Understanding factors for adhering to health recommendations during COVID-19 among older adults - a qualitative interview study using health belief model as analytical framework

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique possibility to broaden the understanding of people’s reactions to a global crisis. Early on, it became evident that older adults were particularly vulnerable to the virus and that the actions of this age group would be crucial to the outcome. This qualitative interview study uses the Health Belief Model (HBM) framework as an analytical tool to examine older people’s experiences of adherence to recommendations during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to view this study in the context of Sweden’s voluntary restrictions, which further highlight the unique nature of this research. Method In April-May 2020, 41 adults aged 70–85 participated in unstructured phone interviews. The objective was to investigate older adults’ perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly their understanding of the disease and the conditions that influenced their adherence to health recommendations. HBM was used as an analytical framework to guide the analysis of the interviews. Results Despite perceiving COVID-19 as a severe threat to health and society, participants did not let fear dominate their responses. Instead, they demonstrated remarkable resilience and a proactive approach. For some, the perceived susceptibility to the disease was the primary motivator for adherence to the Swedish national recommendations. Notably, trust in the authorities and family members’ requests significantly bolstered adherence. Moreover, adherence was found to contribute to feelings of safety. Conversely, potential barriers to adhering to recommendations included missing loved ones and frustration with sometimes ambiguous information from authorities. Conclusions The results from this study indicate that older adults are willing to adhere to voluntary restrictions during a global pandemic. Relatives of older people are a resource for communicating information regarding safety and health messages, a message that is preferably thorough and consistent. Further, much can be gained if loneliness during isolation can be mitigated since missing loved ones appears to be a potential barrier to adherence.