SynthesisArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2026
Key factors for promoting protective behaviours in future pandemics: an umbrella review.
Synthesis in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical importance of protective behaviours-such as mask-wearing, hand hygiene, and physical distancing-in managing public health crises. Understanding the factors that influence these behaviours is essential for improving preparedness and response in future health crises. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize evidence on determinants of protective behaviours during pandemics and to provide recommendations for policy and practice.
methodsFollowing PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted an umbrella review of peer-reviewed literature reviews and meta-analyses published up to June 2025. Searches in Epistemonikos, MEDLINE, and Scopus targeted reviews on "protective behaviours" and "COVID-19", including other infectious diseases. Eligibility criteria followed the Population-Concept-Context framework: general population, multifactorial determinants of protective behaviours, and pandemic contexts. Data extraction was performed in a table that included review characteristics, behavioural domains (general compliance, medical interventions, open dialogue promotion, information handling, hygiene, physical distancing, and other behaviours), and factor valence. We conducted a narrative synthesis organizing factors by sociodemographic, personal, and social-environmental categories, with valence classification based on consistency of findings across reviews. Quality appraisal used the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist.
resultsFrom 86 records identified, 11 met inclusion criteria, covering COVID-19 and other diseases (e.g., H1N1, SARS, MERS, Ebola). Quality scores averaged 8.8/10. Protective behaviours were influenced by three categories of factors: (1) sociodemographic (age, gender, education, socio-economic status) (2), personal (perceptions, beliefs, trust in authorities and science, political orientation) and (3) social/environmental (access to protective materials, social norms, community support, health education and communication, policies). Enabling factors included trust in credible sources, perceived effectiveness of measures, and multimodal communication. Barriers comprised misinformation, conspiracy beliefs, and resource inaccessibility. Some factors (e.g., age, gender, education) showed inconsistent effects across behaviours. Findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive messaging, transparent communication, and targeted interventions for vulnerable populations.
conclusionsThis umbrella review identifies multi-level determinants of protective behaviours to inform pandemic preparedness. It highlights the need for transparent communication through trusted channels, culturally adapted messaging, equitable access to protective resources, and targeted interventions for low-engagement groups. Integrating these determinants early may enhance population-level adherence. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023467236.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.