Intention-Based Critical Factors Affecting Willingness to Adopt Novel Coronavirus Prevention in Pakistan: Implications for Future Pandemics

Munir Ahmad, Nadeem Akhtar, Gul Jabeen, Muhammad Irfan (), Muhammad Khalid Anser, Haitao Wu () and Cem Işık
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Munir Ahmad: School of Economics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Nadeem Akhtar: School of Urban Culture, Nanhai Campus, South China Normal University, Foshan 528225, China
Gul Jabeen: Research Institute of Business Analytics and Supply Chain Management, College of Management, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Muhammad Khalid Anser: School of Public Administration, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710000, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-28

Abstract: Since human beings have a long tradition of coexistence with pandemics, which may profoundly impact them, adopting preventive measures is crucial for humankind’s survival. This study explores the intention-based critical factors affecting the willingness of individuals to adopt pandemic prevention. To this end, a representative sample of 931 Pakistanis filled in an online questionnaire. However, only 828 questionnaires were found to be complete and valid for path modeling analysis. The core findings are as follows: Firstly, peer groups’ beliefs, self-efficacy, perceived risk, pandemic knowledge, ease of pandemic prevention adoption, and risk-averse behavior are revealed as driving forces of the individuals’ willingness to adopt pandemic prevention. Contrastingly, a lack of trust in political will and mythical attitude towards pandemics are uncovered as inhibitors. Nevertheless, moral values depict a neutral role. Secondly, the peer groups’ beliefs are highest ranked, followed by the lack of trust in political will and a mythical attitude towards pandemic prevention. Finally, moral values are determined as the lowest-ranked critical factor. Based on these results, the government should promote awareness campaigns on lethality and fatality of the pandemic at both centralized and decentralized levels to win people’s trust at the grass-roots level and overcome the mythical attitude of individuals at all societal levels. Besides, access to personal protective gears should be made feasible since an easier pandemic prevention adoption would increase the individuals’ willingness to adopt such preventative measures.

Keywords: intention-based critical factors; novel coronavirus; pandemic prevention; COVID-19; hybrid theoretical framework; path modeling; Pakistan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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