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Publication
Illness perceptions of COVID-19 in Europe: Predictors, impacts and temporal evolution
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Objective: Illness perceptions (IP) are important predictors of emotional and behavioral
responses in many diseases. The current study aims to investigate the COVID-19-related
IP throughout Europe. The specific goals are to understand the temporal development,
identify predictors (within demographics and contact with COVID-19) and examine the
impacts of IP on perceived stress and preventive behaviors.
Methods: This was a time-series-cross-section study of 7,032 participants from
16 European countries using multilevel modeling from April to June 2020. IP were
measured with the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. Temporal patterns were
observed considering the date of participation and the date recoded to account the
epidemiological evolution of each country. The outcomes considered were perceived
stress and COVID-19 preventive behaviors.
Results: There were significant trends, over time, for several IP, suggesting a small
decrease in negativity in the perception of COVID-19 in the community. Age, gender,
and education level related to some, but not all, IP. Considering the self-regulation model,
perceptions consistently predicted general stress and were less consistently related to
Dias Neto et al. Illness Perceptions of COVID-19
preventive behaviors. Country showed no effect in the predictive model, suggesting that
national differences may have little relevance for IP, in this context.
Conclusion: The present study provides a comprehensive picture of COVID-19 IP in
Europe in an early stage of the pandemic. The results shed light on the process of IP
formation with implications for health-related outcomes and their evolution.
Description
Keywords
Illness perceptions COVID-19 Common sense model Illness representations Stress
Citation
Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-11 doi.: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.640955
Publisher
Frontiers Media S.A.