Social-distancing compliance among pedestrians in Ahvaz, South-West Iran during the Covid-19 pandemic

Shirali, G. A.; Rahimi, Z.; Araban, M.; Mohammadi, M. J.; Cheraghian, B.

Introduction: Social distancing is a public health tool that seeks to reduce opportunities fo an infectious agent to spread among individuals. The current study aimed at investigating th social-distancing compliance among pedestrians in Ahvaz city, South-west Iran during the COVID-1 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ahvaz, South-west Iran, fro 2 to August 11, 2020. The data collection was performed based on observation of passers-by i the streets. Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, Chi-square for trend, and logistic regression were use for the data analysis. Results: The overall compliance rate of social distancing was 16.3%. Ther was a statistically significant difference between age groups and social distancing (P < 0.001), bu this relationship was not seen in gender (P = 0.12). The compliance rate of social distancing wa significantly higher during morning hours than evening hours (P < 0.001). A significant invers association was founded between the number of observed group members and the compliance rate o social distancing so that the odds of social distancing compliance among two members groups wer 59% higher than the group of 6 and more members (odds ratio = 1.59;95% confidence interval 1.47–1.72;P = 0.003). Conclusion: We found that the overall compliance rate of social distancin among the participants was very low and inefficient. This can make disease control difficult an leads the city to a critical situation in terms of coronavirus outbreaks. The findings can help healt policymakers and health workers to plan and conduct preventive interventions. © 2021 Asian Journal of Social Health and Behavior.