About this Research Topic

Background

In the absence of a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19, all measures to contain and limit the spread of infection depends on the behaviors of individuals. Examples of such health protection measures include hand washing, social distancing and mask wearing. Whether individuals adhere or not to these behaviors is crucial for determining the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact on society.

Identifying and exploring the factors that influence the behaviors of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic - in particular why some individuals undertake at-risk behaviors (e.g. lack of hand hygiene or social distancing) - is key to containing and limiting the spread of COVID-19 within our societies. Recent advances such as the application of behavioral sciences to promote adherence to public health and health promotion measures have been crucial in the management of the pandemic response.

There has been an increasing interest in research on interventions to support adherence to public health / health protection measures. This Research Topic will focus on any research that explores the impact of behavior on the spread or containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the application of behavioral sciences to the management of the pandemic. Key themes of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Studies on the determinants of adherence to public health measures;
• Studies that explore the drivers of at-risk behaviors;
• Studies that evaluated behavior change interventions relevant to COVID-19 health promotion behavior;
• Studies that examine the feasibility of behavior change interventions as applied to COVID-19;
• Perspective or expert opinion pieces that discuss the evidence behind public health measures relevant to COVID-19.

Topic Editor Dr. Amy Chan reports grants from Innovate UK, A+ charitable trust (Auckland District Health Board), Maurice and Phyllis Paykel trust, Universitas 21, NZ Pharmacy Education Research Fund, Auckland Academic Health Alliance, Asthma UK, the University of Auckland, and is supported by a Robert Irwin Postdoctoral Fellowship. Dr. Chan is also the director of AHYC Consultancy Ltd.

Topic Editor Dr. Kebede Beyene reports grants from U21 Health Sciences Research Development Fund Grant, U21 Graduate Collaborative Research Award, A+ Trust Research Grant, New Zealand Pharmacy Education and Research Foundation Grant.

All other Topic Editors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Keywords: covid-19, behavioral science, health psychology, behavior change, risk determinants

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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