Table 2 Trends over time in risk perception, anxiety and behavioural responses
Survey 1 30 April-4 May (n = 456) | Survey 2 15-19 June (n = 478) | P-value† survey 1 vs. 2 | Survey 3.1 follow-upτ 11-20 August (n = 456) | P-value‡ survey 1 vs. 3.1 | Survey 3.2 follow-upπ 11-20 August (n = 478) | P-value‡ survey 2 vs. 3.2 | Time trend | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-2 | 2-3 | ||||||||
Knowledge | |||||||||
1. The new flu is caused by a new influenza virus (correct) | 74% | 79% | ns | 84% | < 0.001 | 86% | < 0.001 | ns | + |
2. A vaccine is available against the new flu (incorrect)§ | 50% | 47% | ns | 37% | < 0.001 | 36% | < 0.001 | ns | — |
3. The new flu can be transmitted by human-to-human contact (correct) | 97% | 98% | ns | 98% | ns | 99% | ns | ns | ns |
4. People died from the new flu (correct) | 97% | 97% | ns | 99% | 0.03 | 99% | ns | ns | ns |
5. The new flu can be transmitted through eating pork (incorrect) | 91% | 90% | ns | 95% | 0.004 | 94% | 0.01 | ns | + |
6. Symptoms of the new flu are visible (incorrect) | 81% | 81% | ns | 90% | < 0.001 | 87% | < 0.001 | ns | + |
7. A flu pandemic occurs once in 10-50 years (correct) | - | 56% | - | 50% | - | 60% | ns | ns | |
Summary score (4 or more correctly answered) | 88% | 92% | 0.02 | 96% | < 0.001 | 95% | 0.05 | + | + |
Perceived severity (scale 1-5) | |||||||||
1. Severity of the new flu (score 4-5, severe-very severe) | 80% | 67% | < 0.001 | 43% | < 0.001 | 39% | < 0.001 | — | — |
2. Severity of getting the new flu coming year (score 4-5, severe-very severe) | 70% | 61% | 0.002 | 39% | < 0.001 | 39% | < 0.001 | — | — |
3. The new flu is very harmful for my health (score 4-5, mostly-totally agree) | - | 49% | - | 31% | - | 27% | < 0.001 | — | |
Summary score items 1-2 (high) - Chronbach alpha 0.8 | 64% | 53% | < 0.001 | 29% | < 0.001 | 29% | < 0.001 | — | — |
Perceived vulnerability (scale 1-5) | |||||||||
1. Perceived susceptibility (score 4-5, quite-very susceptible) | 18% | 22% | ns | 26% | 0.02 | 30% | 0.003 | ns | + |
2. Perceived chance of getting infected next year (score 4-5, likely-very likely) | 5% | 5% | ns | 15% | < 0.001 | 15% | < 0.001 | ns | + |
3. Perceived chance of getting infected compared to others (score 4-5, more-much more) | 6% | 6% | ns | 9% | ns | 12% | < 0.001 | ns | + |
Summary score (high) - Chronbach alpha 0.6 | 15% | 16% | ns | 29% | < 0.001 | 31% | < 0.001 | ns | + |
Perceived anxiety (scale 1-5) | |||||||||
1. Worried about the new flu (score 4-5, worried-very worried) | 36% | 19% | < 0.001 | 16% | < 0.001 | 14% | 0.02 | — | — |
2. Fear for the new flu (score 4-5, scared-very scared) | 16% | 8% | < 0.001 | 6% | < 0.001 | 4% | 0.009 | — | — |
3. Thinking about the new flu (score 4-5, often-very often) | 27% | 9% | < 0.001 | 12% | < 0.001 | 15% | 0.003 | — | + |
Summary score (high) - Chronbach alpha 0.8 | 61% | 40% | < 0.001 | 39% | < 0.001 | 36% | ns | — | ns |
Perceived efficacy (scale 1-5; certainly not-certainly) | |||||||||
1. Keep away from crowded places (score 4-5) | 55% | 47% | 0.01 | 58% | ns | 54% | 0.01 | — | + |
2. Practice better hygiene (score 4-5) | 80% | 75% | ns | 89% | < 0.001 | 89% | < 0.001 | ns | + |
3. Avoid regions/persons¥ with new flu (score 4-5) | 82% | 73% | 0.001 | 74% | 0.002 | 73% | ns | — | ns |
4. Wear face mask (score 4-5) | 34% | 31% | ns | 22% | < 0.001 | 25% | 0.009 | ns | — |
5. Seek medical advice with the onset of flu symptoms (score 4-5) | 78% | 72% | 0.03 | 70% | < 0.001 | 66% | 0.03 | — | — |
6. Take antiviral medication (score 4-5) | 37% | 46% | 0.005 | 40% | ns | 39% | 0.01 | + | — |
7. Stay home from school or work (score 4-5) | 18% | 21% | ns | 33% | < 0.001 | 31% | < 0.001 | ns | + |
8. Get a new vaccine against the new flu (score 4-5) | - | 54% | - | 49% | - | 53% | ns | ns | |
Summary score items 1-7 (high) - Chronbach alpha 0.7 | 50% | 38% | < 0.001 | 50% | ns | 50% | < 0.001 | — | + |
Perceived self-efficacy* (scale 1-5; certainly not-certainly) | |||||||||
1. Keep away from crowded places (score 4-5) | 67% | 61% | ns | 56% | < 0.001 | 50% | < 0.001 | ns | — |
