Passengers' self-protective intentions while using ride-hailing services during the COVID-19 pandemic

Area of Science:

• Transport behavior
• Public health
• Health communication

Background:

• Limited research exists on passenger health-protective behavior during health crises like COVID-19.
• Ride-hailing services are prevalent in regions with underdeveloped public transport, necessitating study of their specific contexts.
• Understanding passenger behavior is crucial for public health strategies in shared mobility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a conceptual model of determinants for passengers' self-protective intentions in ride-hailing services.
• To explore the roles of perceived risk, self-efficacy, subjective knowledge, and perceived effectiveness of preventive measures.
• To examine the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between organizational measures and passenger behavior.

Main Methods:

• A conceptual model was developed based on established theories of risk perception and self-efficacy.
• Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze data from 527 ride-hailing users in Vietnam.
• The study investigated direct and indirect impacts of various factors on self-protective intentions.

Main Results:

• Self-efficacy demonstrated the highest total impact on self-protective behavior.
• Subjective knowledge and perceived effectiveness of preventive measures also significantly influenced intentions.
• Self-efficacy fully mediated the effect of ride-hailing organizations' preventive measures on passengers' protective intentions.

Conclusions:

• Self-efficacy is the most critical factor influencing ride-hailing passengers' health-protective behavior.
• Enhancing passengers' knowledge and perceived effectiveness of measures can bolster protective intentions.
• Findings inform public health interventions and transport policies for shared mobility during health emergencies.