Role of Personality Traits in Adherence to COVID 19 Precautions among Outpatient Department Patients in Tertiary Care Dental Hospital in Delhi – A Cross sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Due to the high transmissibility of COVID-19, the government has implemented certain precautionary measures aimed at flattening the curve of infection and limiting the spread of the disease. Personality traits of an individual have been found as one of the main determinants that might affect adherence to preventive personal practices. Aim: This study aimed to assess the role of personality traits in adherence to COVID-19 precautions among the patients attending outpatient department (OPD) in a tertiary care dental hospital in Delhi. Methodology: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 400 participants aged 15–70 years attending the OPD of a public sector tertiary care dental hospital in New Delhi. A convenience sampling technique was utilized to collect the data for 2 months’ period. A self-administered validated questionnaire was used to record demographic variables, COVID-19-related status, personality traits (using 20-item Mini-International Personality Item Pool), and self-reported adherence to COVID-19 precautions. The association between personality traits with precautionary behaviors and demographic factors was analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman correlation. Results: Of the 400 participants, 193 were male and 207 female. Participants belonging to the 20–34 years of age group (44.3%), high income (<99,931 INR, 51.3%), and professionals-semiprofessional’s occupation (9%) were more adherent to COVID-19 precautions. A significant association was found between personality traits with education status (agreeableness, P = 0.017 and imaginative, P = 0.007) and gender (neuroticism, P = 0.03). Regarding the potential influence of Big Five personality traits, only conscientiousness shows a statistically significant association with adherence to COVID-19 precautions (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study concluded that only personality factors such as conscientiousness and demographic variables such as age, income, and occupation are directly associated with greater adherence to COVID-19 precautions.