Public's Perception and Behavior During the H1N1 Pandemic in the Netherlands
Author Information
Author(s): Marloes Bults, Desirée JMA Beaujean, Onno de Zwart, Gerjo Kok, Pepijn van Empelen, Jim E van Steenbergen, Jan Hendrik Richardus, Hélène ACM Voeten
Primary Institution: Municipal Public Health Service Rotterdam-Rijnmond
Hypothesis
What were the perceptions and behaviors of the general public during the early phase of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in the Netherlands?
Conclusion
The public remained calm and had a relatively high intention to comply with preventive measures despite decreasing trends in perceived severity and anxiety over time.
Supporting Evidence
- Knowledge about H1N1 increased from 88% in May to 95% in August 2009.
- Perceived severity of the flu decreased from 80% in May to 39% in August.
- Feelings of anxiety decreased from 16% in May to 4% in August.
- More respondents took preventive measures, increasing from 14% in June to 38% in August.
- Perceived reliability of government information decreased from 62% in May to 45% in August.
Takeaway
People in the Netherlands were worried about the H1N1 flu at first, but as time went on and the flu turned out to be mild, they became less anxious and still wanted to follow health advice.
Methodology
Three online surveys were conducted with adults aged 18 and above to assess risk perception, anxiety, and behavioral responses over time.
Potential Biases
Participants were older, more often of Dutch ethnicity, and more likely to be unemployed/retired compared to the general population.
Limitations
The Internet panel was not fully representative of the general Dutch population, and the validity of the questionnaire was not tested through a test-retest design.
Participant Demographics
Mean age was 51 years, 92% were of Dutch origin, and 38% had a lower education level.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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