Staying Home, Distancing, and Face Masks: COVID-19 Prevention among U.S. Women in The COPE Study

Katherine M. Anderson and Jamila K. Stockman
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Katherine M. Anderson: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Jamila K. Stockman: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted United States residents. Prevention behaviors are critical to minimizing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S., to ultimately reduce the health, social, and economic burdens of COVID-19. Yet, health behavior decision-making is complex, and uptake of preventative behaviors has been variable. Women may provide pro-prevention behavior modeling to their networks, facilitating uptake diffusion. The COPE Study enrolled 491 women residing in the United States from May to June of 2020; women completed an online survey of COVID-19 experiences and prevention behaviors. We employed binary logistic modeling to identify factors predicting women’s practice of (1) staying home except for essential activities, (2) physical distancing in public, and (3) wearing a face mask in public. Findings demonstrate that women’s prevention behaviors are influenced by multilevel factors. Women living in urban environments, having minimal formal education, or having a household annual income of USD 30,000–50,000 are less likely to practice prevention behaviors. Cultural context may be an important factor in the decision-making process. Results aid in the identification what interventional “levers” may warrant consideration to promote uptake of such behaviors, and whom to engage. Because women are modelers of behavior, it is critical to engage them in prevention behavior interventions.

Keywords: COVID-19; prevention and control; SARS-CoV-2; United States; women; logistic models (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 (1)

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