COVID-19 community phone survey: Knowledge, behaviors and impacts
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Between May 15 and June 11, 2020, Public Health Sudbury & Districts conducted a bilingual telephone survey of persons aged 16 years and older to better understand knowledge, behaviours and impacts of COVID-19 in Sudbury & Districts. The survey was completed by CCI Research on behalf of Public Health. The results from this survey are used by Public Health to inform planning and service coordination.
- Respondent profile
- Perceived seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Impact of COVID-19
- Precautions taken to reduce risk
- Personal situational assessment
Sample
- 476 surveys were completed
- 77% reported residency in Greater Sudbury*
- 23% reported residency within the districts of Sudbury East, Manitoulin Island and Espanola
- 5% completed the survey in French
- 69% of the sample identified as female
- 70% of respondents were 55 years of age or older
- 15% of respondents were between the ages of 40 and 54 years
- 51% of respondents were employed
- 35% of employed respondents were working from home because of COVID-19
*Greater Sudbury includes: Capreol, Coniston, Falconbridge, Garson, Skead, Wahnapitae, Walden, Lively, Azilda, Chelmsford, Valley East, Onaping Falls and Copper Cliff
Perceived seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic
Key findings:
- The majority of respondents in Sudbury and districts perceived the COVID-19 pandemic as serious.
| Seriousness | Sudbury % (n) | Districts % (n) |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely serious | 76 (304) | 73 (84) |
| Somewhat serious | 22 (55) | 25E (24) |
Impact of COVID-19
Key findings:
- Overall, the primary concern identified by the survey sample in Sudbury and districts was the safety of friends or family whose health is frail (72%, n=346), followed closely by the impact on personal or household member’s social life (66%, n=292).
| Impacts | % (n) |
|---|---|
| The safety of friends/family whose health is frail | 72 (346) |
| Impact on personal or household member's social life | 66 (292) |
| Impact on personal or household members' mental health | 48 (204) |
| Loss of in-person health-related services | 38 (182) |
| Impact on personal or household members' physical health | 35 (167) |
| Loss of in-person community-based programs | 33 (156) |
| Burning out | 31 (113) |
| Impact on child/children's education | 28 (97) |
| Loss of personal or household income | 27 (91) |
| Finding someone to cover caregiving responsibilities for others | 24 (100) |
| Potential loss of support from other people | 22 (104) |
| Impact of having limited or no access to technology or internet | 18 (86) |
| Loss of food programs or services | 17 (83) |
| Impact on personal education | 16 (38) |
Precautions taken to reduce risk
Key findings:
- Regular hand washing was the most reported precaution taken in Sudbury and districts (98%, n=468).
- District respondents were less likely to wear a mask (face covering) outside of the home (50%, n=32), but more likely to shop alone (87%) compared to respondents from Sudbury (64%, 84%).
| Precautions | Sudbury % (n) | Districts % (n) |
|---|---|---|
| Washed my hands more regularly | 97 (359) | 100 (109) |
| Stayed at least two (2) meters away from other people | 94 (352) | 88 (101) |
| Tried to reduce touching your face | 92 (337) | 85 (93) |
| Eliminated in-person visits with friends and non-immediate family | 89 (322) | 84 (89) |
| Avoided leaving the house for non-essential reasons | 86 (316) | 85 (86) |
| Shopped alone rather than with family or friends | 84 (305) | 87 (88) |
| Stocked up on essential supplies, excluding prescriptions | 68 (246) | 61 (75) |
| Wore a mask when outside of the home | 64 (245) | 50 (63) |
| Stayed home when ill | 57 (219) | 54 (69) |
| Eliminated in-person interactions of children with others outside of household | 57 (188) | 56 (58) |
Personal situational assessment
Key findings:
- The primary sentiment in Sudbury and districts was the feeling of having a supportive family and/or friend (94%, n=449).
- Within the last seven days, more participants from the districts than from Sudbury reported participating in some form of physical activity for 30 minutes or longer (88%) and actively participating in an enjoyable hobby or activity (82%).
| Statement | Sudbury | Districts |
|---|---|---|
| I have a supportive family and/or friend around me | 94 (345) | 94 (104) |
| I have made it a point to eat nutritionally balanced and wholesome meals | 86 (324) | 75 (93) |
| I have participated in some form of physical activity for 30 minutes or longer | 79 (266) | 88 (89) |
| I have actively participated in an enjoyable hobby or activity | 75 (276) | 82 (91) |
| I have spent facetime with a social or activity group | 32 (98) | 28E (31) |
| I have practiced some form of deep relaxation exercises (e.g., meditation, yoga) | 28 (105) | 14E (21) |
| I have used free programs and services online | 27 (78) | 15E (19) |
| I have applied for subsidies for economic relief | 19 (49) | F |
| I have attended spiritual services online | 14E (60) | 9E (18) |
E: Interpret with caution: high sampling variability
F: Estimates has been suppressed due to high sampling variability
Note: Percentages are weighted, counts are unweighted.
This item was last modified on October 19, 2020