Professor Co-Authors Article about COVID-19 Compliance

Suzanne Marmo analyzes social and emotional aspects of COVID-19 restrictions

Suzanne Marmo, assistant professor of social work at Sacred Heart University, has co-authored an article in Social Work in Health Care titled, “Compliance with Preventative Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the USA and Canada: Results from an Online Survey.” 

Marmo and co-writers Kathryn Krase, associate professor of social work at Yeshiva University in New York City, Donna Wang, professor of social work at Springfield College, Massachusetts, and Lusta Phanord, a doctorate student of social work at Yeshiva University, surveyed people online to determine adherence to early, preventive COVID-19 recommendations, such as social distancing and frequent hand-washing. 

Orchestrated in June 2020 in the United States and Canada, the survey revealed that age and political beliefs were prominent factors in predicting compliance with these restrictions. Respondents who were more likely to follow COVID-19 recommendations listed their safety and that of their families and other people as top reasons for compliance. Respondents who were less likely to comply gave reasons such as receiving mixed messages from various sources, viewing the restrictions as unnecessary and their inability to comply. Distrust in the government was another common answer.

Marmo and her colleagues then applied the theory of reasoned action to their survey findings. This theory describes how a behavior is determined by a subject’s attitude and the “subjective norm” related to the situation. The factors obtained from the survey, such as distrust in the government and social responsibility, could be used accurately to determine whether or not other people are willing to comply with COVID-19 safety recommendations, according to this model.

“This article is so timely, and compliance with preventive measures is such an important part of keeping us all safe,” said Marmo. Read the full article online.