The Social Distance Scale (v1): A Screening Instrument to Assess Patient Adherence to Prevention Strategies during Pandemics.

Michaela Prachthauser,Thien-An Le,Jeffrey E Cassisi,Andel V Nicasio

doi:10.3390/ijerph17218158

Abstract

Background: This paper describes the development of a brief self-report screening measure of adherence to social distancing and self-protective behaviors in pandemic situations. Items measured behaviors currently established as primary strategies to prevent and reduce the spread of the COVID-19 infection. Methods: An item pool of 29 questions was generated with the aim of estimating the frequency of specific behaviors and were written to avoid confounding the description of behavioral actions with evaluative judgements. Responses were collected from 401 young adults using an anonymous online survey. Results: An Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted with the purpose of item reduction and subscale development. A 14-item Social Distance Scale emerged, consisting of four subscales: Isolation from Community (IC), Work from Home (WH), Family Contact (FC), and Protective Behaviors (PB). The initial psychometric evaluation of the scales indicated adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. (4) Conclusions: The Social Distance Scale (v1) is a promising new instrument which may be applied at the population or individual level. It may be used in conjunction with COVID-19 testing to measure interactions between social distancing factors and transmission. In addition, a reliable screening measure has utility for health service providers to assess patient risk and to provide educational/counseling.

Highlights

Evidence suggests that COVID-19 is transmitted efficiently and sustainably in the general population [1]
During March and April of 2020, the authors generated an item pool of 29 questions which asked about various social distancing and self-protective behaviors
The goal of this paper is to describe the development of a brief self-report screening measure of adherence to social distancing and self-protective behaviors in pandemic situations

Summary

Introduction

Evidence suggests that COVID-19 is transmitted efficiently and sustainably in the general population [1]. Most countries impacted by COVID-19 have implemented preventative measures, such as social distancing to contain and inhibit the rate of transmission and prevent overextension of the health care system. To further minimize the spread of respiratory droplets, the CDC recommends that, at an individual level, social distancing should be paired with other protective behaviors such as mask wearing, hand washing, avoiding large gatherings, and substituting physical social events with virtual forms of communication [4]. This paper describes the development of a brief self-report screening measure of adherence to social distancing and self-protective behaviors in pandemic situations. Items measured behaviors currently established as primary strategies to prevent and reduce the spread of the COVID-19 infection. A 14-item Social Distance Scale emerged, consisting of four subscales: Isolation from Community (IC), Work from Home (WH), Family Contact (FC), and Protective Behaviors (PB). The initial psychometric evaluation of the scales indicated adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. (4) Conclusions: The Social Distance Scale (v1)

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Discussion

Conclusion