Barriers to and Facilitators of the Adoption of Non-Pharmacological Intervention Measures Among Students at a South African University During the COVID-19 Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2957-3645/20393Keywords:
COVID-19, NPI, behaviour change, health promotion, late-stage adolescence, pandemic preparedness, theoretical domains frameworkAbstract
The adoption of non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures, such as hand sanitising, physical distancing and mask-wearing in public, is essential to pandemic management. However, a significant gap exists in behavioural science research on strategies to improve NPI compliance in different African contexts. In this study, we sought to explore the barriers to and facilitators of NPI adoption among late-stage adolescents at a South African university. Using an interpretative qualitative design, we conducted 18 individual semi-structured interviews between November 2021 and February 2022, and analysed the data through the theoretical domains framework. The findings indicate that NPI adoption among the participants evolved over time, and was influenced more by emerging scientific literature and World Health Organization guidance than by government regulations. Compliance was found to decrease significantly in the presence of loved ones, where the participants lacked the social opportunity and emotional motivation to adhere to guidelines. Key facilitators included high levels of knowledge regarding COVID-19 and NPI, and a fear of severe illness. Conversely, the barriers identified were government mistrust, physical discomfort associated with NPI, and misplaced in-group trust. We conclude that, while fear and restrictive measures can drive short-term compliance, solidarity-based messaging is more effective for promoting sustainable behaviour change and psychological resilience. Policy efforts should therefore focus on reducing barriers to adherence, by highlighting NPI importance in high-risk contexts, and leveraging social media for youth-targeted health communication.
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