Wave 2.3

COSMO Canada

Implementing the WHO Behavioural Insights tool on COVID-19 to inform response efforts, including policy, interventions and communications.

Background

From April 2020 to November 2021, Impact Canada led the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Behavioural Insights (BI) Tool on COVID-19 in the Canadian context. This study - COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring (COSMO Canada) - was conducted in collaboration with the Public Opinion Research Team at the Privy Council Office and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Insights from COSMO Phase One informed the federal response to COVID-19 and enabled whole-of-government decision making to meet the specific, changing needs of citizens throughout the pandemic.

In February 2022, Impact Canada launched the second phase and will continue to monitor the evolving pandemic response context with a new sample of Canadians and a new Advisory Committee.

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Phase 2 Methodology

With a longitudinal design, the study follows 2,000 participants recruited from an online panel over eight waves of data collection. Respondents are a representative mix of Canadian adults aged 18 years and older and results are weighted using 2016 Statistics Canada census data to mirror the population distribution in Canada. For more information on the study methodology, please visit the COSMO Canada pre-registration page.

Key Insights

  • Public Health Measures: In Wave 2.3, 41% of respondents indicated that they either have had, or likely have had, COVID-19 at some point. 30% of respondents reported having been tested for COVID-19 in the past month, either using a rapid test or a PCR test. 84% of respondents reported ‘often’ or ‘always’ wearing a face mask when mandatory and 47% when it was not mandatory.
  • Vaccination: 91% of COSMO respondents had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which was in line with real world vaccine uptake for the 18+ population. 72% of the COSMO sample had at least 3 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, which was higher than real world uptake (59%). First, second and third dose uptake have not shifted meaningfully since the beginning of data collection in February 2022. Among unvaccinated respondents (9% of total sample), 94% indicated that they do not intend to be vaccinated, while 5% were unsure. Among respondents with 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., who had not yet received a booster dose), 23% indicated that they were likely to get a third dose and 72% indicated they were unlikely to get one. This represents a decrease in intentions compared to previous waves of data collection. Among respondents with 3 doses, 78% indicated that they were likely to get a fourth dose if it becomes available and recommended.

  • Pediatric Vaccination: 39% of parents intend to vaccinate their 0-4 year olds either as soon as possible (31%) or after some time (8%). Intentions to vaccinate children in this age group have not shifted significantly since data collection began in February 2022. In all three waves of data collection, the portion of parents with children aged 5-11 indicating that their children were unvaccinated remained consistent (42-43%), suggesting that first dose uptake has stalled in this age group. 81% of parents with children aged 12-17 indicated that their children had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 27% had three doses. Across the three waves of data collection, first and second dose uptake have not shifted significantly in the 12-17 population, however, the portion of children 12-17 with 3 doses has increased across waves.
  • Sources of Information & Trust: In Wave 2.3, the vast majority of respondents indicated a great deal of trust (4-5 out of 5) in healthcare workers (82%) and scientific experts (81%) for information on COVID-19. Trust in the federal government (62%) and provincial/territorial governments (60%) was also high, relative to other sources of information, such as friends/family (32%).There were no significant changes in trust in information sources between Waves 2.1 and 2.3. Of concern, only 25% agreed that the federal government listens to what ordinary people think about COVID-19.
  • COVID-19 Knowledge & Misinformation: A minority of respondents indicated that false statements about COVID-19 were ‘very accurate’ or ‘somewhat accurate’, and questioned the accuracy of some true statements. For example, 23% thought it was very or somewhat accurate that “there is little to no evidence that masks help to reduce the spread of COVID-19”. Additionally, a majority (65%) of respondents reported that they are ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ concerned about the spread of mis/disinformation online. Levels of concern were consistent between Waves 2.2 and 2.3.
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing: In Wave 2.3, 72% of respondents reported that they were satisfied with their lives as a whole - life satisfaction has been trending upward since Wave 2.1 (65%). In a related question on mental health, 35% of respondents indicated that their overall mental health has declined since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 (49% reported a decline in February 2022). Many respondents reported that they had felt stressed (69%), burnt out (50%), angry (53%), and anxious (63%) in the past two weeks.
  • Pandemic Outlook & Recovery: A majority (58%) of respondents reported that ‘the worst of the crisis is behind us’ (a slight increase from 51% in Waves 2.1 and 2.2), but many respondents remain unsure (22%). Despite a majority of respondents indicating that the worst of the crisis is behind us, 24% of respondents still anticipate that it will be longer than 6 months before day-to-day life in Canada resembles pre-pandemic times and 27% think life will ‘never’ resemble pre-pandemic times. Economic worries are top of mind for respondents. Respondents have become less worried about the impact of COVID-19 on the economy over time (63% in Wave 2.1 to 46% in Wave 2.3), and more concerned about inflation and cost-of-living increases (77% in Wave 2.1 to 79% in Wave 2.3). Health worries related to the pandemic have declined since data collection began in February. Respondents remain the most worried about increasing divisiveness and/or conflict within society (62%), and the health system being overloaded (52%).

