Page 134 - IJPS-10-4

International Journal of
Population Studies Household on teens’ COVID-19 prevention

The covariate variables used in this study included high behavior changes, as well as none, 1 – 3, and 4 – 7
gender (male/female) and ethnicity/race (African, White, preventive practices. The ordinal regression method was
Colored, and Indian/Asian). In the South African context, chosen in this study due to the order of satisfaction of the
“Africans” refers to Black South Africans. The term dependent variables. To account for the ordinal outcomes,
“Colored” was used by the South African government various ordinal logistics regression models exist. In this
from 1950 to 1991, to describe individuals of mixed study, we used the proportional odds model (POM),
European (“White”) and African (“Black”) or Asian which is commonly employed in epidemiology and
ancestry. This term is also used more broadly to refer to public health research. The POM compares cumulatively
Black expatriates in South Africa. In addition, the study higher categories rather than focusing solely on specific
considered a province of residence and the highest level categories. The statistical models adopted for this study
of education. These covariates capture key demographic focus on the POM model’s decisions.
factors of adolescents. Demographic factors have been
documented to be more connected to young people’s 3. Results
attitudes and perceptions toward infections such as 3.1. Description of adolescents and young adults
COVID-19 pandemics (Hager et al., 2020; Yang et al.,
2020). In this study, gender was categorized as male and included in the NIDS-CRAM (Wave 5)
female. Research indicates that the level of education Table 1 presents the background characteristics of the
is related to changes in behaviors during pandemics adolescents (15 – 24 years) included in the study. The research
(Odimegwu et al., 2019; Pförtner et al., 2022; Van et al., encompassed 2150 males and 3431 females, with females
2010). More educated youth are more likely to be aware representing a higher proportion (61.5%). A significant
of preventive measures associated with pandemics, which majority of the respondents were from the African/Black
may lead to protection against the spread of the virus. ethnic group (86.6%) at the time of the survey. Most of the
Education levels in this study were classified as: “National adolescents and young adults captured in the study were
certificate,” “senior certificate,” “below senior certificate,” from the KwaZulu-Natal province. Regarding education,
“Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET),” and “no slightly more than half of the respondents (51.6%) held
schooling.” The ABET is a program in South Africa that a senior school certificate. Among the respondents, only
provides basic education and skills training to adults who 44.3% were employed, whereas 41% of the respondents
have not completed their formal education. The ethnicity/ came from households that relied on government grants.
race was expressed through a combination of physical, However, most respondents lived in households that did
behavioral, and cultural attributes of the respondents in not receive any COVID-19 grants from the government.
this study. This approach captures the variety of groups Only a small number of individuals (10.7%) indicated
in an area along with their relative representation (Vyas that they are from households that received COVID-19
& Kumaranayake, 2006). This variable was chosen to grants from the government to mitigate the effects of the
ascertain how adolescents and/or young people responded COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.
to the behavioral and preventive measures instituted by
the government during the COVID-19 pandemic in 3.2. Measures of behavioral changes and levels of
South Africa. The province of residence was defined as preventive practices among adolescents and young
the geographical location where the respondents resided, adults throughout the COVID-19 outbreak
including the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Figure 1 illustrates that there were no significant behavioral
Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Gauteng, changes in adolescents and young adults during the
Mpumalanga, and Limpopo. COVID-19 period. The results indicate that 56% of
adolescents experienced low behavioral changes during the
2.3. Analysis plans COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, 41% of the respondents
Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze reported medium-level behavioral changes, while only 3%
the responses regarding households, demographics, of the respondents had high behavioral changes. In addition,
and socioeconomic variables. Cross-tabulations were Figure 1 reveals that no significant preventive measures
employed to examine the percentages of identified were adopted by adolescents and young adults during the
behaviors that changed and preventive practices adopted. COVID-19 period. The data show that 61% of adolescents
The likelihood of behavior changes and preventive did not adopt any preventive measures during the
practices by the respondent and household characteristics COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, 35% of the respondents
was calculated using the ordinal logistic regression adopted one to three preventive measures, and only 4%
model, with the outcome modified into low, medium, and adopted four to seven or more preventive measures.

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 128 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.2751