Public health behaviours for SARS prevention practised in mainland China (prevalence and univariate analysis)
| Wearing masks in mainland China | Frequency of washing hands in mainland China | Avoid visiting crowded places in mainland China | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | ORu* | % | ORu† | % | ORu‡ | |
| ORu, univariate odds ratio; *1 = all/most of the time v occasional and 0 = never; †, 1 = 10 times or more per day and 0–9 times per day; ‡1 = yes and 0 = no. | ||||||
| All | 37.2 | 43.0 | 69.1 | |||
| Gender | ||||||
| Male | 33.6 | 1.0 | 40.3 | 1.0 | 69.3 | 1.0 |
| Female | 50.9 | 2.05 (1.46 to 2.87) | 53.6 | 1.71 (1.22 to 2.41) | 68.0 | 0.94 (0.66 to 1.35) |
| p Value | <0.001 | 0.002 | 0.746 | |||
| Age group | ||||||
| 18–29 | 42.0 | 1.0 | 48.3 | 1.0 | 61.7 | 1.0 |
| 30–44 | 36.5 | 0.86 (0.57 to 1.29) | 44.6 | 0.86 (0.58 to 1.29) | 69.9 | 1.44 (0.95 to 2.19) |
| 45–60 | 36.7 | 0.86 (0.55 to 1.35) | 37.3 | 0.64 (0.41 to 0.99) | 71.1 | 1.53 (0.97 to 2.43) |
| p value | 0.747 | 0.078 | 0.158 | |||
| Marital status | ||||||
| Married | 35.6 | 1.0 | 44.5 | 1.0 | 70.6 | 1.0 |
| Single | 39.6 | 1.18 (0.85 to 1.66) | 39.7 | 0.82 (0.59 to 1.15) | 64.6 | 0.76 (0.54 to 1.07) |
| Separated/divorced/widowed | 37.8 | 1.10 (0.55 to 2.18) | 32.4 | 0.650 (0.30 to 1.22) | 67.6 | 0.87 (0.43 to 1.77) |
| p Value | 0.606 | 0.223 | 0.290 | |||
| Education attainment | ||||||
| ⩽9 years | 33.0 | 1.0 | 45.5 | 1.0 | 63.0 | 1.0 |
| 10–11 years | 35.9 | 1.14 (0.76 to 1.71) | 40.9 | 0.83 (0.56 to 1.23) | 68.7 | 1.29 (0.86 to 1.93) |
| 12–13 years | 36.4 | 1.16 (0.76 to 1.78) | 47.0 | 1.07 (0.71 to 1.61) | 71.5 | 1.47 (0.95 to 2.29) |
| College or university | 40.5 | 1.38 (0.93 to 2.05) | 39.7 | 0.79 (0.54 to 1.16) | 73.1 | 1.59 (1.07 to 2.40) |
| p Value | 0.443 | 0.388 | 0.128 | |||
| Duration of stay in the travel destination (number of nights) | ||||||
| Day trip | 57.9 | 1.0 | 34.0 | 1.0 | 62.0 | 1.0 |
| 1–7 | 32.5 | 0.35 (0.25 to 0.49) | 44.2 | 1.53 (1.08 to 2.17) | 73.3 | 1.67 (1.19 to 2.39) |
| >8 | 24.0 | 0.23 (0.14 to 0.39) | 52.0 | 2.10 (1.28 to 3.43) | 62.1 | 1.01 (0.62 to 1.65) |
| p Value | <0.001 | 0.008 | 0.004 | |||
| Travelled to Shenzhen | ||||||
| Yes | 40.1 | 1.48 (1.09 to 2.01) | 41.2 | 0.80 (0.60 to 1.07) | 66.1 | 0.64 (0.46 to 0.89) |
| No | 31.8 | 1.0 | 46.7 | 1.0 | 75.3 | 1.0 |
| p Value | 0.012 | 0.137 | 0.007 | |||
| Travelled to Guangzhou | ||||||
| Yes | 29.3 | 0.68 (0.38 to 1.23) | 57.1 | 1.84 (1.07 to 3.19) | 76.8 | 1.52 (0.80 to 2.88) |
| No | 37.7 | 1.0 | 42.0 | 1.0 | 68.5 | 1.0 |
| p value | 0.203 | 0.029 | 0.199 | |||
| Travelled to other Guangdong cities | ||||||
| Yes | 33.0 | 0.78 (0.57 to 1.08) | 46.1 | 1.19 (0.87 to 1.63) | 75.6 | 1.54 (1.09 to 2.19) |
| No | 38.6 | 1.0 | 41.9 | 1.0 | 66.7 | 1.0 |
| p Value | 0.140 | 0.276 | 0.015 | |||
| Travelled to other provinces | ||||||
| Yes | 24.3 | 0.53 (0.25 to 1.14) | 55.6 | 1.70 (0.87 to 3.32) | 67.6 | 0.93 (0.46 to 1.88) |
| No | 37.8 | 1.0 | 42.4 | 1.0 | 69.1 | 1.0 |
| p Value | 0.105 | 0.123 | 0.839 | |||
| Number of trips to mainland China in past month | ||||||
| 1 trip | 38.9 | 1.0 | 46.2 | 1.0 | 62.2 | 1.0 |
| 2–3 | 40.7 | 1.08 (0.72 to 1.63) | 43.9 | 0.91 (0.61 to 1.38) | 64.6 | 1.11 (0.73 to 1.69) |
| 4–10 | 32.1 | 0.74 (0.50 to 1.10) | 39.6 | 0.76 (0.52 to 1.12) | 76.6 | 1.99 (1.32 to 3.00) |
