Perceptions and responses to Covid-19 through wastewater surveillance information and online search behavior
A randomized controlled trial
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22028592 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michio Murakami (0000-0002-5557-9801, The University of Osaka, corresponding author), Shuhei Nomura (0000-0002-2963-7297, Keio University), Hiroki Ando (0000-0001-5046-5779, Hokkaido University of Science), Masaaki Kitajima (0000-0002-8142-511X, Hokkaido University of Science) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 118 |
| Pages | 105224 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2212-4209 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105224 |
| OpenAlex | W4406602280 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
An influence of wastewater surveillance during infectious disease outbreak on public perception and behavior remains unclear. Here, we used a randomized controlled trial to analyze the influence of wastewater surveillance-based information on “understanding of,” “interest in,” “relief regarding,” “preventive behavioral intention against,” and “subsequent online search behavior related to” COVID-19. Valid responses were obtained from 1000 individuals in both control and intervention groups from Yahoo! JAPAN crowdsourcing users aged ≥18 years in Japan. This survey was conducted from August 4 to August 7, 2023, just before the common Japanese tradition of returning to hometowns. The questionnaire not only collected personal attributes but also gauged responses to COVID-19 information. This information highlighted the early detection capabilities and representativeness of wastewater surveillance compared with sentinel surveillance at medical institutions. At one-week post-survey, we obtained the survey participants’ online search history for key words such as “bullet train,” “highway,” “airplane,” and “wastewater.” Wastewater surveillance-based information did not notably elevate “understanding” or “specific intentions” regarding COVID-19, such as wearing masks and receiving vaccination. However, it significantly increased “interest in,” “relief concerning the infection status,” and “general preventive behavioral intentions.” Heightened “interest” and “general preventive intentions” did not depend on prior interest or behavior. However, those who previously engaged in preventive behavior or who were less interested in COVID-19 exhibited more “relief” after exposure to wastewater surveillance-based information. Furthermore, this information could slightly influence online searches, such as highways. In conclusion, information from wastewater surveillance effectively shapes individual perceptions of and responses to infections. • Providing information increased interest, relief, and intention for prevention. • Increased relief was prominent among those who already practiced prevention. • Search behavior related to return trips home also increased. • The use of wastewater surveillance-based information was demonstrated
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Medical emergency · Outbreak · Perception · Randomized controlled trial · Randomized experiment · Applied Psychology · COVID-19 diagnosis using AI · Dental Research and COVID-19 · Medicine · Psychology · SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing · Virology
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| Highly cited | No |
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