Personal worries about COVID-19 transmission among Vietnamese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Personal worries about COVID-19 transmission can have significant health effects on both physical and mental health. The project objectives were to determine the prevalence and factors influencing personal worries about COVID-19 transmission among adult Vietnamese men and women in 2021. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2021 among adults living in Hanoi City and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in which a total of 447 individuals completed the questionnaire survey. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure whether survey respondents were worried about being infected with COVID-19, whether family/friends will catch COVID-19, and about spreading the virus to others. The rating scores were then used to categorize study participants as “worried” (score 1-3) and “not worried” (score 4-5). Results: The study found that slightly more than two-thirds of the study sample were worried about being infected with COVID-19. Additionally, approximately four in every five respondents were worried that family/friends would catch COVID-19 or were concerned about spreading the virus to others. Individuals who did not engage in outdoor activities during the prior two weeks exhibited higher worry about being infected with COVID-19 compare to whom did. People living with someone at high risk for COVID-19 and worrying about losing their home had concerns that family/friends would catch COVID-19 more than whom did not. Men and individuals without a medical history of chronic disease and health insurance were less likely to express worries about spreading the COVID-19 virus to others compared to women and those with these chronic conditions and with insurance. Conclusion: Our findings emphasize the interplay between individual risk perception and broader social determinants of health in shaping attitudes and behaviors related to COVID-19 prevention and control.