Changing Public Health Behavioural Strategies In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The article discusses social problems, which have arisen in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. At this stage, heads of Governments and international organizations are included in the decision-making process, and implementation of decisions concerns the overwhelming number of citizens of the world community. Some of the decisions are restrictive, and some are forced. The purpose of the paper is to consider the way the change in the social situation affects people's behaviour, life strategies, particularly healthcare, and building relationships with social institutions. The empirical part of the study is based on the data of the author's survey conducted in December 2020 in Khabarovsk (n-227), the data of the sociological research, and the information on the analytical report of the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) and Scientific Studies Research Center (SSRC) "Dissenting Opinion" (April 2021). The paper analyses factors causing changes in the behavioural strategies of population concerning health in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a methodological basis, the paper uses the theory of epidemic transition by Abdel R. Omran, the demographic theory of T. Malthus, and the theory of social trust by Jan Fuhse. The research is based on analytical, statistical, historical, and comparative methods. A search and analysis of publications in the databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Doctors of the Russian Federation were carried out to fulfil the research tasks under the set goal. It has been established that uncertainty and misunderstanding of what is happening cause some people's protest behaviour.