{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T19:19:12Z","timestamp":1790709552797,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,4]],"date-time":"2021-11-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1635984000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,4]],"date-time":"2021-11-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1635984000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sci Rep"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>To slow the spread of infectious disease, it is crucial to understand the engagement of protective behavior among individuals. The purpose of this study was to systematically examine individuals\u2019 protective behaviors and the associated factors across countries during COVID<jats:bold>-<\/jats:bold>19. This causal-comparative study used a self-developed online survey to assess individuals\u2019 level of engagement with six protective behaviors. Analysis of variance and McNemar\u2019s test were employed for data analysis. Three hundred and eighty-four responses were analyzed. The majority of participants lived in three areas: Taiwan, Japan, and North America. Overall, the participants reported a high level of engagement in protective behaviors. However, engagement levels varied according to several demographic variables. Hand hygiene and cleaning\/ventilation are two independent behaviors that differ from almost all other protective behaviors. There is a need to target the population at risk, which demonstrates low compliance. Different strategies are needed to promote specific protective behaviors.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-021-01239-w","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,4]],"date-time":"2021-11-04T11:37:43Z","timestamp":1636025863000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["Factors influencing the protective behavior of individuals during COVID-19: a transnational survey"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8239-6632","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chia-Chun","family":"Tang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hsi","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wei-Wen","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"1239_CR1","unstructured":"WHO. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak situation, https:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/diseases\/novel-coronavirus-2019 (2020)."},{"key":"1239_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1038\/s41597-020-00688-8","volume":"7","author":"J Hasell","year":"2020","unstructured":"Hasell, J. et al. A cross-country database of COVID-19 testing. Sci. Data 7, 7. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41597-020-00688-8 (2020).","journal-title":"Sci. Data"},{"key":"1239_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(20)30120-1","volume":"20","author":"E Dong","year":"2020","unstructured":"Dong, E., Du, H. & Gardner, L. An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time. Lancet. Infect. Dis 20, 2. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S1473-3099(20)30120-1 (2020).","journal-title":"Lancet. Infect. Dis"},{"key":"1239_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"475","DOI":"10.1007\/s10588-016-9238-9","volume":"23","author":"W Zhong","year":"2017","unstructured":"Zhong, W. Simulating influenza pandemic dynamics with public risk communication and individual responsive behavior. Comput. Math. Organ. Theory 23, 475\u2013495 (2017).","journal-title":"Comput. Math. Organ. Theory"},{"key":"1239_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1316","DOI":"10.1111\/irv.12103","volume":"7","author":"R Tooher","year":"2013","unstructured":"Tooher, R., Collins, J. E., Street, J. M., Braunack-Mayer, A. & Marshall, H. Community knowledge, behaviours and attitudes about the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic: A systematic review. Influenza Other Respir. Viruses 7, 1316\u20131327 (2013).","journal-title":"Influenza Other Respir. Viruses"},{"issue":"4","key":"1239_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.32872\/spb.4315","volume":"15","author":"S Dohle","year":"2020","unstructured":"Dohle, S., Wingen, T. & Schreiber, M. Acceptance and adoption of protective measures during the Covid-19 pandemic: The role of trust in politics and trust in science. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 15(4), 1\u201323 (2020).","journal-title":"Soc. Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"1239_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.3390\/epidemiologia1010004","volume":"1","author":"J Khubchandani","year":"2020","unstructured":"Khubchandani, J., Saiki, D. & Kandiah, J. Masks, gloves, and the COVID-19 pandemic: Rapid assessment of public behaviors in the United States. Epidemiologia 1, 16\u201322 (2020).","journal-title":"Epidemiologia"},{"key":"1239_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"823","DOI":"10.3855\/jidc.12851","volume":"14","author":"S ul Haq","year":"2020","unstructured":"ul Haq, S., Shahbaz, P. & Boz, I. Knowledge, behavior and precautionary measures related to COVID-19 pandemic among the general public of Punjab province, Pakistan. J. Infect. Dev. Ctries. 14, 823\u2013835 (2020).","journal-title":"J. Infect. Dev. Ctries."},{"issue":"2","key":"1239_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"679","DOI":"10.1111\/bjhp.12519","volume":"26","author":"F J\u00f8rgensen","year":"2021","unstructured":"J\u00f8rgensen, F., Bor, A. & Petersen, M. B. Compliance without fear: Individual-level protective behavior during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Br. J. Health Psychol. 26(2), 679\u2013696 (2021).","journal-title":"Br. J. Health Psychol."},{"key":"1239_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2015821","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2020.15821","volume":"3","author":"F Pagnini","year":"2020","unstructured":"Pagnini, F. et al. Knowledge, concerns, and behaviors of individuals during the first week of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Italy. JAMA Netw. Open 3, e2015821 (2020).","journal-title":"JAMA Netw. Open"},{"key":"1239_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Abdelrahman, M. Personality traits, risk perception, and protective behaviors of Arab residents of Qatar during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int. J. Ment. Health Addict. