AUTHOR=Al Zabadi Hamzeh , Yaseen Noor , Alhroub Thair , Haj-Yahya Maryam 

TITLE=Assessment of Quarantine Understanding and Adherence to Lockdown Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Palestine: Community Experience and Evidence for Action

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.570242

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2021.570242

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Background 
Containment of coronavirus pandemic relied extensively on the combination of early implementation of quarantine and massive behavioral changes to ensure effectiveness. Decision-makers need to constantly monitor the outbreak situation and the impact of the measures implemented. Yet, little is known about the factors influencing adherence and understanding of lockdown measures among the Palestinian community. This study aimed to assess the impact and factors affecting these early public health interventions.
Materials and methods
A cross-sectional web-based questionnaire was distributed throughout social media (Facebook and Instagram). We used snowball recruiting technique to target the Palestinians adult citizens during coronavirus pandemic quarantine between 6- 16 April 2020 which corresponded to almost the middle interval of the strict massive lockdown measures in Palestine started 22 March to 5 May 2020. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed for the outcome variables (staying home adherence, in-home precautions adherence, and quarantine understanding).
Results
Our questionnaire was completed by 2819 participants. The mean (range) age was 29.47 (18-71) years. Of them, 1144 (40.6%), 1261 (44.7%), and 1283 (45.5%) reported low level of staying home adherence, in-home precautions adherence, and quarantine understanding; respectively. Females, city residents, higher educational levels, and being informed by official government sources were associated significantly with higher levels of both staying home adherence and quarantine understanding. Adequate food supply was associated with a higher level of staying home adherence.  Higher level of in-home precautions adherence was noticed in elderly and those having high-risk group living at home. Higher monthly income was inversely associated with higher level of in-home precautions adherence and lower level of quarantine understanding (P-value <0.05). 
Conclusions
Socio-economic and financial status of the general population and coordination between the major information resources (official government), social media, and the press were the major factors affecting community in regards to quarantine adherence. For maximum effectiveness and commitment levels amongst the people to have safety measures and to decrease the spread of infection, policymakers need to address all those factors. In addition, clear communication between policymakers and the population is essential for reassuring the people and minimizing their fears regarding the unknown future.