Objective Evidence on how individual characteristics
and distancing policies during the first wave of COVID-19
together influenced health behaviours is scarce. The
objective of this study is to fill in this gap by studying
how the propensity to engage in protective behaviours
in Europe was shaped by the interplay of individual
characteristics and national policies.
Design Data on individual behaviour in 27 countries came
from the ‘Corona Survey’ module of the Survey of Health,
Ageing and Retirement in Europe, collected in summer
2020. As outcomes, we considered avoidant behaviours
(never leaving home, reducing frequency of walks and
reducing frequency of social meetings) and preventive
behaviour (wearing a face mask). Among relevant
policies, we considered stay-at- home restrictions, mask
wearing policies and gathering restrictions. Individual
characteristics comprised gender, health risk of COVID-19
(older age and poor health) and activity (employment and
providing help to other households).
Participants Nationally representative samples of older
adults (50 years and over), n=51 540 respondents (58%
of women).
Results Active people (employed and helping other
households) were more likely to wear face masks but
less likely to use avoidant behaviours. People at health
risk (older people and those in poor health) were more
likely to use all types of protective behaviours. Protective
behaviours were also more frequent among women
than among men. Longer duration of distancing polices
correlated with more frequent protective behaviours.
Distancing policies reduced social differences in the rate of
protective behaviours only in case of social meetings and
mask wearing.
Conclusions Protective behaviours responded to
distancing policies, but our results suggest that people
used them voluntarily, especially if they were at health risk.
