Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Date Submitted: May 22, 2020
Date Accepted: Aug 5, 2020
Date Submitted to PubMed: Aug 6, 2020
Tracing the COVID-19 Virus: A Health Belief Model Approach to the Adoption of a Contact Tracing App.
ABSTRACT
Background:
To diminish the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus, apps have been developed that trace contacts with COVID-19-infected individuals and warn individuals who are at risk of having contracted the virus. However, the effectiveness of these apps highly depends on their uptake by the population.
Objective:
The present study investigated factors influencing app use intention, based on the health belief model. Moreover, associations with respondents’ COVID-19 related news consumption and their health condition was investigated.
Methods:
A survey was administered in Belgium (Flanders) to 1,500 18- to 64-year-old respondents. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the relationships among the model’s constructs.
Results:
In total, 48.70% of respondents would like to use the COVID-19 tracing app. The most important predictor was perceived benefits of the app, followed by self-efficacy and perceived barriers. Perceived severity and perceived vulnerability were not related to app uptake intention. Moreover, cues to action, individuals’ exposure to (digital) media content concerning COVID-19, was positively associated with app use intention. As respondents’ age increased, their perceived benefits and self-efficacy for using the app decreased.
Conclusions:
Initiatives to stimulate COVID-19 app uptake should enhance perceived benefits and self-efficacy. A perceived barrier for some potential users is their concern about privacy. Therefore, when developing and launching an app, how individuals’ privacy is protected should be further clarified. To sustain perceived benefits in the long run, supplementary options could be integrated to inform and assist users.
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