Barriers and facilitators of COVID-19 practices among Canadian single mothers: A qualitative study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47187/cssn.Vol15.Iss2.350Keywords:
COVID-19 practices, public health behaviours, single mothers, barriers, facilitators, mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing, disinfecting surfaces, CanadaAbstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced several new public health practices including mask wearing, social distancing, more frequent hand washing and disinfection of surfaces. Single mothers might have been uniquely impacted with the implementation of these preventive measures. Aim: The objectives of this qualitative study are to describe the experiences of Canadian single mothers with implementation of COVID-19 practices; and to identify barriers and facilitators to key public health behaviours, namely mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing, and disinfecting surfaces. Subject and methods: Twelve single mothers aged 18-51 years were recruited through purposeful sampling from social media platforms. Individual interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide, transcribed verbatim, and qualitatively analyzed using thematic analysis and the approach of interpretative description. Results: The following challenges were noted for the public health behaviours. Volume of masks and keeping cloth masks clean were barriers to mask wearing. Loneliness and school closures were barriers to practicing social distancing. Being outside the home was a barrier to hand washing. Fatigue and time
constraints were barriers to disinfecting surfaces. The following facilitators were highlighted by single mothers. Government mandates and public health messages were facilitators of mask wearing. Daily routine and technology were facilitators of social distancing. Types of hand soap was a facilitator for hand washing. Access to cleaning supplies and equipment were facilitators of disinfecting surfaces. Additionally, societal attitudes and stigma, pre-existing cultural and family norms, the impact of children’s age, and uncertainty related to changing knowledge about the virus were broad issues that affected all public health behaviours. Conclusion: COVID-19 practices were not straightforward to implement or adhere to single mothers. There was a broad array of barriers and facilitators that inform the need to build support systems. Further studies should account for generic issues and behaviour-specific barriers on assessing health-promoting interventions and implementing COVID-19 public health policies.
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