Adherence to COVID-19 Public Health and Social Measures in Estonia

Abstract: Introduction: During the COVID-19 outbreak, adherence to public health and social measures was critical to containing the spread of the disease. This paper examines adherence to COVID-19 public health and social measures (PHSM) in Estonia at three timepoints during the pandemic: Jan–Feb 2021, May–June 2021, and Jan–Feb 2022. Methods: Using latent class analysis on a population-based sample, we address individual-level demographic, socioeconomic, psychological, and behavioral variables that predicted adherence patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: For each of the three study waves, adherence to the 12 selected measures was best captured by a three-class model, with the classes identified as adherent, selectively adherent, and nonadherent. Discussion and Conclusion: Predictors of lower adherence included being male, having a lower level of education, experiencing financial strain, high-risk alcohol consumption, younger age, and perceiving no or low stress because of the COVID-19 crisis.