Burton, Alexandra;
McKinlay, Alison;
Dawes, Jo;
Roberts, Anna;
Fynn, Wendy;
May, Tom;
Fancourt, Daisy;
(2022)
Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Compliance with UK Social Distancing Guidelines During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Interview Study.
Behaviour Change
10.1017/bec.2021.27.
(In press).
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Abstract
When followed, there is evidence that social distancing measures play a major role in reducing the transmission of viruses such as COVID-19. However, not all individuals follow the guidance. We explored barriers and facilitators to compliance with UK social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic through semi-structured interviews with 116 adults. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and themes mapped to the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation Model of Behaviour (COM-B). Barriers to compliance included inconsistent rules, caring responsibilities, fatigue, unintended consequences of control measures, and the need for emotional support. Facilitators were informational support and social responsibility. Six themes were both a barrier and a facilitator: lived environment, beliefs about consequences of non-compliance, influence of others, practical support, and trust in government. Reflective motivation, psychological capability, and social opportunity were important drivers for compliance. Measures that enable social support alongside strategies to maintain motivation to comply, provide clear guidance and optimise social cohesion should be promoted.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Compliance with UK Social Distancing Guidelines During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Interview Study |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1017/bec.2021.27 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1017/bec.2021.27 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19, compliance, social distancing, qualitative, behaviour change |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10145921 |
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