Optimizing pandemic preparedness through ongoing assessment of public attitudes, intentions and behaviours in relation to COVID-19 prevention measures and their impacts: Extending the iCARE Study

Despite the fact that Canadians, and people around the world are 'done' with COVID-19, the World Health Organization, the US Center for Disease Control and Health Canada are all projecting that new variants of concern are highly likely to develop, and some may be more contageous and/or more severe than previous variants. It is therefore highly probable that behavioural prevention policies, including additional vaccine doses, mask wearing, and distancing, may need to be re-introduced. In fact, many governments (including Canada) are already preparing for how to manage the next wave of the pandemic. This application is seeking to extend our current CIHR-funded iCARE study beyond its current funding window to continue to monitor population attitudes, intentions and behaviours in relation to engaging in COVID-19 prevention behaviours as measures become increasingly relaxed/lifted, and in relation to the potential re-introduction of preventive measures if/when this may become necessary. We will also assess what factors would motivate people to re-engage in these behaviours, including how people have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and its prevention policies (e.g., psychologically, socially, interpersonally, financially, and medically), in general and among vulnerable groups (e.g., racial & ethnic minorities, women, those with mental/ physical health conditions). The existing infrastructure of the iCARE study will be leveraged to rapidly adapt and extend ongoing population assessments so that we may continue to provide timely data to local and international governments to inform policy. We will collect data in Canada and a sample of key countries (i.e., Italy, Ireland, France, Australia, and Colombia) chosen based on their relative position to Canada on the pandemic curve, their diverse policy approaches and impacts, and their geographical and population diversity.