Reasoned action approach and compliance with recommended behaviours to prevent the transmission of the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus in the UK

Objectives To examine associations between demographics, people’s beliefs, and compliance with behaviours recommended by the UK government to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Design A two-wave online survey conducted one week apart during the national lockdown (April, 2020).

Measures A sample of 477 UK residents completed baseline measures from the reasoned action approach (experiential attitudes, instrumental attitudes, injunctive norms, descriptive norms, capacity, autonomy, and intention) and perceived susceptibility for each of the following recommended behaviours: limiting leaving home, keeping at least 2 m away from other people when outside and when inside shops, not visiting or meeting friends or other family members, and washing hands when returning home. Self-reported compliance with each of the recommended behaviours was assessed one week later.

Results Rates of full compliance with the recommended behaviours ranged from 31% (keeping at least 2 m away from other people when inside shops) to 68% (not visiting or meeting friends or other family members). Capacity was a significant predictor of compliance with each of the five recommended behaviours. Increasing age and intentions were also predictive of compliance with three of the behaviours.

Conclusions Interventions to increase compliance with the recommended behaviours to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, especially those relating to social distancing, need to bolster people’s intentions and perceptions of capacity. This may be achieved through media-based information campaigns as well as environmental changes to make compliance with such measures easier. Such interventions should particularly target younger adults.