Wave 7

COSMO Canada

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

Background

To support federal response efforts, Impact Canada is leading the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Behavioural Insights (BI) Tool on COVID-19 in the Canadian context. This work is led in collaboration with the Public Opinion Research Team within the Privy Council Office’s (PCO) Communications and Consultation Secretariat, which supports the Prime Minister’s Office in coordinating government communications in accordance with key priorities.

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Methodology

With a longitudinal design, the study follows 2,000 participants recruited from an online panel over sixteen data collection waves. New participants are added only when an original panelist stops participating.

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.

Key Insights

This report focuses on the results for the second wave of this research. 2,129 Canadians aged 18 and older were surveyed between August 13 and 17, 2020. The data was weighted to ensure that the sample distribution reflects the actual Canadian adult population according to Statistics Canada census data. There is no associated margin of error for the results, since a non-probability design means that results cannot be projected to the larger population.

Many Canadians still think that the “worst of the crisis is yet to come”

Up until Wave 5 of the survey, there was a steady increase in the number of respondents who thought “the worst of the crisis is behind us,” however, from Wave 5 to Wave 7 the percentage has declined from 41% to 33%. The percentage of respondents who think that the “worst of the crisis is yet to come” increased from 35% in Wave 5 to 43% by Wave 7. Certain groups are more likely to think that the worst is yet to come. For example, Canadians who were unemployed prior to the crisis are most likely to indicate that the “worst of the crisis is yet to come” (51%)  [see chart].

Canadians are expecting long-lasting impacts of COVID-19

Canadians are expecting the impacts of COVID-19 to be long-lasting and many Canadians will avoid travelling to the US, going to large gatherings, flying on a plane, and using a ride-sharing service within the next year. Intentions to engage in some activities have decreased as the pandemic progresses. For example, the number of Canadians that think that it is likely that they will fly on a plane decreased from 19% in Wave 3 to 13% by Wave 7, and intentions to attend a large gathering decreased from 14% in Wave 3 to 8% by Wave 7 [see chart].

Support for public health measures remains steady

There is strong public support for extending some health measures for six months or longer and these numbers have increased or remained stable across waves. A majority of respondents believe that physical distancing should be extended for 6+ months, indicating that many Canadians are aware that COVID-19 will continue to impact day-to-day life into 2021 [see chart].

Trust in government information sources continues to decline

Trust in government information sources has declined since the beginning of the crisis  [see chart].

Some Canadians are consuming more alcohol than they were prior to the crisis

The majority of respondents (63%) report that their alcohol consumption has remained the same. However, 21% of respondents reported that the number of days that they drink alcohol in a typical week has increased since February [see chart].

Vaccine confidence continues to decline, and hesitancy appears to be driven by concerns about a lack of research and testing and the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine

Only 63% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that they would get a safe vaccine if it becomes available. The number of people who disagree doubled from 6% in Wave 1 to 12% in Wave 5 and remained stable in Wave 6 and Wave 7. Concerns around a lack of research and testing, the safety of a vaccine, and the newness of the vaccine are the most prevalent reasons for not wanting to receive a safe vaccine once developed [see chart].


Selected Figures

A number of selected figures are presented below. For more information on the data set, please contact the Impact and Innovation Unit.

Figure A1. Do you think the worst of the crisis is behind us, we are currently experiencing the worst of the crisis, or the worst of the crisis is yet to come?

 
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    Table A1. Do you think the worst of the crisis is behind us, we are currently experiencing the worst of the crisis, or the worst of the crisis is yet to come?

     

Figure B9. COVID-19 feels…

 
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    Table B9. COVID-19 feels…

     

Figure B10. How do you feel about your life as a whole right now?

 
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    Table B10. How do you feel about your life as a whole right now?

     

Figure E9. In the past two weeks, how often have you…..

 
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    Table E9. In the past two weeks, how often have you…..

     

Figure E1. Please give your opinion on the following statements (level of agreement).

 
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    Table E1. Please give your opinion on the following statements (level of agreement).

     

Figure B7. How often have you used the following measures to keep from getting sick with COVID-19?

 
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    Table B7. How often have you used the following measures to keep from getting sick with COVID-19?

     

Figure B11. In the past two weeks, have you……

 
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    Table B11. In the past two weeks, have you……

     

Figure C1. How much do you trust the following sources of information in their reporting about COVID-19?

