Individual and social behaviors: Strategies to maintain preventive actions in times of epidemic

Abstract

The behavior modification, such as make habit the use of face masks, physical distancing, hand washing and confinement, in a pandemic situation (as the current one by COVID-19), constitute a challenge for the individual and society, as well this may represent a gain for people’s own health. When the individual isn´t perceived to be at risk in the face of a health condition, nor do they identify its severity, it will hardly generate changes in their behavior. This is more complex when behaviors must change depending on risk groups, as required during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the individual does not perceive himself at risk in the face of a health condition, nor do they identify its severity, it will hardly generate changes in their behaviors, especially when the task must be oriented to modify the behavior according to the risk groups, which it must be done in the presence of COVID-19. Three actions would help in this task: 1) people need to be informed; 2) for people to continue maintaining their behavior they must be gratified for the efforts they make, and 3) the subjects need to be permanently motivated to continue with the behavior change, because the changes have a purpose. These three actions show that behavior change is not only the responsibility of the individual, they occur in a social context, where there are economic and political forces that favor or limit these changes. Thus, the responsibility to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is a shared responsibility.