Willingness of the UK public to volunteer for testing in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract Background The World Health Organization declared the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world to be a global public health emergency. The spread of the disease is influenced by people’s willingness to adopt preventative public health behaviours, such as participation in testing programmes...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12848-z |
| _version_ | 1811332126414471168 |
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| author | Tushna Vandrevala Amy Montague Philip Terry Mark D. Fielder |
| author_facet | Tushna Vandrevala Amy Montague Philip Terry Mark D. Fielder |
| author_sort | Tushna Vandrevala |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The World Health Organization declared the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world to be a global public health emergency. The spread of the disease is influenced by people’s willingness to adopt preventative public health behaviours, such as participation in testing programmes, and risk perception can be an important determinant of engagement in such behaviours. Methods In this study, we present the first assessment during the first wave of the pandemic and the early stages of the first UK lockdown in April & May 2020 of how the UK public (N = 778) perceived the usefulness of testing for coronavirus and the factors that influence a person’s willingness to test for coronavirus. Results None of the key demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, disability, vulnerability status, or professional expertise) were significantly related to the respondents’ willingness to be tested for coronavirus. However, closely following the news media was positively related to willingness to be tested. Knowledge and perceptions about coronavirus significantly predicted willingness to test, with three significantly contributing factors: worry about the health and social impacts to self and family; personal susceptibility; and concerns about the impacts of coronavirus on specific demographic groups. Views on testing for coronavirus predicted willingness to test, with the most influential factors being importance of testing by need; negative views about widespread testing; and mistrust in doctor’s advice about testing. Conclusions Implications for effective risk communication and localised public health approaches to encouraging public to put themselves forward for testing are discussed. We strongly advocate for effective communications and localised intervention by public health authorities, using media outlets to ensure that members of the public get tested for SARs-CoV2 when required. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T16:32:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2118b7b796ef453ebab2bbfbd6284363 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T16:32:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-2118b7b796ef453ebab2bbfbd62843632022-12-22T02:39:32ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582022-03-012211710.1186/s12889-022-12848-zWillingness of the UK public to volunteer for testing in relation to the COVID-19 pandemicTushna Vandrevala0Amy Montague1Philip Terry2Mark D. Fielder3Centre for Applied Health and Social Care Research, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Kingston University and St George’s University of LondonDepartment of Psychology, Kingston University LondonDepartment of Psychology, Kingston University LondonDepartment of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Kingston UniversityAbstract Background The World Health Organization declared the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world to be a global public health emergency. The spread of the disease is influenced by people’s willingness to adopt preventative public health behaviours, such as participation in testing programmes, and risk perception can be an important determinant of engagement in such behaviours. Methods In this study, we present the first assessment during the first wave of the pandemic and the early stages of the first UK lockdown in April & May 2020 of how the UK public (N = 778) perceived the usefulness of testing for coronavirus and the factors that influence a person’s willingness to test for coronavirus. Results None of the key demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, disability, vulnerability status, or professional expertise) were significantly related to the respondents’ willingness to be tested for coronavirus. However, closely following the news media was positively related to willingness to be tested. Knowledge and perceptions about coronavirus significantly predicted willingness to test, with three significantly contributing factors: worry about the health and social impacts to self and family; personal susceptibility; and concerns about the impacts of coronavirus on specific demographic groups. Views on testing for coronavirus predicted willingness to test, with the most influential factors being importance of testing by need; negative views about widespread testing; and mistrust in doctor’s advice about testing. Conclusions Implications for effective risk communication and localised public health approaches to encouraging public to put themselves forward for testing are discussed. We strongly advocate for effective communications and localised intervention by public health authorities, using media outlets to ensure that members of the public get tested for SARs-CoV2 when required.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12848-zCOVID-19TestingRisk perception |
| spellingShingle | Tushna Vandrevala Amy Montague Philip Terry Mark D. Fielder Willingness of the UK public to volunteer for testing in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic BMC Public Health COVID-19 Testing Risk perception |
| title | Willingness of the UK public to volunteer for testing in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Willingness of the UK public to volunteer for testing in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Willingness of the UK public to volunteer for testing in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Willingness of the UK public to volunteer for testing in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Willingness of the UK public to volunteer for testing in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | willingness of the uk public to volunteer for testing in relation to the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 Testing Risk perception |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12848-z |
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