Table 1.
MERS outbreak-related perceived reliability/practice of preventive behaviors, hand washing, and policy credibility
| Division | Contents of questions | n (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived infection sensitivity | Worried about being infected by MERS | 4,175 (58.7) |
| Worried about death due to worsened health status if infected by MERS | 2,680 (37.7) | |
| Worried about MERS infection of children, the elderly or patients with chronic disease in the family | 4,603 (68.1) | |
| Worried that the nationwide epidemic of MERS will cause socioeconomic chaos | 4,384 (61.7) | |
| Worried about MERS overall | 4,727 (66.5) | |
| Perceived reliability on/practice of preventive behaviors | Frequent hands washing with soap or sanitizer | 6,608 (92.9)/6,352 (89.3) |
| Not touching the eyes, the nose or the mouth with unclean hands | 6,156 (86.6)/5,198 (73.2) | |
| Covering with tissue or a handkerchief while sneezing or coughing | 6,201 (87.3)/5,130 (72.4) | |
| Avoiding contact with others who have a fever or respiratory symptoms | 6,379 (89.8)/5,425 (76.6) | |
| Wearing face masks when going outside | 5,286 (74.4)/3,393 (47.8) | |
| Avoiding places where there are many people | 6,019 (84.7)/4,453 (62.8) | |
| Refraining from visiting patients and medical institutions | 5,904 (83.0)/5,148 (72.6) | |
| Practice of hand washing | Frequent hands washing before eating | 6,576 (92.5) |
| Frequent hands washing after using the restroom | 6,757 (95.1) | |
| Frequent hands washing after returning from the outdoors | 6,596 (92.8) | |
| Frequent hands washing with soap or hand sanitizer | 6,378(89.9) | |
| Policy credibility | The guidelines for MERS prevention and notification by the government | 1,548 (21.8) |
| The delivery of information about the MERS outbreak through the mass media | 2,041 (28.7) | |
| The implementation of countermeasures against MERS infection by domestic medical institutions | 1,208 (17.0) | |
| The countermeasure to prevent MERS from spreading (quarantine, etc.) | 1.789 (25.2) | |
| The overall response of the government to the MERS outbreak | 1,110 (15.6) |
MERS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.