Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41556063›Full record

ArticleDiscover public health2026

Adherence to mask wearing and social distancing and use of lateral flow tests during the COVID19 pandemic in England and Wales based on the virus watch community cohort study.

Vivi Antonopoulou, Madeline Ong, Carly Meyer, Sarah Beale, Fabiana Lorencatto, Susan Michie, Robert W Aldridge, Andrew Hayward

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Discover public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Vivi AntonopoulouCentre for Behaviour Change, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1002-4191
Madeline OngCentre for Behaviour Change, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4092-2152
Carly MeyerCentre for Behaviour Change, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2268-3055
Sarah BealeCentre for Public Health Data Science, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4038-7460
Fabiana LorencattoCentre for Behaviour Change, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4418-7957
Susan MichieCentre for Behaviour Change, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0063-6378
Robert W AldridgeCentre for Public Health Data Science, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0542-0816
Andrew HaywardInstitute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3549-6232

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Personal protective behaviours (PPBs) played a crucial role in limiting infection spread during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet adherence varied across communities. Understanding the factors influencing adherence is important, as PPBs will remain critical in future pandemics. Using behavioural science, we investigated the influences on adherence to PPBs, focusing on face mask wearing, social distancing, and lateral flow testing (LFT). Methods: Two online surveys were conducted in July and August 2021 in England and Wales ( Results: Most respondents reported wearing a face mask in public indoor places (88.5%) and maintaining a 1 + metre distance (86.8%) all or most of the time. After two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, adherence declined with 48.3% reporting meeting friends or family and 38.3% visiting indoor places more frequently. Motivation, Opportunity and Capability factors were significantly associated with increased odds of wearing a face mask and social distancing ( Conclusions: Despite reduced restrictions and high vaccination rates, overall adherence to PPBs remained high. Behavioural influences played a significant role in PPB use. These findings can inform tailored public health interventions and support future community-level emergency preparedness. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12982-026-01375-6.

Indexed as

Behavioral scienceLateral flow device (LFD)PandemicPersonal protective behaviorsPublic health interventionsRapid lateral flow tests

Identifiers

PMID41556063
PMCPMC12812096

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.