Evaluation of compliance to social distancing measures and its determinants of graduate students at Hacettepe University during the COVID-19 pandemic period by structural equation modeling

This research was conducted through an online data collection form with the participation of 361 graduate students studying at institutes of Hacettepe University between August and November 2021. In this study, in line with the conceptual framework developed on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the level of compliance of the participants to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic period and its determinants were evaluated. 68.7% of the participants were women. The mean value of their ages was 30.84±6.5, ranging between 22-61. Among the participants, 50 people (13.9%) had at least one chronic disease. 16.7% (60 people) of the participants had COVID-19 at least once; 81.1% (293 people) had at least two COVID-19 vaccines as recommended for that period. The mean score of the participants from the Social Distance Scale in the COVID-19 Era was 14,3±2,9, and the scores varied between 4-20. The scores obtained from this scale were in advanced age groups (p<0.001), females (p=0.041), living with at least one risky household (p=0.034), continuing doctoral education (p=0.034), and having at least one chronic disease. (p=0.005) and regular drug users (p=0.003) were found to have statistically significant higher scores than other groups in the same category. As a result of structural equation modeling, a model with good fit was obtained (RMSEA=0.027, SRMR=0.037, CFI=0.99, NFI=0.97, AGFI=0.98). Accordingly, the variables that directly predicted the behavior of compliance to social distancing measures when controlled according to age were gender, frequency of following up-to-date information, and having at least one chronic disease. The compliance was found to be 0.19 points lower in women (-0.19; SH=0.058; t=-3.29). One point increase in the frequency of following up-to-date information caused an increase in compliance by 0.15 points (0.15; SH=0.056; t=2.65). Having at least one chronic disease increased compliance by 0.12 points (0.12; SH=0.057; t=2.16). Having experienced COVID-19 at least once was related to compliance with social distance through the frequency of following up-to-date information. It was determined that there was no significant relationship between compliance and neither perceived efficacy (-0.064; SH=0.59; t=-1.08) nor perceived threat (0.032; SH=0.059; t=0.54). When developing interventions to improve social distancing compliance behaviors, health administrators should carefully consider the main structures of the PMT and the sociodemographic characteristics of the target group they will be addressing and should develop different strategies to promote compliance of different groups. This study recommends focusing on women, those with chronic diseases, and those with low frequency of following up-to-date information in the population group continuing postgraduate education.