Luck perception is associated with less frequent preventive practices and a higher number of social contacts among adults during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Hidano, Arata, Page, Bethan, Rudge, James W. and Enticott, Gareth ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5510-9597 2022. Luck perception is associated with less frequent preventive practices and a higher number of social contacts among adults during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Public Health in Practice 4 , 100325. 10.1016/j.puhip.2022.100325

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Abstract

Objectives Non-pharmaceutical interventions have been crucial to reduce transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in many countries including the United Kingdom. A key research priority has been to better understand psychological and social determinants of health behaviours. We aimed to quantify the impact of luck perception on contact and preventive behaviours among adults in the UK, adjusting for key confounders. Study design A cross-sectional study. Methods Data were collected between the 28th July and the 31st August 2020. Luck perception, which refers to a belief whether individual's SARS-CoV-2 infection status is determined by fate or chance, was measured using Chance score, drawing on Health Locus of Control Theory. Self-reporting online questionnaires were administered to obtain participants' contact patterns and frequencies of avoiding crowds, washed hands and wore a mask. Associations between luck perception and protective behaviours and contact patterns were quantified using regression models. Results Data from 233 survey respondents were analysed. Chance score was negatively associated with all protective behaviours; avoiding crowds (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25–0.86, p = 0.02), washing hands (aOR 0.35, 95%CI 0.17–0.70, p = 0.003), and wearing masks (aOR 0.58, 95%CI 0.34–0.99, p = 0.046). For non-physical contacts (with or without distancing), a significant interaction was identified between Chance score and ethnicity. Chance score increased the number of non-physical contacts among white British, an opposite trend was observed for non-white participants. Conclusions Luck perception during the pandemic may affect individuals’ health protection behaviours and contact patterns. Further mechanistic understandings of human behaviours against infectious diseases are indispensable for effective response to future pandemics.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Geography and Planning (GEOPL)
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/, Start Date: 2022-10-04
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	2666-5352
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	12 October 2022
Date of Acceptance:	4 October 2022
Last Modified:	04 May 2023 07:09
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/153340

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