Association between precautionary behaviors against coronavirus disease and psychosocial factors in outpatients with a pre‐existing disease and their attendants

Abstract

Abstract Aim The spread of the novel coronavirus infection (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID‐19]) has caused behavioral changes and mental illness in patients and their attendants during its early phase. The present study aimed to examine the association between precautionary behaviors against COVID‐19 and psychosocial factors in outpatients with pre‐existing disease and their attendants. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional paper‐based questionnaire survey in Chiba University Hospital on 1019 patients and 513 attendants, and a web‐based questionnaire survey in Japan on 3981 individuals from the general population. We evaluated the participants' anxiety about COVID‐19, depression, health anxiety, and precautionary behaviors. Results Regarding knowledge and anxiety about COVID‐19, the protective factors for the high precautionary behaviors group were knowledge of COVID‐19 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.178, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.099–1.263), anxiety about the spread of COVID‐19 (OR = 1.348, 95% CI: 1.243–1.461), and anxiety about infecting someone with COVID‐19 (OR = 1.135, 95% CI: 1.039–0.239). Regarding psychosocial factors, the protective factors for the high precautionary behaviors group were patients (OR = 1.759, 95% CI: 1.056–2.929), their attendants (OR = 3.892, 95% CI: 1.416–10.700), health anxiety (OR = 2.005, 95% CI: 1.451–2.772), and nondepression states (OR = 1.368, 95% CI: 1.004–1.864). Conclusion Our findings suggest that patients and their attendants may perform high precautionary behaviors. Health anxiety and nondepression states may be associated with high precautionary behaviors.