Measuring the missing: Knowledge, risk perceptions and self-protection practices of COVID-19 among the Asian population in New Zealand: An online survey

Liu, Liangni Sally; Jia, Xiaoyun; Zhu, Andrew; Ran, Guanyu Jason; Johnston, David; Siegert, Richard; Gong, Yuan; French, Nigel; Lu, Jun

Abstract

Aim
Asians are the second largest and fastest growing non-European population in New Zealand but are under-researched in terms of their COVID-19 pandemic response. The paper aims to illustrates Asians’ risk perceptions and knowledge of COVID-19, and self-protection practices to avoid infection and prevent community transmission.

Subject and methods
An online survey was used to collect data and received 402 valid responses. Data analyses included: 1) a descriptive analysis by using Chi-square tests and a Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests to explore associations between responses and the four demographic variables (i.e. age, gender, country of origin/ethnicity, and region); and 2) a correlation analysis between different survey objectives.

Results
The descriptive analysis of the survey found that while ethnicity (within the Asian category) was the most influential variable that resulted in varying responses to many questions, gender and age were other two important variables in influencing the answering patterns. The correlation analysis found a positive correlation between the perceived ‘dangerousness’ of COVID-19 and respondents’ overall compliance behaviour to New Zealand authorities’ recommendations to prevent spread of COVID-19.

Conclusion
The majority of the respondents provided correct answers to the questions about the vulnerable populations, symptoms, asymptomatic transmission and potential sequelae of COVID-19; however, their understanding of the availability of a cure for, and the incubation period of COVID-19 was not consistent with the official information. The research also found that the higher perceived dangerousness of COVID-19, the better compliance to self-protection practices among the surveyed population.

Citation

Liu, L. S., Jia, X., Zhu, A., Ran, G. J., Johnston, D., Siegert, R., …Lu, J. (in press). Measuring the missing: Knowledge, risk perceptions and self-protection practices of COVID-19 among the Asian population in New Zealand: An online survey. Journal of Public Health, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-023-01926-0

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 28, 2023
• Online Publication Date: May 18, 2023
• Deposit Date: May 19, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: May 19, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Public Health
• Print ISSN: 1741-3842
• Electronic ISSN: 1613-2238
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-023-01926-0
• Keywords: Risk perceptions, self-protection practices, COVID-19 pandemic, Asians, New Zealand