COVID-19 worries, concerns and mitigation behaviours: A snapshot of Nepal during the first wave

To understand COVID-19 worries and how they influence COVID-19 mitigation behaviours, especially in communities prior to case surges, in Nepal.

Data related to COVID-19 impacts on life disruptions were collected from households in the Chitwan Valley Family Study, a 25-year community panel study, during February-April 2021. COVID-19 worry was measured by the extent of respondent concern for themselves or household members getting COVID-19 in the prior 2 weeks. 11 items examined COVID-19 mitigation behaviours. Logistic regression models assessed associations between socio-demographic characteristics and COVID-19 worry and then the influence of worry on any mitigation behaviour and behaviour type adjusting for age, education, sex, ethnicity and COVID-19 exposure, accounting for neighbourhood clustering.

Of 2,678 households with a responding adult, ages 18-88, 394 (14.7%) reported moderate-to-extreme COVID-19 worry and 1,214 (45.3%) engaged in three or more mitigation behaviours. Prevalence of mitigation behaviours was higher among those with COVID-19 worry (e.g. avoided crowds: 62.7% versus 40.5% in those with minimal worry). Respondents self-reporting COVID-19 had higher odds of worry (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13, 6.57). Odds of any mitigation behaviour were higher among those with COVID-19 worry compared to those with minimal worry (aOR: 6.19, 95% CI = 1.88, 20.35).

COVID-19 mitigation behaviours were more common in people with COVID-19 worry. To address current and potential future waves of the pandemic, public health efforts should include informational campaigns about mitigation behaviours particularly for those unconcerned with COVID-19 risks.