Compliance Trajectory and Patterns of COVID-19 Preventive Measures, Japan, 2020–2022

Abstract

COVID-19 remains a global health threat. Compliance with nonpharmaceutical interventions is essential because of limited effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, emergence of highly contagious variants, and declining COVID-19 antibody titers over time. We evaluated compliance with 14 nonpharmaceutical intervention–related COVID-19 preventive behaviors, including mask wearing, ventilation, and surface sanitation, in a longitudinal study in Japan using 4 waves of Internet survey data obtained during 2020–2022. Compliance with most preventive behaviors increased or remained stable during the 2-year period, except for surface sanitation and going out behaviors; compliance with ventilation behavior substantially decreased in winter. Compliance patterns identified from latent class analysis showed that the number of persons in the low compliance class decreased, whereas those in the personal hygiene class increased. Our findings reflect the relaxation of mobility restriction policy in Japan, where the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Policymakers should consider behavioral changes caused by new policies to improve COVID-19 prevention strategies.