A statewide survey recently commissioned by the state Department of Health has found that 93% of Hawaii residents consider COVID-19 to be a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” health concern, and 75% believe it poses a real danger or threat to themselves or others living in their household, the DOH said in a news release Friday.
However, only 44% of those who responded say they are practicing social distancing guidelines suggested by government officials and health care professionals “all of the time,” the DOH said.
According to the survey, 25% of respondents who say they do not feel threatened by COVID-19 said they are following CDC guidelines, believe they are healthy and unlikely to get sick, do not venture outside their home much, or do not trust reports about the severity of the disease.
There were notable differences in perceptions between the neighbor islands and Oahu, with 81% of neighbor islanders saying they consider COVID-19 to be a “very serious” concern, versus 69% of Oahu residents surveyed, the DOH said.
“The findings provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of our efforts to educate our community about the disease. This is especially important as we begin to reopen parks, businesses and other places where people congregate,” state Director of Health Bruce Anderson said. “For our state to fully reopen and start the road to economic recovery, all of our residents must recognize the seriousness of the pandemic and be willing to make necessary lifestyle changes to prevent a second wave of increased cases.”
The survey results validate that the DOH is reaching 95% of Hawaii residents with its messages related to COVID-19 mitigation practices, the department said. Those who were able to recall DOH’s public health messaging are more likely to adhere to social distancing guidelines “all of the time.”
Those who remembered a public service announcement featuring Frank De Lima— part of the DOH’s “Stay Healthy, Stay at Home” campaign — are more likely to recognize COVID-19 as a threat to their households and to correctly identify symptoms associated with the virus, the DOH said.
Statewide, 44% of those polled believe they are following social distancing guidelines “all of the time,” while 51% say they do so “most of the time.”
Still, when presented with a list of suggested actions, 26% of those polled say they are not standing six feet or farther apart “all of the time.” Among those who are not routinely following social distancing guidelines, 21% do not recall DOH messages.
“These findings underscore the importance of outreach and education, especially now during this time of uncertainty and changing recommendations,” Anderson said. “We will continue to invest in public health education and assess the effectiveness of our efforts as we head into the state’s recovery and reopening phase.”
The department’s COVID-19 campaigns include public service announcements on television, radio, digital and print that promote everyday prevention, physical activity, connectedness, mental health and family strengthening.
Additional efforts are underway that focus on younger audiences and other groups with lower levels of awareness and compliance with social distancing guidelines.
Public service announcements can be viewed at HawaiiCOVID19.com/Resources.
A total of 545 surveys were conducted by Anthology Research April 17-23.