Table 6.
Contextual and psychological factors associated with engaging in highest risk social mixing at different time points in the pandemic.
| Attribute | Level | Rule of six indoors and outdoors | Second national lockdown | Third national lockdown | Rule of six outdoors, no indoor mixing | Rule of six indoors, up to 30 people outdoors | No legal restrictions | No legal obligation to self-isolate | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aOR for engaging in highest risk social mixing (95% CI)† | p | aOR for engaging in highest risk social mixing (95% CI)† | p | aOR for engaging in highest risk social mixing (95% CI)† | p | aOR for engaging in highest risk social mixing (95% CI)† | p | aOR for engaging in highest risk social mixing (95% CI)† | p | aOR for engaging in highest risk social mixing (95% CI)† | p | aOR for engaging in highest risk social mixing (95% CI)† | p | ||
| Been out to work in last week | No | Ref | – | Ref | – | Ref | – | Ref | – | Ref | – | Ref | – | Ref | – |
| Yes | 1.34 (1.06 to 1.68) | 0.01 | 1.14 (0.86 to 1.52) | 0.37 | 1.76 (1.23 to 2.53) | 0.002* | 1.74 (1.30 to 2.34) | < 0.001* | 1.23 (1.00 to 1.51) | 0.06 | 1.20 (0.99 to 1.45) | 0.06 | 1.99 (1.71 to 2.32) | < 0.001* | |
| Worry about COVID–19 | 5-point scale (1 = not at all worried to 5 = extremely worried) | 0.75 (0.69 to 0.82) | < 0.001* | 0.65 (0.58 to 0.72) | < 0.001* | 0.65 (0.57 to 0.75) | < 0.001* | 0.67 (0.60 to 0.75) | < 0.001* | 0.71 (0.65 to 0.77) | < 0.001* | 0.76 (0.71 to 0.81) | < 0.001* | 0.71 (0.67 to 0.75) | < 0.001* |
| Perceived risk of COVID–19 to self | 5-point scale (1 = no risk at all to 5 = major risk) | 0.78 (0.71 to 0.85) | < 0.001* | 0.65 (0.58 to 0.73) | < 0.001* | 0.74 (0.64 to 0.85) | < 0.001* | 0.72 (0.64 to 0.81) | < 0.001* | 0.68 (0.62 to 0.74) | < 0.001* | 0.81 (0.75 to 0.87) | < 0.001* | 0.76 (0.72 to 0.79) | < 0.001* |
| Perceived risk of COVID–19 to people in the UK | 5-point scale (1 = no risk at all to 5 = major risk) | 0.81 (0.74 to 0.89) | < 0.001* | 0.62 (0.55 to 0.70) | < 0.001* | 0.60 (0.52 to 0.70) | < 0.001* | 0.71 (0.63 to 0.80) | < 0.001* | 0.78 (0.71 to 0.85) | < 0.001* | 0.82 (0.76 to 0.89) | < 0.001* | 0.77 (0.73 to 0.82) | < 0.001* |
| Coronavirus would be a serious illness for me | 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) | 0.75 (0.69 to 0.82) | < 0.001* | 0.61 (0.54 to 0.68) | < 0.001* | 0.71 (0.61 to 0.82) | < 0.001* | 0.65 (0.58 to 0.73) | < 0.001* | 0.73 (0.67 to 0.79) | < 0.001* | 0.79 (0.73 to 0.85) | < 0.001* | 0.73 (0.69 to 0.77) | < 0.001* |
| I would worry about what others would think of me if I tested positive for coronavirus | 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) | 0.87 (0.81 to 0.95) | 0.001* | 0.85 (0.76 to 0.94) | 0.002* | 0.90 (0.79 to 1.03) | 0.12 | 0.91 (0.82 to 1.00) | 0.06 | 0.88 (0.82 to 0.95) | 0.001* | 0.81 (0.76 to 0.87) | < 0.001* | 0.83 (0.79 to 0.87) | < 0.001* |
| Someone could spread coronavirus to other people, even if they do not have symptoms yet | 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) | 0.92 (0.82 to 1.03) | 0.13 | 0.72 (0.63 to 0.82) | < 0.001* | 0.68 (0.57 to 0.80) | < 0.001* | 0.75 (0.66 to 0.86) | < 0.001* | 0.86 (0.78 to 0.95) | 0.004* | 0.97 (0.89 to 1.06) | 0.52 | 1.00 (0.94 to 1.07) | 0.98 |
| My personal behaviour has an impact on how coronavirus spreads | 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) | 0.83 (0.76 to 0.91) | < 0.001* | 0.74 (0.67 to 0.82) | < 0.001* | 0.74 (0.64 to 0.85) | < 0.001* | 0.70 (0.63 to 0.78) | < 0.001* | 0.88 (0.81 to 0.95) | 0.001* | 0.93 (0.87 to 1.00) | 0.05 | 0.91 (0.86 to 0.96) | < 0.001* |
| I think the risks of coronavirus are being exaggerated | 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) | 1.19 (1.10 to 1.28) | < 0.001* | 1.47 (1.33 to 1.62) | < 0.001* | 1.42 (1.25 to 1.61) | < 0.001* | 1.37 (1.24 to 1.51) | < 0.001* | 1.18 (1.09 to 1.27) | < 0.001* | 1.14 (1.06 to 1.22) | < 0.001* | 1.15 (1.10 to 1.21) | < 0.001* |
| Information from the UK Government about coronavirus can be trusted | 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) | 0.84 (0.77 to 0.90) | < 0.001* | 0.79 (0.71 to 0.88) | < 0.001* | 0.84 (0.74 to 0.96) | 0.009 | 0.79 (0.71 to 0.87) | < 0.001* | 0.85 (0.79 to 0.92) | < 0.001* | 0.86 (0.80 to 0.91) | < 0.001* | 0.92 (0.88 to 0.97) | 0.001* |
| Information from the UK Government about coronavirus is biased or one-sided | 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) | 1.03 (0.95 to 1.12) | 0.51 | 1.05 (0.94 to 1.18) | 0.37 | 1.17 (1.02 to 1.35) | 0.03 | 1.08 (0.97 to 1.20) | 0.17 | 1.07 (0.99 to 1.15) | 0.10 | 0.98 (0.92 to 1.05) | 0.60 | 0.95 (0.90 to 1.00) | 0.04 |
†Adjusting for wave, region, gender, age (raw and quadratic), presence of a dependent child in the household, having a chronic illness oneself, having a household member who has chronic illness, employment status, highest earner in household works in a manual occupation, index of multiple deprivation, highest educational or professional qualification, ethnicity, first language, living alone, relationship status, having had COVID-19 before, and financial hardship.
*p ≤ 0.004.