A Mapúa University study that tackles the perception of Filipinos on the effectivity of the COVID-19 preventive measures has been published in a prestigious international medical journal.
It is the first research done in the Philippines on perceptions on the pandemic and the subsequent preventive measures undertaken locally.
“The current study is one of the first studies in this field of research that addresses COVID-19 in the Philippines. It can be applied and extended to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 measures in other countries dealing with the pandemic,” Dr. Yogi Tri Prasetyo of the Mapúa School of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IE-EMG) and lead author of the study said.
It was published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases (IJID), an open-access monthly journal that publishes clinical and laboratory-based researches in epidemiology, clinical diagnosis, and treatment and control of infectious diseases.
Dr. Prasetyo said the study shows that Filipinos who have better understanding of COVID -19 are more likely to recognize the effectiveness of health protocols in protecting them against the said disease.
Some of the COVID-19 preventive measures include proper hand washing, wearing of face masks and face shields, and observing physical distancing.
The study also reveals that those who are knowledgeable about COVID-19 are more likely to understand its severity and their chances of contracting the disease.
However, the current study was mainly focused on perceived effectiveness rather than measuring the effectiveness of prevention measures themselves.
The research also showed that the Filipinos’ intention to follow measures influences their actual and adapted behavior such as doing proper disinfection and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Prasetyo said that his group decided to conduct the study with the increasing number of COVID cases in the country and with the lack of significant studies about the disease.
The other authors are Allysa Mae Castillo, Louie John Salonga, John Allen Sia, and Joshua Adam Seneta.