systems in the community.

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