Effect of Income Level and Perception of Susceptibility and Severity of COVID-19 on Stay-at-Home Preventive Behavior in a Group of Older Adults in Mexico City

Maria Esther Irigoyen-Camacho, Maria Consuelo Velazquez-Alva, Marco Antonio Zepeda-Zepeda, Maria Fernanda Cabrer-Rosales, Irina Lazarevich and Antonio Castaño-Seiquer
Additional contact information
Maria Esther Irigoyen-Camacho: Health Care Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Unit Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Maria Consuelo Velazquez-Alva: Health Care Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Unit Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Marco Antonio Zepeda-Zepeda: Health Care Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Unit Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Maria Fernanda Cabrer-Rosales: Health Care Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Unit Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Irina Lazarevich: Health Care Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Unit Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Antonio Castaño-Seiquer: Director of The Master Program of Family and Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sevilla, Street Avicenna, 41009 Sevilla, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: Early information on public health behaviors adopted to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) may be useful in controlling the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. The objective of this study was to assess the role of income level (IL) and the perception of older adults, regarding COVID-19 susceptibility and severity, on adopting stay-at-home preventive behavior during the first week of the outbreak in Mexico. Participants in this cross-sectional study were urban community dwellers, aged ≥ 65 years from Mexico City. A total of 380 interviews were conducted over the phone. The mean respondent age was 72.9 years, and 76.1% were women. Over half (54.2%) of the participants perceived their susceptibility to COVID-19 as very low or low. Similarly, 33.4% perceived COVID-19 severity as being very low or low, and 57.6% had decided to stay at home: this behavior was associated with IL (β = 1.05, p < 0.001), and its total effect was partially mediated (15.1%) by perceived severity. Educational attainment was also associated with staying at home (β = 0.10, p = 0.018) and its total effect was partially mediated (15.0%) by perceived susceptibility. Interventions aimed at low income and less educated older adults should be developed to improve preventive behaviors in this vulnerable group during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; older adults; SARS-CoV-2; income level; educational status; quarantine; Mexico (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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