Masters candidate in Biostatistics, Damon Leach, will present:

“Measuring Pandemic Fatigue and Adherence During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Plan B Adviser: Mark Fiecas

Abstract: As the COVID-19 pandemic draws on, individuals are less likely to follow CDC guidelines regarding staying home and social distancing, a phenomenon characterized as pandemic fatigue. One way to measure this pandemic fatigue is by accounting for the number of departures that an individual takes from their home. Fitting mixed models for departures on socioeconomic factors such as age, income, education level, gender, employment status, health, number of household members, in addition to Parkinson’s disease status and time of the year, we measured the number of outings by individuals from Minnesota and Iowa. Outings were classified as going to retail, dining, healthcare facilities, caregiving facilities, another residence, outdoor events, and other locations for non-work purposes. Contacts at specific outings were also measured. This study included two cohorts, where the first cohort included families with children and the second cohort included a sample of older individuals with some having Parkinson’s disease. In the first cohort, time, income, education level, and living with someone that had a preexisting health condition were associated with greater numbers of outings. In the second cohort, time, age, and Parkinson’s disease status were more common factors that impacted one’s departures. As new variants emerge, the need for understanding which individuals adhere to social distancing guidelines is imperative for creating messaging that will target the correct demographics.