Considerations

Data Collected: June 1-24, 2022

Sample size: 2,000

When interpreting the COSMO results it is useful to keep in mind the context of the data collection period, which may have influenced the responses of survey participants:

  • COVID-19 case numbers were decreasing or stable as we entered the summer months and most public health measures were lifted. However, some areas were reporting increases in some indicators and the overall proportion of BA.4 and BA.5 among sequenced variants was increasing by the end of the data collection period.
  • Most Canadians were vaccinated. As of June 19, 2022, approximately 93% of the Canadian population aged 18+ had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 90% had at least two doses, 59% had at least three doses, and 9% had four doses.
  • Among children aged 12-17, 88% had at least one dose, 84% had at least two doses, and 18% had three doses. Among children aged 5-11, 56% had at least one dose and 42% had two doses.
  • At the time of data collection, no COVID-19 vaccines had been approved for children aged 4 and under in Canada. However, in the US, vaccines were approved for children aged over 6 months on June 18, with media coverage on likely approval beginning earlier that week.
  • On June 14 - midway through the data collection period - the Government of Canada announced that it would be removing proof of vaccination requirements for Canadians travelling by plane or rail. As of June 20, the Government also announced that it was suspending mandatory vaccination for federal employees.
  • Health Canada’s authorization of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in children 6 months to 5 years of age was announced after the data collection period had concluded (July 14, 2022).

Public Health Measures

Figure 1. Are you or have you been infected with COVID-19?

 
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    Table 1. Are you or have you been infected with COVID-19?

     

Figure 2. Are you or have you been infected with COVID-19?

 
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    Table 2. Are you or have you been infected with COVID-19?

     

Figure 3. Were you infected with COVID-19 in the past four weeks?

 
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    Table 3. Were you infected with COVID-19 in the past four weeks?

     

Figure 4. In the past four weeks, have you…

 
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    Table 4. In the past four weeks, have you…

     

Figure 5. You’ve indicated that you have recently used a rapid test on yourself or someone else to detect COVID-19. Please state your level of agreement with the following statements. [Respondents who have administered a rapid test within the past for weeks, for themselves or for someone else (n=669)]

 
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    Table 5. You’ve indicated that you have recently used a rapid test on yourself or someone else to detect COVID-19. Please state your level of agreement with the following statements. [Respondents who have administered a rapid test within the past for weeks, for themselves or for someone else (n=669)]

     

Figure 6. In which of the following situations would you use an at-home, rapid COVID-19 test?

 
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    Table 6. In which of the following situations would you use an at-home, rapid COVID-19 test?

     

Figure 7. If you took a rapid test while experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and the results were positive, which of the following actions would you take? Please select all that apply. [half of respondents were asked about positive test results; n=976]

 
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    Table 7. If you took a rapid test while experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and the results were positive, which of the following actions would you take? Please select all that apply.

     

Figure 8. If you took a rapid test while experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and the results were negative, which of the following actions would you take? Please select all that apply. [half of respondents were asked about negative test results; n=1,024]

 
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    Table 8. If you took a rapid test while experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and the results were negative, which of the following actions would you take? Please select all that apply.

     

Figure 9. How would you rate your ability to self-administer a COVID-19 rapid test at home?

 
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    Table 9. How would you rate your ability to self-administer a COVID-19 rapid test at home?

     

Figure 10. In the past month, how often have you used the following measures to avoid getting COVID-19 or to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

 
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    Table 10. In the past month, how often have you used the following measures to avoid getting COVID-19 or to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

     

Figure 11. In the past month, how often have you used the following measures to avoid getting COVID-19 or to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

 
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    Table 11. In the past month, how often have you used the following measures to avoid getting COVID-19 or to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

     

Figure 12. Which of the following steps have you taken to improve ventilation in indoor spaces? [Respondents who have taken steps to improve indoor air quality (n=1,065)]

 
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    Table 12. Which of the following steps have you taken to improve ventilation in indoor spaces? [Respondents who have taken steps to improve indoor air quality (n=1,065)]

     

Figure 13. Which of the following types of masks do you wear most often? [Respondents who have worn a face mask over the past month (either mandatory or not mandatory) (n=1,792)]

 
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    Table 13. Which of the following types of masks do you wear most often? [Respondents who have worn a face mask over the past month (either mandatory or not mandatory) (n=1,792)]

     

Figure 14. In the past two weeks, have you…

 
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    Table 14. In the past two weeks, have you…

     

Figure 15. In the past two weeks, have you…

 
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    Table 15. In the past two weeks, have you…

     

Figure 16. How would you rate your ability to assess your personal risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 when engaging in or planning activities?

