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Table 4 Factors associated with avoidance behaviors.

From: Avoidance behaviors and negative psychological responses in the general population in the initial stage of the H1N1 pandemic in Hong Kong

 

Avoided visiting crowded places

Avoided going out

Avoided visiting hospitals

 

Row %

ORU

ORm(95% CI)

Row %

ORU

ORm(95% CI)

Row %

ORU

ORm(95% CI)

Wave of survey

         

   Wave 1

57.5

1.00

NS

47.8

1.00

NS

67.2

1.00

NS

   Wave 2

56.5

0.96

 

43.5

0.84

 

57.7

0.67*

 

   Wave 3

48.0

0.68*

 

35.9

0.61**

 

59.7

0.72*

 

Background characteristics

         

Gender

         

   Male

48.5

1.00

1

37.4

1.00

1

59.2

1.00

NS

   Female

59.8

1.58***

1.51 (1.15 - 1.98)**

49.0

1.61***

1.42 (1.07 - 1.89)*

66.7

1.38*

 

Age

         

   <30

38.0

1.00

1

28.8

1.00

1

-

-

-

   30 - 39

53.7

1.89**

1.81 (1.22 - 2.69)**

44.8

2.00***

2.17 (1.41 - 3.33)***

-

-

 

   40 - 49

55.9

2.07***

2.14 (1.48 - 3.10)***

42.8

1.85**

2.09 (1.41 - 3.11)***

-

-

 

   50 - 60

70.0

3.81***

3.90 (2.67 - 5.70)***

58.3

3.46***

3.66 (2.49 - 5.38)***

-

-

 

Education level

         

   Form 3 or below

69.6

1.00

NS

57.6

1.00

NS

-

-

-

   Form 4 - matriculation

54.5

0.53**

 

44.8

0.60**

 

-

-

 

   College or above

47.7

0.40***

 

35.7

0.41***

 

-

-

 

Marital status

         

   Single

40.8

1.00

NS

31.3

1.00

NS

56.8

1.00

1

   Married/cohabited

62.2

2.39***

 

50.5

2.24***

 

67.2

1.56**

1.47 (1.11 - 1.95)**

   Divorced/widowed

46.7

1.27

 

33.3

1.10

 

53.3

0.87

0.79 (0.28 - 2.29)

Full-time employed

         

   No

-

-

-

50.2

1.00

1

-

-

-

   Yes

-

-

 

38.8

0.63***

0.72 (0.53 - 0.97)*

-

-

 

Unconfirmed beliefs and knowledge about modes of transmission of H1N1

         

Unconfirmed beliefs about modes of transmission †

         

   None

46.8

1.00

1

34.5

1.00

1

55.8

1.00

1

   At least one item

60.0

1.70***

1.67 (1.27 - 2.21)***

49.9

1.89***

1.88 (1.41 - 2.51)***

68.2

1.70***

1.56 (1.18 - 2.05)**

Correct knowledge about modes of transmission ‡

         

   Not all items being correct

48.2

1.00

1

37.9

1.00

1

59.2

1.00

NS

   All items being correct

59.2

1.56**

1.42 (1.08 - 1.87)*

47.9

1.51**

1.43 (1.08 - 1.88)*

66.3

1.35*

 

Evaluation of governmental preparedness and performance in dealing with H1N1

         

Inadequacy of government preparation (health system) §

         

   None

-

-

-

40.5

1.00

NS

-

-

-

   At least one of the three items

-

-

 

47.3

1.32*

 

-

-

 

Perceived governmental ability of controlling the epidemic ¶

         

   None

-

-

-

29.9

1.00

NS

-

-

-

   At least one of the two items

-

-

 

45.2

1.94*

 

-

-

 

Governmental performance in dealing with H1N1 (average score of 6 items) #

         

   ≤5

49.5

1.00

NS

37.1

1.00

NS

58.1

1.00

NS

   >5 - 8

53.0

1.15

 

42.8

1.27

 

62.3

1.19

 

   >8

64.1

1.82*

 

51.0

1.76*

 

69.5

1.65*

 

   Risk perception

         

   Perceived severity of H1N1

         

   High fatality

         

   Disagree/unsure

52.4

1.00

NS

41.8

1.00

NS

61.6

1.00

NS

   Agree

64.4

1.64**

 

52.4

1.53**

 

70.4

1.48*

 

   Severe irreversible bodily damages

         

   Disagree/unsure

52.8

1.00

NS

40.9

1.00

1

60.6

1.00

1

   Agree

63.8

1.58**

 

57.1

1.93***

1.54 (1.09 - 2.18)*

75.7

2.02***

1.81 (1.24 - 2.63)**

   Perceived chance of having a large scale H1N1 outbreak in Hong Kong in the future year, compared to other countries

         

   Hong Kong = other countries

-

-

-

40.4

1

NS

-

-

-

   Hong Kong > other countries

-

-

 

44.3

1.18

 

-

-

 

   Hong Kong < other countries

-

-

 

47.2

1.32*

 

-

-

 

   Negative psychological responses

         

   Worry much that oneself or family member would contract the disease

         

   No

52.1

1.00

1

41.5

1.00

NS

61.0

1.00

1

   Yes

69.6

2.10***

1.62 (1.07 - 2.47)*

57.5

1.89***

 

76.6

2.10***

1.74 (1.16 - 2.61)**

   Emotional distress (Feeling much in panic or much depressed or much emotionally disturbed)

         

   No

53.0

1.00

1

42.4

1.00

1

62.5

1.00

NS

   Yes

81.7

3.94***

3.04 (1.42 - 6.48)**

66.1

2.65**

2.61 (1.42 - 4.79)**

76.7

1.97*

 
  1. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; ORU: univariate odds ratio obtained using logistic regression; ORm: odds ratio obtained from stepwise multivariate logistics regression analysis using univariately significant variables as candidate variables; NS: not statistically significant in multivariate analysis.
  2. † Unconfirmed beliefs about modes of transmission was assessed by 4 items: the disease could be airborne across a long distance (e.g. from one building to another one); transmitted via water sources (e.g. reservoirs); transmitted via insect bites; transmitted via well-cooked pork.
  3. ‡ Correct knowledge about modes of transmission was assessed by 3 items: the disease could be transmitted via droplets (e.g. sneeze); could be transmitted via touching body of infected person; could be transmitted via touching contaminated objects.
  4. § Inadequacy of government preparation (health system) was assessed by 3 items: local health system do not have enough medication for treating H1N1; local health system do not have enough vaccine for preventing H1N1; hospitals in Hong Kong do not have enough personal protection equipments for preventing H1N1.
  5. ¶ Perceived governmental ability of controlling the epidemic was assessed by 2 items: Hong Kong will be able to control the H1N1 epidemic; Hong Kong government is able to control a large-scale H1N1 outbreak.
  6. # Governmental performance was assessed by 6 items: Timeliness of measures; effectiveness of implemented measures; clear explanations made to citizens; adequacy of implemented measures; coordination across governmental departments; overall performance of the government. (Score range = 0 to 10, with 5 as the passing mark). An average score was calculated for the 6 item scores.
  7. Variables that were not significantly associated with any of the dependent variables in the univariate analysis were not tabulated. These variables include being current health care practitioner, perceived availability of drugs, perceived high chances of contracting the disease for himself/herself, his/her family members and the general public.
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BMC Infectious Diseases

ISSN: 1471-2334

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