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11469-020-00352-7 1\u201312 (2020).","DOI":"10.1007\/s11469-020-00352-7"},{"key":"1239_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0238830","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0238830","volume":"15","author":"NPT Nguyen","year":"2020","unstructured":"Nguyen, N. P. T. et al. Preventive behavior of Vietnamese people in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS ONE 15, e0238830 (2020).","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"1239_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01350183","volume":"15","author":"JP Krick","year":"1990","unstructured":"Krick, J. P. & Sobal, J. Relationships between health protective behaviors. J. Community Health 15, 19\u201334 (1990).","journal-title":"J. Community Health"},{"key":"1239_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"613","DOI":"10.1177\/001316447303300309","volume":"33","author":"JL Fleiss","year":"1973","unstructured":"Fleiss, J. L. & Cohen, J. The equivalence of weighted kappa and the intraclass correlation coefficient as measures of reliability. Educ. Psychol. Meas. 33, 613\u2013619 (1973).","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol. Meas."},{"key":"1239_CR15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"691","DOI":"10.1007\/s00148-020-00818-x","volume":"34","author":"NW Papageorge","year":"2021","unstructured":"Papageorge, N. W. et al. Socio-demographic factors associated with self-protecting behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. J. Popul. Econ. 34, 691\u2013738 (2021).","journal-title":"J. Popul. Econ."},{"issue":"9","key":"1239_CR16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"200742","DOI":"10.1098\/rsos.200742","volume":"7","author":"T Wise","year":"2020","unstructured":"Wise, T., Zbozinek, T. D., Michelini, G. & Hagan, C. C. Changes in risk perception and protective behavior during the first week of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. R. Soc. Open Sci. 7(9), 200742 (2020).","journal-title":"R. Soc. Open Sci."},{"key":"1239_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cegh.2020.06.009","volume":"9","author":"R Jose","year":"2021","unstructured":"Jose, R. et al. Public perception and preparedness for the pandemic COVID 19: A health belief model approach. Clin. Epidemiol. Glob. Health 9, 41\u201346 (2021).","journal-title":"Clin. Epidemiol. Glob. Health"},{"key":"1239_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0236917","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0236917","volume":"15","author":"K Meier","year":"2020","unstructured":"Meier, K. et al. Public perspectives on protective measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy: A survey study. PLoS ONE 15, e0236917 (2020).","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"1239_CR19","unstructured":"Abbasi, K. (British Medical Journal Publishing Group, 2020)."},{"key":"1239_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0122970","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0122970","volume":"10","author":"Y-C Chuang","year":"2015","unstructured":"Chuang, Y.-C., Huang, Y.-L., Tseng, K.-C., Yen, C.-H. & Yang, L.-H. Social capital and health-protective behavior intentions in an influenza pandemic. PLoS ONE 10, e0122970 (2015).","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"1239_CR21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-020-19478-2","volume":"11","author":"GJ Griffith","year":"2020","unstructured":"Griffith, G. J. et al. Collider bias undermines our understanding of COVID-19 disease risk and severity. Nat. Commun. 11, 1\u201312 (2020).","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"1239_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"567","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2020.572561","volume":"8","author":"D L\u00fcdecke","year":"2020","unstructured":"L\u00fcdecke, D. & von dem Knesebeck, O. Protective behavior in course of the COVID-19 outbreak\u2014Survey results from Germany. Front. Public Health 8, 567 (2020).","journal-title":"Front. Public Health"},{"key":"1239_CR23","unstructured":"Brewer, E. W. & Kubn, J. In Encyclopedia of Research Design (ed Salkind, N. J.) (2010)."},{"key":"1239_CR24","unstructured":"Taiwan_CDC. (ed Centers for Disease Control) (Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, 2020)."},{"key":"1239_CR25","unstructured":"CDC, U. S. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Protect Yourself, https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/prevent-getting-sick\/prevention.html (2020)."},{"key":"1239_CR26","unstructured":"ECDC. Guidelines for the use of non-pharmaceutical measures to delay and mitigate the impact of 2019-nCoV, https:\/\/www.ecdc.europa.eu\/en\/publications-data\/guidelines-use-non-pharmaceutical-measures-delay-and-mitigate-impact-2019-ncov (2020)."}],"container-title":["Scientific Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-021-01239-w.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-021-01239-w","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-021-01239-w.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,3]],"date-time":"2022-12-03T16:58:16Z","timestamp":1670086696000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-021-01239-w"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,4]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,12]]}},"alternative-id":["1239"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-021-01239-w","relation":{},"ISSN":["2045-2322"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2045-2322","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,4]]},"assertion":[{"value":"12 July 2021","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"26 October 2021","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"4 November 2021","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"21654"}}