During the chaos that was the Covid-19 pandemic, and in contrast to the lockdowns imposed in many countries, Japanese authorities issued health advisories and trusted citizens to follow them voluntarily.
Now, researchers from that country have investigated how this approach affected public psychology and health-related behaviours during and after the pandemic, offering insights for policymakers, public health experts, and citizens for future such crises.
In a study published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, researchers from Osaka University revealed the findings of a panel survey conducted in 30 waves between January 2020 and March 2024, examining the impact of Japan's state of emergency declarations on public behaviours and perceptions.
Although the Japanese Government declared a “state of emergency” during the pandemic, health advisories and restrictions varied regionally, based on the severity of infection levels.
Despite regional variations in restrictive policies from April 2020, there were no clear regional differences in changes to hygiene behaviours, social activities, or risk perceptions,” notes lead author of the study Mei Yamagata.
“This suggests significant spillover effects between the areas targeted for a state of emergency and elsewhere, whether through shared social and informational networks or simply through the media.”
The researchers examined panel data on about 1 200 citizens throughout the country who were surveyed repeatedly over slightly more than four years, starting from the outbreak of the pandemic.
People's awareness of the risks associated with Covid increased after a state of emergency was declared in certain regions.
“We also saw a significant increase in hygienic behaviours, such as mask-wearing and hand-disinfection. Even after the state of emergency was lifted in late May 2020, people tended to continue to follow these hygienic practices for some time,” said author Michio Murakami.
In May 2023, the government officially downgraded the legal status of Covid to the same level as seasonal flu.
The study also investigated how this policy change affected citizens’ attitudes and behaviours.
“We found the relaxation policy had several noteworthy effects,” said Asako Miura, senior author. “People became less fearful of being infected and were less inclined to engage in hygienic behaviours like mask-wearing.
“By this stage, people over 42 were less likely than younger people to wear a mask – a phenomenon that may be explained by optimism bias on the part of older people regarding their chances in the event of infection.”
The authors said it seemed unlikely the Covid-19 pandemic was the last global public health emergency we are likely to face, “so there …is much to be said for learning from the Japanese experience of managing the pandemic by obtaining the public's co-operation”.
Study details
Effects of political treatments during the Covid-19 pandemic on infection-prevention behaviour and risk perception: a panel data analysis of Japan
Mei Yamagata, Michio Murakami, Asako Miura.
Published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction on 1 February 2025
Abstract
This study examined the impact of the Japanese government's pandemic policies on people's risk perception and infection-prevention behaviours through the analysis of panel survey data conducted from January 2020 to May 2023. Study 1 focused on restrictive policies, examining their effects in combination with the regions where these policies were implemented. Study 2 focused on the relaxation policy, considering their effects in combination with individual difference factors. The results of Studies 1 and 2 revealed that neither restrictive nor relaxation policies had a statistically significant impact on infection-prevention behaviours and risk perception. However, significant temporal changes were observed in some dependent variables in both studies. Following the implementation of restrictive policies, both infection-prevention behaviours and risk perception increased. After the lifting of these policies, while social activities became more active, hygienic behaviours continued. Conversely, after the relaxation policy, hygienic behaviours decreased and the perception of dread risk diminished. This research offers crucial insights for policymakers, public health experts, and citizens, aiding in the prevention of future public health crises.
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