ArticleBMJ open2021
How big is your bubble? Characteristics of self-isolating household units ('bubbles') during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 period in New Zealand: a cross-sectional survey.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- A randomized controlled trial of mobile intervention using health support bubbles to prevent social frailty.NPJ digital medicine · 2025Article
- Examining access to and trust in sources of COVID-19 information among CALD Asian communities in New Zealand.PloS one · 2025Article
- Older people's Contributions During the COVID-19 Pandemic Response.Journal of aging & social policy · 2024Article
- Enacting Mana Māori Motuhake during COVID-19 in Aotearoa (New Zealand): "We Weren't Waiting to Be Told What to Do".International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- From backyards to the backcountry: Exploring outdoor recreation coping strategies and experiences during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.Journal of outdoor recreation and tourism · 2023Article
- Evolving perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines among remote Alaskan communities.International journal of circumpolar health · 2022Article
- COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown and Wellbeing: Experiences from Aotearoa New Zealand in 2020.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Household Mealtimes During the 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand: The Influence of Household Type and Psychological Distress.Frontiers in nutrition · 2022Article
- Experience of Healthcare Access in Australia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Ways of Being Together During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Support Bubbles and the Legal Construction of Relationships.Frontiers in sociology · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo characterise the self-isolating household units (bubbles) during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand. DESIGN, SETTING AND
participantsIn this cross-sectional study, an online survey was distributed to a convenience sample via Facebook advertising and the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand's social media platforms and mailing list. Respondents were able to share a link to the survey via their own social media platforms and by email. Results were collected over 6 days during Alert Level 4 from respondents living in New Zealand, aged 16 years and over. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The primary outcome was the mean size of a self-isolating household unit or bubble. Secondary outcomes included the mean number of households in each bubble, the proportion of bubbles containing essential workers and/or vulnerable people, and the mean number of times the home was left each week.
results14 876 surveys were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) bubble size was 3.58 (4.63) people, with mean (SD) number of households 1.26 (0.77). The proportion of bubbles containing one or more essential workers, or one or more vulnerable persons was 45.3% and 42.1%, respectively. The mean number of times individual bubble members left their home in the previous week was 12.9 (12.4). Bubbles that contained at least one vulnerable individual had fewer outings over the previous week compared with bubbles that did not contain a vulnerable person. The bubble sizes were similar by respondent ethnicity.
conclusionIn this New Zealand convenience sample, bubble sizes were small, mostly limited to one household, and a high proportion contained essential workers and/or vulnerable people. Understanding these characteristics from a country which achieved a low COVID-19 infection rate may help inform public health interventions during this and future pandemics.
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