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. 2022 Jan 14;8(1):e22113. doi: 10.2196/22113

Table 3.

Attitudes toward the potential impact of the COVID-19 contact tracing app Coronalert in Belgium.

Questions and responses Total sample (N=1850) Nonusers of Coronalert (n=1201) Users of Coronalert (n=649) t test (df) P value Cohen d
By using Coronalert, one collaborates in diminishing the spread of the coronavirus

Response score, mean (SD)a N/Ab 3.03 (1.14) 3.86 (1.01) –15.37 (1848)c <.001c 0.76c

Response, n (%)


Not agree 175 (9.5) 159 (13.2) 16 (2.5)




Rather disagree 211 (11.4) 161 (13.4) 50 (7.7)




Not agree/not disagree 626 (33.8) 488 (40.6) 138 (21.3)




Rather agree 520 (28.1) 267 (22.2) 253 (39.0)




Agree 318 (17.2) 126 (10.5) 192 (29.6)


By using Coronalert, one is more wary when having face-to-face contacts

Response score, mean (SD) N/A 3.02 (1.15) 3.10 (1.14) –1.520 (1848) .13 0.07

Response, n (%)


Not agree 247 (13.4) 171 (14.2) 76 (11.7)




Rather disagree 253 (13.7) 156 (13.0) 97 (14.9)




Not agree/not disagree 694 (37.5) 466 (38.8) 228 (35.1)




Rather agree 476 (25.7) 296 (24.6) 180 (27.7)




Agree 180 (9.7) 112 (9.3) 68 (10.5)


By using Coronalert, users know rapidly when they have been in contact with someone who is infected with the coronavirus

Response score, mean (SD) N/A 3.47 (1.12) 3.61 (1.08) –2.551 (1848) .01 0.13

Response, n (%)


Not agree 157 (8.5) 116 (9.7) 41 (6.3)




Rather disagree 135 (7.3) 79 (6.6) 56 (8.6)




Not agree/not disagree 449 (24.3) 305 (25.4) 144 (22.2)




Rather agree 811 (43.8) 527 (43.9) 284 (43.8)




Agree 298 (16.1) 174 (14.5) 124 (19.1)


By using Coronalert, one will take more precautionary measures not to spread the coronavirus

Response score, mean (SD) N/A 2.82 (1.22) 3.19 (1.15) –6.396 (1848) <.001 0.31

Response, n (%)


Not agree 288 (15.6) 233 (19.4) 55 (8.5)




Rather disagree 346 (18.7) 213 (17.7) 133 (20.5)




Not agree/not disagree 581 (31.4) 403 (33.6) 178 (27.4)




Rather agree 447 (24.2) 246 (20.5) 201 (31.0)




Agree 188 (10.2) 106 (8.8) 82 (12.6)


By using Coronalert, one helps the government in its fight against the coronavirus

Response score, mean (SD) N/A 3.12 (1.16) 4.09 (0.83) –20.810 (1716) <.001 0.92

Response, n (%)


Not agree 150 (8.1) 150 (12.5) 0 (0)




Rather disagree 181 (9.8) 143 (11.9) 38 (5.9)




Not agree/not disagree 560 (30.3) 479 (39.9) 81 (12.5)




Rather agree 592 (32.0) 275 (22.9) 317 (48.8)




Agree 367 (19.8) 154 (12.8) 213 (32.8)


Coronalert detects contacts with persons who are infected with the coronavirus, respecting the privacy of the app users

Response score, mean (SD) N/A 3.51 (1.17) 3.71 (1.15) –3.618 (1848) <.001 0.17

Response, n (%)


Not agree 166 (9.0) 117 (9.7) 49 (7.6)




Rather disagree 64 (3.5) 46 (3.8) 18 (2.8)




Not agree/not disagree 615 (33.2) 417 (34.7) 198 (30.5)




Rather agree 545 (29.5) 354 (29.5) 191 (29.4)




Agree 460 (24.9) 267 (22.2) 193 (29.7)


Coronalert is quicker than contact tracing by phone, to check the contacts of people who are infected with the coronavirus

Response score, mean (SD) N/A 3.28 (1.09) 4.06 (0.85) –16.985 (1624) <.001 0.78

Response, n (%)


Not agree 115 (6.2) 115 (9.6) 0 (0)




Rather disagree 103 (5.6) 80 (6.7) 23 (3.5)




Not agree/not disagree 666 (36.0) 521 (43.4) 145 (22.3)




Rather agree 573 (31.0) 321 (26.7) 252 (38.8)




Agree 393 (21.2) 164 (13.7) 229 (35.3)


Using Coronalert helps to prevent loved ones from being infected with the coronavirus

Response score, mean (SD) N/A 3.33 (1.23) 3.41 (1.22) –1.307 (1848) .19 0.07

Response, n (%)


Not agree 214 (11.6) 146 (12.2) 68 (10.5)




Rather disagree 173 (9.4) 108 (9.0) 65 (10.0)




Not agree/not disagree 558 (30.2) 377 (31.4) 181 (27.9)




Rather agree 539 (29.1) 338 (28.1) 201 (31.0)




Agree 366 (19.8) 232 (19.3) 134 (20.6)


aMean scores were calculated for nonusers and users of the app separately.

bN/A: not applicable; mean scores were not calculated for the entire sample.

cThis value was calculated using the mean scores for users and nonusers of the app and not the frequencies of individual responses.