| >10 | 39.6 | 1.03 (1.67 to 1.67) | 44.6 | 0.94 (0.61 to 1.45) | 70.0 | 1.42 (0.90 to 2.24) |
| p Value | 0.187 | 0.519 | 0.004 | |||
| Frequency of wearing masks in Hong Kong | ||||||
| Occasional/never | 8.8 | 1.0 | 38.2 | 1.0 | 57.7 | 1.0 |
| All/most of the time | 51.3 | 10.97 (6.73 to 17.91) | 43.3 | 1.24 (0.90 to 1.70) | 75.3 | 2.23 (1.60 to 3.11) |
| p Value | <0.001 | 0.196 | <0.001 | |||
| Reasons for mask wearing in mainland China | ||||||
| To protect oneself | 38.6 | 1.0 | 41.8 | 1.0 | 65.8 | 1.0 |
| To protect others | 21.6 | 0.44 (0.26 to 0.75) | 43.7 | 1.08 (0.68 to 1.73) | 63.1 | 0.89 (0.55 to 1.44) |
| Both | 42.2 | 1.16 (0.84 to 1.60) | 43.0 | 1.05 (0.76 to 1.45) | 74.6 | 1.52 (1.08 to 2.15) |
| p Value | 0.001 | 0.931 | 0.013 | |||
| Difficulty in buying masks in Shenzhen | ||||||
| Not difficult/not difficult at all | 35.6 | 1.0 | 42.9 | 1.0 | 69.8 | 1.0 |
| Moderately difficult/difficult/very difficult | 37.2 | 1.07 (0.57 to 2.03) | 41.9 | 0.96 (0.51 to 1.79) | 74.4 | 1.26 (0.62 to 2.54) |
| p Value | 0.834 | 0.890 | 0.524 | |||
| Difficulty in buying masks in other places | ||||||
| Not difficult/not difficult at all | 35.6 | 1.0 | 42.2 | 1.0 | 68.6 | 1.0 |
| Moderately difficult/difficult/very difficult | 37.1 | 1.07 (0.69 to 1.67) | 45.8 | 1.16 (0.75 to 1.79) | 75.3 | 1.39 (0.85 to 2.28) |
| p Value | 0.769 | 0.504 | 0.186 | |||
| Perceived efficacy of wearing masks for prevention of SARS | ||||||
| Moderate/low/very low | 31.0 | 1.0 | 43.8 | 1.0 | 65.7 | 1.0 |
| High/very high | 49.1 | 2.15 (1.57 to 2.94) | 41.2 | 0.90 (0.66 to 1.23) | 78.9 | 1.96 (1.36 to 2.82) |
| p Value | <0.001 | 0.508 | <0.001 | |||
| Perceived risk of Hong Kong residents contracting SARS in Shenzhen | ||||||
| Moderate/low/very low | 31.2 | 1.0 | 42.0 | 1.0 | 69.6 | 1.0 |
| High/very high | 52.3 | 2.42 (1.76 to 3.34) | 44.8 | 1.12 (0.81 to 1.54) | 70.1 | 1.03 (0.73 to 1.45) |
| p Value | <0.001 | 0.487 | 0.883 | |||
| Perceived risk of Hong Kong residents contracting SARS in Guangzhou | ||||||
| Moderate/low/very low | 27.0 | 1.0 | 42.6 | 1.0 | 65.8 | 1.0 |
| High/very high | 43.0 | 1.98 (1.43 to 2.73) | 43.2 | 1.03 (0.76 to 1.39) | 73.5 | 1.44 (1.04 to 2.00) |
| p Value | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.871 | 0.029 | ||
| Perceived risk of Hong Kong residents contracting SARS in other provinces of mainland China | ||||||
| Moderate/low/very low | 31.1 | 1.0 | 43.7 | 1.0 | 68.1 | 1.0 |
| High/very high | 45.1 | 1.82 (1.32 to 2.51) | 45.8 | 1.09 (0.80 to 1.49) | 70.9 | 1.14 (0.81 to 1.60) |
| p Value | <0.001 | 0.580 | 0.447 | |||
| Perceived risk of contracting SARS | ||||||
| Moderate/low/very low | 36.3 | 1.0 | 42.5 | 1.0 | 68.5 | 1.0 |
| High/very high | 42.5 | 1.30 (0.68 to 2.48) | 55.0 | 1.66 (0.87 to 3.14) | 82.1 | 2.10 (0.92 to 4.84) |
| p Value | 0.425 | 0.122 | 0.080 | |||
| Perceived fatality of SARS | ||||||
| Moderate/low/very low | 32.9 | 1.0 | 40.2 | 1.0 | 70.0 | 1.0 |
| High/very high | 45.6 | 1.71 (1.26 to 2.32) | 49.0 | 1.43 (1.06 to 1.93) | 68.1 | 0.91 (0.66 to 1.26) |
| p Value | 0.001 | 0.021 | 0.587 | |||
| Availability of medicine to cure SARS | ||||||
| Not available | 34.9 | 1.0 | 42.9 | 1.0 | 68.4 | 1.0 |
| Available | 40.0 | 1.24 (0.92 to 1.68) | 43.8 | 1.04 (0.78 to 1.39) | 72.6 | 1.23 (0.89 to 1.69) |
| p Value | 0.152 | 0.796 | 0.206 | |||