 
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    Table 16. How would you rate your ability to assess your personal risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 when engaging in or planning activities?

     

Figure 17. Which of the following factors do you consider when assessing your personal risk of being infected with COVID-19? [Respondents who believe they are at least somewhat able to self-assess their personal risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 (n=1,748)]

 
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    Table 17. Which of the following factors do you consider when assessing your personal risk of being infected with COVID-19? [Respondents who believe they are at least somewhat able to self-assess their personal risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 (n=1,748)]

     

Figure 18. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them?

 
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    Table 18. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them?

     

Figure 19. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them?

 
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    Table 19. In the future, if the following public health measures had to be reintroduced to prevent a widespread outbreak, would you support them?

     

Vaccination

Figure 20. If a [third/fourth] dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was available and recommended for you, how likely would you be to get it? [Respondents who have received two or three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=1,480)]

 
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    Table 20. If a [third/fourth] dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was available and recommended for you, how likely would you be to get it? [Respondents who have received two or three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=1,480)]

     

Figure 21. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get a [third/fourth] dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents who had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=354)]

 
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    Table 21. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get a [third/fourth] dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents who had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=354)]

     

Figure 22. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get a [third/fourth] dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents who had three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=1134)]

 
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    Table 22. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get a [third/fourth] dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents who had three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (n=1134)]

     

Figure 23. Will you get a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents who have not yet been vaccinated (n=175)]

 
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    Table 23. Will you get a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents who have not yet been vaccinated (n=175)]

     

Figure 24. The federal government currently requires proof of two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for certain travel within and outside of Canada (e.g., flights and certain travel by rail). Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.

 
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    Table 24. The federal government currently requires proof of two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for certain travel within and outside of Canada (e.g., flights and certain travel by rail). Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.

     

Figure 25. Compared to one year ago, are you more confident or less confident that COVID-19 vaccines are safe? [Half of respondents were asked about safety]

 
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    Table 25. Compared to one year ago, are you more confident or less confident that COVID-19 vaccines are safe? Split sample [Half of respondents were asked about safety]

     

Figure 26. Compared to one year ago, are you more confident or less confident that COVID-19 vaccines are effective? [Half of respondents were asked about effectiveness]

 
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    Table 26. Compared to one year ago, are you more confident or less confident that COVID-19 vaccines are effective? [Half of respondents were asked about effectiveness]

     

Vaccines for Children

Figure 27. Has/have any of your child(ren) aged 12-17 received a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents with child(ren) aged 12-17; n=221]

 
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    Table 27. Has/have any of your child(ren) aged 12-17 received a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents with child(ren) aged 12-17; n=221]

     

Figure 28. Thinking about your child(ren) aged 12-17, will they receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents with child(ren) aged 12-17 who have received 2 doses (n=110)]

 
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    Table 28. Thinking about your child(ren) aged 12-17, will they receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents with child(ren) aged 12-17 who have received 2 doses (n=110)]

     

Figure 29. Has/have any of your child(ren) aged 5-11 received a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents with child(ren) aged 5 to 11 at home (n=230)]

 
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    Table 29. Has/have any of your child(ren) aged 5-11 received a COVID-19 vaccine? [Respondents with child(ren) aged 5 to 11 at home (n=230)]

     

Figure 30. Thinking about your child(ren) aged 5-11, will they receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine if it is recommended? [Respondents with child(ren) aged 5 to 11 who had already received two doses (n=103)]

 
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    Table 30. Thinking about your child(ren) aged 5-11, will they receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine if it is recommended? [Respondents with child(ren) aged 5 to 11 who had already received two doses (n=103)]

     

Figure 31. Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended and available for my child(ren) aged 5-11, I will get them vaccinated. [Respondents who had not yet vaccinated their child(ren) aged 5 to 11 at home (n=230)]

 
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    Table 31. Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended and available for my child(ren) aged 5-11, I will get them vaccinated. [Respondents who had not yet vaccinated their child(ren) aged 5 to 11 at home (n=230)]

     

Figure 32. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get your child(ren) vaccinated? [Respondents with child(ren) under 18 years (n=469)]

