Volume 22, Number 1—January 2016
Letter
Anticipated Negative Responses by Students to Possible Ebola Virus Outbreak, Guangzhou, China
, Zixin Wang, Yoona Kim, Jing Gu, Anise M.S. Wu, Qianling Zhou, Chun Hao, Perry Cheng, and Yuantao Hao
Table
Factors associated with anticipated responses to EVD, adjusted for sociodemographic variables, Guangzhou, China, 2014*
| Factor |
Emotional Response to Ebola Scale† | Unnecessary Avoidance Scale‡ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| β (SE) |
p value |
β (SE) |
p value |
||
| Perceived severity of EVD | |||||
| EVD is fatal | 1.270 (0.928) | 0.171 | 0.855 (0.388) | 0.027 | |
| EVD causes irreversible harm to physical health | 2.647 (0.637) | <0.001 | 0.504 (0.064) | 0.064 | |
| Perceived fatality of EVD | 2.545 (0.635) | <0.001 | 1.177 (0.269) | <0.001 | |
| Perceived high infectivity of EVD |
1.568 (0.842) |
0.063 |
1.273 (0.350) |
<0.001 |
|
| Treatment and vaccine availability | |||||
| Treatment not available | 2.143 (0.639) | <0.001 | 1.108 (0.271) | <0.001 | |
| Vaccine not available |
1.236 (0.654) |
0.059 |
0.786 (0.276) |
0.005 |
|
| Misconceptions and knowledge about modes of transmission of EVD | |||||
| Misconceptions about Mode of Transmission Scale | 0.406 (0.113) | <0.001 | 0.214 (0.048) | <0.001 | |
| Knowledge about Mode of Transmission Scale |
0.285 (0.171) |
0.095 |
0.369 (0.071) |
<0.001 |
|
| Perceptions related to EVD outbreak | |||||
| Chances of Outbreak Scale—Guangzhou | 0.688 (0.091) | <0.001 | 0.064 (0.039) | 0.100 | |
| Perceived Chances of Outbreak Scale—Other Parts of China | 0.986 (0.189) | <0.001 | 0.151 (0.081) | 0.062 | |
| Perceived Severity of Outbreak in Guangzhou Scale | 0.825 (0.072) | <0.001 | 0.222 (0.031) | <0.001 | |
| Confidence in Governmental Control Scale |
−1.024 (0.086) |
<0.001 |
−0.192 (0.038) |
<0.001 |
|
| Perceived efficacy and self-efficacy | |||||
| Perceived Efficacy of Restricting Africans Travel Scale | 1.003 (0.176) | <0.001 | 0.543 (0.073) | <0.001 | |
| Perceived Efficacy of Avoidance Scale | 0.544 (0.138) | <0.001 | 0.595 (0.056) | <0.001 | |
| Perceived Self-Efficacy for Protection against EVD Scale |
−0.571 (0.145) |
<0.001 |
−0.112 (0.062) |
0.070 |
|
| Public stigma toward EVD survivors | |||||
| Public Stigma Scale | 0.231 (0.032) | <0.001 | 0.125 (0.013) | <0.001 | |
*Among participants who had heard of EVD (n = 1,155). Bold indicates significance. β, multilevel linear regression coefficient adjusted by significant background variables; EVD, Ebola virus disease.
†Anticipated Emotional Response to Ebola Scale items included the following: “If there are 2–3 EVD cases in Guangzhou, how likely would you 1) worry about getting infected with EVD, 2) worry about family members getting infected with EVD, 3) be scared, 4) be uneasy, 5) be in panic, 6) feel helpless, 7) be depressed, 8) have insomnia, 9) be distressed, 10) have fluctuating emotions, and 11) be emotionally disturbed.” Response categories: 1 = very unlikely, 5 = very likely.
‡Unnecessary Avoidance Scale items included the following: “If there are 2–3 EVD cases in Guangzhou, how likely would you be to 1) avoid going to other cities, 2) avoid going to work, 3) avoid going out if unnecessary, 4) avoid going to crowded places, 5) avoid going to hospitals, and 6) avoid taking airplanes.” Response categories: 1 = very unlikely, 5 = very likely.