Bouncing back from COVID-19: a Western Australian community perspective

Area of Science:

• Behavioral science
• Public health
• Psychology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread lockdowns, significantly altering daily life and behaviors.
• Understanding behavioral changes during and after lockdowns is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore behavioral profiles of Western Australians during a COVID-19 lockdown.
• To identify transitions in behavior after the lockdown period ended.

Main Methods:

• Latent transition analysis (LTA) was used to identify behavioral profiles and transitions in 313 participants.
• Retrospective recall assessed behaviors during lockdown, with comparisons to post-lockdown.
• Group differences were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests.

Main Results:

• Significant behavioral changes included physical activity, screen time, alcohol intake, distress, and loneliness.
• The five-latent class model best fit the data, with ~25% reporting profile changes post-lockdown.
• Profile differences were linked to demographics, resilience, control, mental health, and social relations.

Conclusions:

• While most recovered, inactive and lonely subgroups experienced greater difficulties.
• Public health campaigns on handwashing and distancing were most recalled; others received less attention.
• Diversified public health campaigns are recommended to improve engagement, focusing on physical activity, alcohol, and domestic violence.