 
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    Table 32. To what extent would each of the following hypothetical scenarios make you more or less likely to get your child(ren) vaccinated? [Respondents with child(ren) under 18 years (n=469)]

     

Figure 33. Have any of your children been infected with COVID-19? [Respondents with child(ren) under 18 years (n=469)]

 
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    Table 33. Have any of your children been infected with COVID-19? [Respondents with child(ren) under 18 years (n=469)]

     

Figure 34. Has your child(ren) experienced long COVID symptoms (i.e. symptoms lasting for weeks or months after a COVID-19 infection)? [Respondents with child(ren) under 18 who have (likely) had COVID-19 (n=295)]

 
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    Table 34. Has your child(ren) experienced long COVID symptoms (i.e. symptoms lasting for weeks or months after a COVID-19 infection)? [Respondents with child(ren) under 18 who have (likely) had COVID-19 (n=295)]

     

Figure 35. How worried are you about your child(ren) contracting COVID-19? [Respondents with child(ren) under 18 years (n=469)]

 
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    Table 35. How worried are you about your child(ren) contracting COVID-19? [Respondents with child(ren) under 18 years (n=469)]

     

Sources of Information and Trust

Figure 36. To what extent do you trust or distrust the following sources for information on COVID-19?

 
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    Table 36. To what extent do you trust or distrust the following sources for information on COVID-19?

     

Figure 37. Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements about the Canadian federal government.

 
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    Table 37. Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements about the Canadian federal government.

     

Figure 38. Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements.

 
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    Table 38. Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements.

     

COVID-19 Knowledge and Misinformation

Figure 39. To the best of your knowledge, how accurate are the claims in each of the following statements? [Perceived accuracy of ACCURATE claims]

 
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    Table 39. To the best of your knowledge, how accurate are the claims in each of the following statements? [Perceived accuracy of ACCURATE claims]

     

Figure 40. To the best of your knowledge, how accurate are the claims in each of the following statements? [Perceived accuracy of INACCURATE claims]

 
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    Table 40. To the best of your knowledge, how accurate are the claims in each of the following statements? [Perceived accuracy of INACCURATE claims]

     

Figure 41. In the past month, how often did you use each of the following platforms?

 
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    Table 41. In the past month, how often did you use each of the following platforms?

     

Figure 42. How concerned are you about the spread of misinformation and disinformation online (i.e. news information about important topics that is verifiably false)?

 
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    Table 42. How concerned are you about the spread of misinformation and disinformation online (i.e. news information about important topics that is verifiably false)?

     

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Figure 43. All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole?

 
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    Table 43. All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole?

     

Figure 44. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, has your overall mental health…

 
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    Table 44. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, has your overall mental health…

     

Figure 45. In the past two weeks, have you felt…

 
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    Table 45. In the past two weeks, have you felt…

     

Figure 46. Please state your level of agreement with the following statement: I am confident that I can access mental health services if needed.

 
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    Table 46. Please state your level of agreement with the following statement: I am confident that I can access mental health services if needed.

     

Pandemic Outlook and Recovery

Figure 47. Thinking of the COVID-19 pandemic, do you think…

 
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    Table 47. Thinking of the COVID-19 pandemic, do you think…

     

Figure 48. When do you expect that day-to-day life in Canada will resemble pre-pandemic times?

 
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    Table 48. When do you expect that day-to-day life in Canada will resemble pre-pandemic times?

     

Figure 49. When do you expect that day-to-day life in Canada will resemble pre-pandemic times?

 
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    Table 49. When do you expect that day-to-day life in Canada will resemble pre-pandemic times?

     

Figure 50. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following economic-related topics…

 
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    Table 50. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following economic-related topics…

     

Figure 51. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following economic-related topics…

 
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    Table 51. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following economic-related topics…

     

Figure 52. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following health-related topics…

 
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    Table 52. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following health-related topics…

     

Figure 53. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following health-related topics…

 
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    Table 53. At the moment, how much do you worry about the following health-related topics…

     

Next steps

The Impact Canada Behavioural Science team will use a series of statistical analyses to look for patterns in the data, allowing us to answer questions like:

  • How do intentions to vaccinate change over time?
  • How do changes in trust in government information sources affect changes in intentions to vaccinate over time?
  • How do individual-level characteristics (e.g., gender, baseline knowledge or anxiety, infection status) affect changes in intentions to vaccinate over time?
  • How do interactions between gender and trust in government information sources affect changes in intentions to vaccinate over time?

Contact us

To learn more or explore working with us, please contact the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office.

Email us