Vulnerable and risk groups amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Preventive behaviours, preferences, and perceptions

Objectives: Having an underlying medical condition or comorbidities, as well as being of advanced age, makes large groups of the population more vulnerable to detrimental effects of COVID-19. Among those effects are higher rate of hospitalization, increased mortality, and slower recovery. To protect these vulnerable groups and the population at large actions were taken by governments, particularly the implementations of preventive measures, both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical. Study Design The data as whole stem from the Austrian Corona Panel Project (ACPP), which is a nationally representative panel-survey conducted in Austria. Methods: This study makes use of panel-data from 2021 and 2022 in a longitudinal analysis through pooled regression models (n=2123). In addition, an in-depth analysis is provided with cross-sectional data from winter 2021 (n=1183) and by means or seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR). The predictor variables are age and two different measures of comorbidities. Dependent variables are preventive behaviours, preferences and perceptions. Robustness checks with control variables are carried out as well. Results: Both in the longitudinal and the cross-sectional analysis age above 65 years is the clearest predictor for all investigated preventive behaviours, preferences and perceptions. People above 65 years of age show significant patterns to be more compliant, to support stricter pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical measures and to perceive others’ preventive behaviours and opinions on measures more favourably. Having one or several underlying diseases, disorders or injuries correlates positively with most preventive behaviours, as well as with preferences for more stringent public health measures. By contrast age, people with comorbidities perceive other people’s compliance and opinions on preventive measures as less pronounced. Conclusions: People of advanced aged and those with underlying medical conditions exhibit stronger preventive behaviour, including vaccination readiness. They also support more stringent measures, even compulsory vaccination. These results can be interpreted as self-directed because vulnerable and risk groups have strong incentives to avoid becoming infected with COVID-19. It can be argued that such behaviours and preferences are directed at others to facilitate reciprocal actions by the public at large, and if necessary also to make preventive measures mandatory.