2. Practice better hygiene (score 4-5) | 91% | 88% | ns | 89% | ns | 88% | ns | ns | ns |
3. Avoid regions/persons¥ with new flu (score 4-5) | 89% | 78% | < 0.001 | 64% | < 0.001 | 66% | < 0.001 | — | — |
4. Wear face mask (score 4-5) | 71% | 60% | < 0.001 | 50% | < 0.001 | 47% | < 0.001 | — | — |
5. Seek medical advice with the onset of flu symptoms (score 4-5) | 91% | 87% | 0.05 | 87% | 0.02 | 86% | ns | — | ns |
6. Take antiviral medication (score 4-5) | 80% | 80% | ns | 71% | 0.001 | 70% | < 0.001 | ns | — |
7. Stay home from school or work (score 4-5) | 56% | 50% | ns | 52% | ns | 50% | ns | ns | ns |
8. Get a new vaccine against the new flu (score 4-5) | - | 79% | - | 69% | - | 70% | < 0.001 | — | |
Summary score items 1-7 (high) - Chronbach alpha 0.9 | 55% | 43% | < 0.001 | 38% | < 0.001 | 35% | 0.001 | — | — |
Intention* (scale 1-5; certainly not-certainly) | |||||||||
1. Keep away from crowded places (score 4-5) | 76% | 66% | 0.001 | 62% | < 0.001 | 59% | 0.001 | — | — |
2. Practice better hygiene (score 4-5) | 93% | 89% | ns | 91% | ns | 89% | ns | ns | ns |
3. Avoid regions/persons¥ with new flu (score 4-5) | 89% | 81% | 0.001 | 71% | < 0.001 | 72% | < 0.001 | — | — |
4. Wear face mask (score 4-5) | 70% | 57% | < 0.001 | 46% | < 0.001 | 44% | < 0.001 | — | — |
5. Seek medical advice with the onset of flu symptoms (score 4-5) | 91% | 89% | ns | 84% | < 0.001 | 84% | 0.01 | ns | — |
6. Take antiviral medication (score 4-5) | 82% | 76% | 0.02 | 66% | < 0.001 | 65% | < 0.001 | — | — |
7. Stay home from school or work (score 4-5) | 61% | 53% | 0.01 | 56% | ns | 50% | ns | — | ns |
8. Get a new vaccine against the new flu§ (score 4-5) | - | 77% | - | 67% | - | 63% | 0.001 | — | |
Summary score items 1-7 (high) - Chronbach alpha 0.9 | 60% | 48% | < 0.001 | 41% | < 0.001 | 41% | 0.006 | — | — |
Maladaptive response (scale 1-5; totally disagree-totally agree) | |||||||||
The threat is exaggerated by media and government (score 4-5) | - | 35% | - | 56% | - | 58% | < 0.001 | + | |
It will not be as bad as predicted (score 4-5) | - | 28% | - | 49% | - | 49% | < 0.001 | + | |
Summary score - underestimation statements (high) - Chronbach alpha 0.6 | - | 20% | - | 40% | - | 42% | < 0.001 | + | |
There is nothing we can do about it (score 4-5) | - | 5% | - | 14% | - | 16% | < 0.001 | + | |
We will all be completely powerless (score 4-5) | - | 7% | - | 14% | - | 14% | < 0.001 | + | |
We will just have to accept it (score 4-5) | - | 24% | - | 43% | - | 47% | < 0.001 | + | |
Summary score - fatalism statements (score 4-5) - Chronbach alpha 0.6 | - | 26% | - | 48% | - | 44% | < 0.001 | + | |
I will move to a place without influenza (score 4-5) | - | 2% | - | 1% | - | 0% | 0.04 | — | |
I will stock up and stay indoors (score 4-5) | - | 3% | - | 2% | - | 4% | ns | ns | |
Summary score - avoidance statements (high) - Chronbach alpha 0.7 | - | 52% | - | 39% | - | 38% | < 0.001 | — | |
Information (scale 1-5) | |||||||||
Amount of information received (score 4-5, much-very much) | 52% | 37% | < 0.001 | 53% | ns | 48% | < 0.001 | — | + |
Attention paid to information received (score 4-5, much-very much) | 30% | 21% | 0.002 | 21% | < 0.001 | 23% | ns | — | ns |
Is information of the government reliable? (score 4-5, reliable-very reliable) | 62% | 53% | 0.004 | 48% | < 0.001 | 45% | 0.002 | — | — |
Is information of the government sufficient? (score 4-5, sufficient-very sufficient) | 58% | 42% | < 0.001 | 52% | 0.02 | 47% | ns | — | ns |
Measures taken | |||||||||
Practiced better hygiene | 8% | 12% | ns | 36% | < 0.001 | 36% | < 0.001 | ns | + |
Avoided persons with influenza-like symptoms | - | 4% | - | 10% | - | 9% | < 0.001 | + | |
Avoided crowded places | 3% | 3% | ns | 7% | 0.003 | 8% | < 0.001 | ns | + |
Cancelled or did not book a holiday to areas with the new flu | 0.2% | 0.4% | ns | 0.9% | ns | 1% | ns | ns | ns |
Bought face mask | 0.4% | 1% | ns | 0.7% | ns | 2% | ns | ns | ns |
Bought antiviral medication | 0.2% | 0.4% | ns | 0.4% | ns | 2% | ns | ns | ns |
Something else | 1% | 2% | ns | 2% | ns | 1% | ns | ns | ns |
Summary score (any measures taken) | 11% | 14% | ns | 40% | < 0.001 | 38% | < 0.001 | ns | + |