Abstract
The first lines of defense during an epidemic are behavioral interventions, including stay-at-home measures or precautionary health training, aimed at reducing contact and disease transmission. Examining the psychosocial variables that may lead to greater adoption of such precautionary behaviors is critical. The present study examines predictors of precautionary practices against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 709 Mexican participants from 24 states. The study was conducted via online questionnaire between the end of March and the beginning of April 2020, when the pandemic response was in its initial stages in Mexico. The instrument included demographic items, as well as scales assessing COVID-19-resembling symptoms, empathy, impulsivity, anhedonic depression, general health practices, alcohol consumption, and COVID-19-associated precautionary behaviors. Most participants reported adopting limited social distancing or other precautionary behaviors against COVID-19. The results of a structural equation model demonstrated that the presence of COVID-19 symptoms was related to impulsivity and general health behaviors. However, no direct association between precautionary behaviors and the presence of COVID-19 symptoms was found. In turn, precautionary behaviors were more prevalent among participants who reported higher empathy and general health behaviors and were inhibited indirectly by impulsivity via alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the model suggests that anhedonic depression symptoms have a negative indirect effect on precautionary behaviors via general health behaviors. Finally, impulsivity showed a negative direct effect on general health behavior. These results highlight the role that general physical health and mental health play on precautionary behavior and the critical importance of addressing issues such as depression, general health behaviors, and impulsivity in promoting safe actions and the protection of self and others.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the salience of individual behavioral response to external threats such as an acute infectious disease outbreak
Our model suggests that impulsivity will have a direct association with general health behaviors, given the logical causal order establishing that traits affect behavior (Hofmann et al, 2008)
Our model proposes that “impulsivity” and “anhedonia” will have an indirect effect on “precautionary behaviors” and “COVID-19-resembling symptoms” via “general health behaviors.”
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the salience of individual behavioral response to external threats such as an acute infectious disease outbreak. Examining the underpinnings of illness behaviors contributes to burgeoning research into relationships between psychological factors and health actions. A focus on such relationships during the nascent stages of a specific threat like COVID-19 can provide insight into individual action prior to coordinated, official public health response. It has the potential to identify cultural/contextual nuance and contribute to investigatory diversity. This exploratory study probes psychological (empathy, anhedonia, and impulsivity) and behavioral (general health behaviors and alcohol consumption) factors that may influence precautionary behaviors during the initial stages of a pandemic event in a sample of Mexican participants
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