Human Behaviours: The Nexus between the Environment and Persons amid the COVID-Pandemic and the Post-COVID Era

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About this Research Topic

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Background

Human behaviours have been deemed to be influenced by the environment and to be shaped by the interplay between specific environmental attributes and key personal characteristics. Behaviour changes had arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the influence of the environment’s aspects (e.g., societal, cultural, neighbourhood, home) and their interactions with demographic and personal characteristics (e.g., gender, age, personality, health conditions) have been scarcely studied. As the pandemic eases, such altered behaviours could persist or return to previous patterns, differing across sub-populations (e.g., normal population, patients, adolescents, pregnant women, older adults). The difference may be determined by the levels of, or the presence of, specific environment attributes. Understanding these complex relationships between the environment, behaviours, and persons will underpin the preparedness of our societies for the post-pandemic era.

This Research Topic aims to provide insight into how the features in the environmental domains interact with personal characteristics on a range of behaviours influenced by the pandemic. Under the pandemic context, some health-enhanced activities may have reduced (e.g., social interaction, physical activity) while particular behaviours may have increased (e.g., sedentary behaviours, screen time, social media use). Specific environmental attributes (e.g., access to day-to-day services, natural features) that had been identified as facilitators or inhibitors of particular behaviours prior to the pandemic may continue to function during the course of the pandemic and as the pandemic eases. Studies on these topics are essential for understanding the far-reaching impact of the environment on human behaviours. Pandemic-induced behaviours (e.g., vaccination or other healthcare-seeking behaviours) may also be determined by personal preference and moderated by people’s social environment (e.g., attitudes from one’s social network or opinions from social media). Research on the behaviours of this kind would provide evidence on how the interplay between the environment and persons shapes various health-related behaviours, which would in turn inform the building of societies/cities that promote healthy living and that are more resilient to potentially more frequent infectious disease outbreaks in future arising from climate change and urbanisation.

We welcome original research articles and reviews (systematic or non-systematic) on relevant topics including human behaviours of any aspects (directly or indirectly health-related, e.g., physical activity, diet, smoking, cognitive activities, vaccination, social media use, socialising, sedentary behaviours, etc.) among either clinical or non-clinical population. Influences from one or more aspects of the environment (e.g., neighbourhoods, home, schools, built environment, physical environment, social environment, natural environment, etc.) and/or individual differences (e.g., age, gender, socio-economic status, personality, health condition, genetic susceptibility, etc.) should be investigated. We encourage the authors to discuss the greater implications beyond their own fields for, but not limited to, healthcare practice, public health, policy-making, and urban planning.

Keywords: One health, Mental well-being, Human, Lifestyle, Decision-making, Socio-Psychological factors, Behavioural medicine, Behavioural science, Pandemic

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