{"title":"Compliance with COVID-19 Physical Distancing Mandates in Oman: The Role of Health Literacy and Internal Health Locus of Control.","authors":"Amna Alabri","doi":"10.3928/24748307-20240424-01","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research indicates that the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) physical distancing mandates is influenced by several individual factors, including health literacy; internal health locus of control (IHLOC), the belief that physical distancing can reduce COVID-19 risk; social norms; self-efficacy; and perceptions of the benefits and barriers associated with distancing. However, further investigation is needed to understand the links between these factors and compliance intentions.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study investigates the mechanism linking these factors with the intentions to comply with physical distancing mandates.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 759 participants (Mean age = 29.13, standard deviation [<i>SD</i>] = 8.33; 68.5% women) were surveyed online from September 2020 to October 2020. Data were analyzed using ANOVA (analysis of variance) and structural equation modeling.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Health literacy was associated with more perceived benefits (<i>β</i> = .175, <i>p</i> = .001), greater self-efficacy (<i>β</i> = .193, <i>p</i> < .001), and less perceived barriers (β = -.391, <i>p</i> < .001). IHLOC was significantly associated with greater perceived benefits (<i>β</i> = .156, <i>p</i> = .007) and self-efficacy (<i>β</i> = .294, <i>p</i> < .001). Family descriptive norms were significantly associated with fewer perceived barriers (β = -.276, <i>p</i> < .001), while injunctive norms were associated with more perceived benefits (<i>β</i> = .202, <i>p</i> = .001) and higher self-efficacy (<i>β</i> = .299, <i>p</i> < .001). Intentions to adhere to physical distancing mandates were significantly associated with past compliance (<i>β</i> = .427, <i>p</i> < .001) and perceived barriers (β = -.205, <i>p</i> < .001) and benefits (<i>β</i> = .295, <i>p</i> < .001). Post-hoc mediation analyses revealed several small yet significant indirect effects, highlighting the complex pathways shaping adherence intentions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study identifies how health literacy, IHLOC, social norms, perceived benefits and barriers, and self-efficacy intricately shape intentions to comply with physical distancing mandates. These findings offer valuable implications for public health policy and interventions. [<b><i>HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice</i>. 2024;8(2):e69-e78.</b>].</p>","PeriodicalId":36651,"journal":{"name":"Health literacy research and practice","volume":"8 2","pages":"e69-e78"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11075997/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Health literacy research and practice","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3928/24748307-20240424-01","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/5/6 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Research indicates that the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) physical distancing mandates is influenced by several individual factors, including health literacy; internal health locus of control (IHLOC), the belief that physical distancing can reduce COVID-19 risk; social norms; self-efficacy; and perceptions of the benefits and barriers associated with distancing. However, further investigation is needed to understand the links between these factors and compliance intentions.
Objective: This study investigates the mechanism linking these factors with the intentions to comply with physical distancing mandates.
Methods: A total of 759 participants (Mean age = 29.13, standard deviation [SD] = 8.33; 68.5% women) were surveyed online from September 2020 to October 2020. Data were analyzed using ANOVA (analysis of variance) and structural equation modeling.
Key results: Health literacy was associated with more perceived benefits (β = .175, p = .001), greater self-efficacy (β = .193, p < .001), and less perceived barriers (β = -.391, p < .001). IHLOC was significantly associated with greater perceived benefits (β = .156, p = .007) and self-efficacy (β = .294, p < .001). Family descriptive norms were significantly associated with fewer perceived barriers (β = -.276, p < .001), while injunctive norms were associated with more perceived benefits (β = .202, p = .001) and higher self-efficacy (β = .299, p < .001). Intentions to adhere to physical distancing mandates were significantly associated with past compliance (β = .427, p < .001) and perceived barriers (β = -.205, p < .001) and benefits (β = .295, p < .001). Post-hoc mediation analyses revealed several small yet significant indirect effects, highlighting the complex pathways shaping adherence intentions.
Conclusions: This study identifies how health literacy, IHLOC, social norms, perceived benefits and barriers, and self-efficacy intricately shape intentions to comply with physical distancing mandates. These findings offer valuable implications for public health policy and interventions. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2024;8(2):e69-e78.].
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