Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

October 8, 2020

Barriers and Facilitators of Adherence to Social Distancing Recommendations during COVID-19 among a Large International Sample of Adults

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  • A cross-sectional survey conducted among a convenience sample of 2013 North American and European adults between March and April 2020 found that the most common motivations for practicing social distancing included wanting to protect others (86%), self-protection (84%), and feeling a sense of responsibility to protect the community (86%). The most common barriers to social distancing included having many people walking in the area (31%), having friends or family members for whom the participant completed errands (25%), not trusting government messages about the pandemic, (13%), and feeling stressed when alone or in isolation (13%). Men and youth (18–24 years) reported lower adherence to social distancing than women and older individuals.

Coroiu et al. (Oct 7, 2020). Barriers and Facilitators of Adherence to Social Distancing Recommendations during COVID-19 among a Large International Sample of Adults. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239795