Collecting behavioural data across countries during pandemics: Development of the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool

Tools that can be used to collect behavioural data during pandemics are needed to inform policy and practice. The objective of this project was to develop the Your COVID-19 Risk tool in response to the global spread of COVID-19, aiming to promote health behaviour change. We developed an online resource based on key behavioural evidence-based risk factors related to contracting and spreading COVID-19. This tool allows for assessing risk and provides instant support to protect individuals from infection. The Risk Estimation Questions assessed users' location, age, gender, work environment, day-to-day behaviours currently performed, and conditions under which these behaviours would change. Users were also asked to estimate how often they keep their distance from others in public and regularly wash their hands, and the procedures they follow to do so. A multidisciplinary research team of more than 150 international experts developed the tool. Over 60,000 users in more than 150 countries have assessed their risk and provided data. The majority of respondents reported that they almost always keep their distance from others in public places, and most participants reported washing their hands after touching public or shared surfaces or when entering buildings. The tool, data, and results were openly shared to support government and health agencies developing behaviour change interventions. This tool creates a blueprint for similar digital infrastructure that can be replicated and used in future pandemics.

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Publication Details

Journal
Behavior Research Methods
Published
2025-07-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-025-02743-x
Primary Topic
COVID-19 and Mental Health
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Collecting behavioural data across countries during pandemics: Development of the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool

Cristina Isabel Albuquerque Godinho, Jennifer Inauen, Tracy Epton, Sander Hermsen et al.
Behavior Research Methods
COVID-19 and Mental Health
article

Collecting behavioural data across countries during pandemics: Development of the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool

Cristina Isabel Albuquerque Godinho, Jennifer Inauen, Tracy Epton, Sander Hermsen, Angelos P. Kassianos, Silvia Caterina Maria Tomaino, Ratri Nurwanti, Gill A. ten Hoor, Lisa M. Warner, Stefan Verweij, Dominika Kwaśnicka, Bruna Rinaldi, Tatiana Kazantseva, Ashley Tam, Ann DeSmet, Bruno Moreira Carneiro, Hannah C. Moore, Stan Vluggen, Lisa Graham‐Wisener, Eskinder Eshetu Ali, Rochelle Watkins, Chris Noone, Aleksandra Luszczynska, Andrian Liem, Els Keyaerts, Szilvia Zörgő, Gjalt-Jorn Peters, Sabrina Cipolletta, Gebremedhin Beedemariam Gebretekle, Pierre Gérain, Alexis Ruffault, Medha Shree, Yasinta Astin Sokang, Louise Poppe, Sali Rahadi Asih, Roel C.J. Hermans, Marta M. Marques, Carolina C. Silva, Emma Berry, Emelien Lauwerier, Triana Kesuma Dewi, Rik Crutzen, Kebede Beyene, Zuhal Feryal Baltas, João Paulo Figueiredo, Amy Hai Yan Chan, Ana-Maria Schweitzer, Tugce Varol, Laura Castillo-Eito, Iga Palacz-Poborczyk, Samantha van Beurden, Urte Scholz, Rebecca Anne Pedruzzi, Jenny M. Groarke, Mei Tang, Christoph Schmitz, Sylvia Roozen, Laura Maria König, Katarzyna Campbell, Yongchan Lie, Thomas Gültzow, Jorge Encantado, Mudassir Anwar, Alexandra L. Dima, Daniel Powell, James Green, Johanna Nurmi, Aurélie Gauchet, Linda Porter, Daniela Lange, S.B. Chan, Gustavo DalCin Fracaroli, Elif Basak Guven, Elif Suna Ozbay, Yasemin Selekoğlu Ok, Mahdi Algargoosh
article en

Abstract

Tools that can be used to collect behavioural data during pandemics are needed to inform policy and practice. The objective of this project was to develop the Your COVID-19 Risk tool in response to the global spread of COVID-19, aiming to promote health behaviour change. We developed an online resource based on key behavioural evidence-based risk factors related to contracting and spreading COVID-19. This tool allows for assessing risk and provides instant support to protect individuals from infection. The Risk Estimation Questions assessed users' location, age, gender, work environment, day-to-day behaviours currently performed, and conditions under which these behaviours would change. Users were also asked to estimate how often they keep their distance from others in public and regularly wash their hands, and the procedures they follow to do so. A multidisciplinary research team of more than 150 international experts developed the tool. Over 60,000 users in more than 150 countries have assessed their risk and provided data. The majority of respondents reported that they almost always keep their distance from others in public places, and most participants reported washing their hands after touching public or shared surfaces or when entering buildings. The tool, data, and results were openly shared to support government and health agencies developing behaviour change interventions. This tool creates a blueprint for similar digital infrastructure that can be replicated and used in future pandemics.

Behavior Research MethodsVol. 57(8)
University of Gloucestershire (GB), University of Bern (CH), Sebelas Maret University (ID), Universidade Federal de Rondônia (BR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES), Queen's University Belfast (GB), University of Vienna (AT), University of Leeds (GB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE), University of Helsinki (FI), University of Padua (IT), Centro Universitário FEI (BR), University of Lisbon (PT), University of Nottingham (GB), College of San Mateo (US), Radboud University Nijmegen (NL), University of Antwerp (BE), University of Auckland (NZ), Cyprus University of Technology (CY), The University of Melbourne (AU), Bilkent University (TR), University of Groningen (NL), St Petersburg University (RU), The Kids Research Institute Australia (AU), University of Brawijaya (ID), The University of Western Australia (AU), University of Toronto (CA), Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway (IE), Zuyd University of Applied Sciences (NL), Dokuz Eylül University (TR), University of Aberdeen (GB), University of Zurich (CH), Universitas Airlangga (ID), Trinity College Dublin (IE), University of Limerick (IE), University of Exeter (GB), University of Cambridge (GB), Universidade Católica Portuguesa (PT), Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven (BE), King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (SA), Ghent University Hospital (BE), Radboud University Medical Center (NL), University of Manchester (GB), University of Indonesia (ID), Krida Wacana Christian University (ID), Maastricht University (NL), Uniwersytet SWPS (PL), MSB Medical School Berlin (DE), National School of Public Health (GR), Methodist University of Piracicaba (BR), Lusíada University of Lisbon (PT), Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa (TR), Forest Science and Research Institute (BR), Amedes MVZ Hamburg (DE), Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (ES), Rijnstate Hospital (NL), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (ES), Constantza Port (Romania) (RO), Instituto Superior Técnico (PT), Universidade Federal de Rondonópolis, University College London (GB), Addis Ababa University (ET), Istanbul Technical University (TR), Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (FR), Université Savoie Mont Blanc (FR), Open University of the Netherlands (NL), University of Otago (NZ), Navistar International (United States) (US), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 76%
COVID-19 and Mental Health
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