Personality Traits, Risk Perception, and Protective Behaviors of Arab Residents
of Qatar During the COVID-19 Pandemic
#MMPMID32837433
Abdelrahman M
Int J Ment Health Addict
2022[]; 20
(1
): 237-248
PMID32837433
show ga
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, people in Qatar-similar to most countries
globally-were instructed by health authorities to adopt protective behaviors to
avoid infection. One of these behaviors is social distancing, which is influenced
by diverse variables. Using data from an online survey with 405 responses, this
study performed multiple regression analysis to explore effects of personality,
risk perception, and personal hygiene practices on social distancing among
residents of Qatar. The results showed that 87.3% of participants reported that
they preferred to stay at home and not go outside unless necessary, 60.3% said
that they maintain an adequate distance when communicating with others, 68.6%
reported that they do not allow relatives and friends to visit them at home,
73.5% believed that COVID-19 is a dangerous disease, and 95.8% reported that they
embrace personal hygiene practices and washing hands. Furthermore, multiple
regression analysis showed that conscientiousness, neuroticism, risk perception,
and personal hygiene practices predicted social distancing, with moderate effect
sizes. Gender differences were also found in social distancing practices,
indicating that women reported higher engagement in social distancing practices
than men. These results highlighted the importance of individual differences in
reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic and provide important information about the
predictors of social distancing practices.
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