Appraisal of Community’s Sense of Social Support and Social Distancing Measures in Combating COVID-19 Pandemic in Residential Neighbourhoods of Akure, Nigeria
Keywords:
COVID-19, Nigeria, Sense of community, social distancing measures, social support, pandemic
Abstract
This study used the Sense of Community Index 2 (SCI-2) designed by McMillan & Chavis (1986). However, the SOC indices were slightly modified to account for issues relating to the current pandemic, which was not captured in the McMillian & Chavis study. This paper reports on the relationship between preventive measures to reduce the spread of the pandemic and residents' sense of community in poor neighbourhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Questionnaires were administered to household heads of selected poor residential neighbourhoods in Akure, Nigeria, and subjected to frequency distribution and the Pearson moment coefficient analysis to determine the relationship between social distancing and sense of community during the pandemic. The majority of the respondents (99.6%) were aware of the pandemic, and 92.3% adhered to one or more safety measures (personal hygiene, mask, curfew, isolation, and lockdown). The findings also revealed a significant (p=0.05) correlation between a sense of belonging and adherence to pandemic prevention measures in the study area. Therefore, it is essential that decision-makers take into account not only the socioeconomic characteristics of people but also the social concept of their daily existence when determining social policy and service delivery.
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Skjaeveland, O., Garling, T., & Maeland, J.G. (1996). A multidimensional measure of neighbouring. American Journal of Community Psychology, 24(3), 413–435.
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Wilton, P. (1993). Spanish flu outdid WW1 in number of lives claimed. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 148, 2036-2037.
World Health Organization (2020). Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19; Implications for IPC precaution recommendations. Scientific brief, 29th March, 2020.
Ayoola, H. A. (2015). Urban poverty in the core residential neighbourhoods of Akure (Unpublished Doctor of Philosophy Thesis), Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Bai, Y., Lin, C. C., Lin, C. Y., Chen, Y., Chue, C. M., & Chou, P. (2020). Survey of stress reactions among health care workers involved with the SARS outbreak.
Baldassar, L. (2008). Missing Kin and Longing to Be Together: Emotions and the Construction.
Barnett-Howell, Z., &Mobarak, A. H. (2020). The benefits and costs of social distancing in rich and poor countries.
Bowlby, S. (2011). Friendship, Co-Presence and Care: Neglected Spaces. Social and Cultural city. The BMJ Opinion, 24 January 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020, from https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/01/24/coronavirus-the-psychological-effects-ofquarantining-a-city/
Chavis, D., & Pretty, G. (1999). Sense of community: Advances in measurement and application. Journal of Community Psychology, 27(6), 635-642.
Cohen-Mansfield, J., Hazan, H., Lerman, Y., & Shalom, V. (2016). Correlates and predictors of loneliness in older-adults: a review of quantitative results informed by qualitative insights. International Psychogeriatrics, 28(4), 557-576.
Cohn, S. (2018). Epidemics, hate and compassion from the plague of Athens to AIDS. Oxford University Press, London.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2020, March 23). Considerations due to coronavirus, highest since 1930s. Reuters. Retrieved from https://de.reuters.com/article/healthcoronavirus-norway-unemployment-idUSL8N2BH5MT
Farahani, L. M., & Lozanovska, M. (2014). A framework for exploring the sense of community and social life in residential environment. Archnet-International Journal of Architectural Research, 8(3), 223-237.
Faris, D. (2020). Coronavirus' Looming Psychological Crisis. The Week, 19 March 2020,
Fluckiger, M., Ludwig, M., & Sina Onder, A. (2019). Ebola and state legitimacy. The Economic Journal 129(621), 2064-2089.
Gibson, L., & Rush, D. (2020). Novel Coronavirus in Cape Town Informal Settlements: Feasibility of using Informal Dwelling Outlines to Identify High Risk Areas for COVID-19 Transmission from a Social Distancing Perspective. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 6(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.2196/18844
Hawryluck, L., Gold, W. L., Robinson, S., Pogorski, S., Galea, S., & Styra, R. SARS control and https://theweek.com/articles/903343/coronavirus-looming-psychological-crisis
Jeong, H., Yim, H. W., Song, Y. J., Ki, M., Min, J. A., Cho, J., & Chae, J. H. (2016). Mental health status of people isolated due to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Epidemiology and health, 38.
Jiloha, R. C., (2020). COVID-19 and Mental Health. Epidemiology International, 5(1) 7-9. https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.7048.202002
Liu, J., Liao, X., & Qian, S. (2020). Community transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, Shenhen, China. Emerg Infect Dis 2020. Doi.org/10.3201/eid2606.200239
Long, N. J. (2020) From social distancing to social containment: reimagining sociality for the coronavirus pandemic. Medicine Anthropology Theory. ISSN 2405-691X (Submitted).
McMillan, D., & Chavis, D. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. American Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6-23.
Musinguzi, G., & Asamoah, B. O. (2020). The science of social distancing and total lockdown : Does it work? Whom does it benefit. Electronic Journal of General Medicine, 17(6), 1-3. no. 3: 247-266. https://doi.org/10.1080/07256860802169196.
Owoeye, J. O. (2019). Assessing Urban Growth Dynamics and Depletion of Agricultural Land Use in Akure Region, Nigeria. Land Science, 1(1):43-58; Ideas Spread Publications, New York; http://ls.ideasspread.org.
Poland, J. D., & Dennis, D. T. (1998). “Plague” in bacterial infections of humans, 545-558.
Rubin, G. J., & Wessely, S. (2020). Coronavirus: The Psychological Effects of Quarantining a City [blog]. The BMJ Opinion.
Santini, Z., Jose, P., & Cornwell, E., et al. (2020). Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among older Americans (NSHAP): a longitudinal mediation analysis. Lancet Public Health, 5: e62–70.
Sen-Crowe, B., McKenney, M., & Elkbuli, A. (2020). Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Staying home save lives. American Journal of Emergency Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2020.03.063
Sengupta, N. K., Luyten, N., Greaves, L. M., Osborne, D., Robertson, A., Armstrong, G., & Sibley, C. G. (2013). Sense of Community in New Zealand neighbourhoods: A multi level model predicting social capital. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 42(1), 36-44.
Skidmore, M., & Toya, H. (2014). Do natural disasters enhance societal trust? Kyk-los, 67, 255-279.
Skjaeveland, O., Garling, T., & Maeland, J.G. (1996). A multidimensional measure of neighbouring. American Journal of Community Psychology, 24(3), 413–435.
Tabellini, G. (2010). Culture and institutions: Economic development in the regions of Europe. Journal of European Economic Associations, 8(4), 677-716.
Venkatesh, A., & Edirappuli, S. (2020). Social distancing in covid-19: what are the mental health implications? BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1379
Vrugt, M., Bickmann, J., & Wittkowski, R. (2020). Effects of social distancing and isolation on epidemic spreading: a dynamic density functional theory model.
Wilder-Smith, A., & Freedman, D. O. (2020). Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Journal of Travel Medicine. 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa020
Wilton, P. (1993). Spanish flu outdid WW1 in number of lives claimed. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 148, 2036-2037.
World Health Organization (2020). Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19; Implications for IPC precaution recommendations. Scientific brief, 29th March, 2020.
Published
2023-05-26
How to Cite
Ayoola, A., Olusoga, O., & Osman, A. (2023, May 26). Appraisal of Community’s Sense of Social Support and Social Distancing Measures in Combating COVID-19 Pandemic in Residential Neighbourhoods of Akure, Nigeria. Land Science, 5(1), p1. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.30560/ls.v5n1p1
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