 
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    Table C1. How much do you trust the following sources of information in their reporting about COVID-19?

     

Figure C2. How often do you use the following sources of information to stay informed about COVID-19?

 
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    Table C2. How often do you use the following sources of information to stay informed about COVID-19?

     

Figure E1b. Please give your opinion on the following statements about vaccines (level of agreement).

 
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    Table E1b. Please give your opinion on the following statements about vaccines (level of agreement).

     

Figure E1c. What is your top/main reason for not wanting to get a safe and/or effective COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available and is recommended?

 
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    Table E1c. What is your top/main reason for not wanting to get a safe and/or effective COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available and is recommended?

     

Figure C12. If a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is developed but there is not enough for everyone when it first becomes available, which of the following strategies should be taken to determine which groups should receive it first? Please rank in order from 1 to 4, with 1 being the strategy you feel is the most important to take and 4 being the strategy you feel is the least important to take.

 
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    Table C12. If a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is developed but there is not enough for everyone when it first becomes available, which of the following strategies should be taken to determine which groups should receive it first? Please rank in order from 1 to 4, with 1 being the strategy you feel is the most important to take and 4 being the strategy you feel is the least important to take.

     

Figure E4. Crises often involve fears and worries. At the moment, how much do you worry about…

 
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    Table E4. Crises often involve fears and worries. At the moment, how much do you worry about…

     

Figure E23. Please indicate whether COVID-19 has impacted your living situation in the following ways.

 
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    Table E23. Please indicate whether COVID-19 has impacted your living situation in the following ways.

     

Figure E1d. Please give your opinion on the following statements about reopening (level of agreement).

 
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    Table E1d. Please give your opinion on the following statements about reopening (level of agreement).

     

Figure E7. Some of the measures that the government took due to COVID-19 are ending or have already ended. Do you think this measure should:

 
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    Table E7. Some of the measures that the government took due to COVID-19 are ending or have already ended. Do you think this measure should:

     

Figure E8. Within the next year, how likely do you think it will be that you would...

 
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    Table E8. Within the next year, how likely do you think it will be that you would...

     

Figure E25. In the past 30 days, how often did you have a drink containing alcohol?

 
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    Table E25. In the past 30 days, how often did you have a drink containing alcohol?

     

Figure E26. Compared to February, before COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, has the number of days you drink alcohol in a typical week changed?

 
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    Table E26. Compared to February, before COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, has the number of days you drink alcohol in a typical week changed?

     

Figure E27. Compared to February, before COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, has the number of days you drink alcohol 4 (female)/5 (male) or more drinks on a single occasion changed?

 
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    Table E27. Compared to February, before COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, has the number of days you drink alcohol 4 (female)/5 (male) or more drinks on a single occasion changed?

     

Figure E28. Why has your consumption increased? (limited to those that stated consumption increased)

 
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    Table E28. Why has your consumption increased? (limited to those that stated consumption increased)

     

Figure E28b. Why has your consumption decreased? (limited to those that stated consumption decreased)

 
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    Table E28b. Why has your consumption decreased? (limited to those that stated consumption decreased)

     

Respondent Regional Profiles

Age

  Canada (n=2,129) BC/Yukon (n=291) Alberta (n=241) Man/Sask (n=138) Ontario (n=815) Quebec (n=498) Atlantic (n=145)
18-34 years 27% 27% 32% 29% 27% 26% 23%
35-54 years 34% 34% 36% 34% 35% 33% 33%
55 years and older 39% 40% 32% 37% 38% 41% 44%

Gender

  Canada (n=2,129) BC/Yukon (n=291) Alberta (n=241) Man/Sask (n=138) Ontario (n=815) Quebec (n=498) Atlantic (n=145)
Male 48% 48% 49% 49% 48% 49% 48%
Female 51% 52% 50% 51% 52% 51% 52%
Gender diverse 0.2% 0% 0.7% 0% 0.3% 0% 0%

Education

  Canada (n=2,129) BC/Yukon (n=291) Alberta (n=241) Man/Sask (n=138) Ontario (n=815) Quebec (n=498) Atlantic (n=145)
High school or less 22% 21% 20% 27% 22% 20% 25%
College/trades 51% 48% 50% 53% 49% 54% 56%
University / post-graduate 27% 31% 28% 21% 29% 26% 19%

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.

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