Author(s)

Damilola Fisayo Adebayo¹, Aderonke Akintola², Abayomi Olaseni³

¹Department of Pure and Applied Psychology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Nigeria.
²Department of Behavioural Studies, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Nigeria.
³Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

There is a sporadic increase in the number of newly infected cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria and this conveys clearly, poor adherence to the preventive guidelines by WHO and NCDC. This study examined the roles of life orientation and socio-demographic factors on adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviours among residents in Nigeria. Using an ex post facto design, 798 residents in Nigeria (M = 303, F = 485) responded to an online survey measuring the socio-demographics, Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) and validated adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviours. Two research hypotheses were formulated and tested using t-test of independent samples and ANCOVA. Results revealed that life orientation had a significant influence on adherence to preventive behaviour during the COVID-19 outbreak, [t (796) = 14.72; p < .001], such that respondents with optimistic life orientation adhered more significantly (= 14.25, SD = 1.71) than respondents with pessimistic life orientation (= 10.28, SD = 3.20). Furthermore, respondents’ age [F (1, 753) = 04.69, p < .05; = .01]; sex, F (1, 753) = 06.07, p < .05; = .01]; education, [F (5, 753) = 11.70, p < .01; = .072) and marital status, [F (3, 753) = 3.84, p < .01; = .015] independently influenced adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviours. The study concluded that life orientation and socio-demographic factors have serious implications for research efforts and policymaking in ensuring that people adhere to COVID-19 preventive behaviours in Nigeria.

Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive-Behaviours, Life Orientation, Pessimism, Optimism, Sociodemographic Factors, Nigeria

Adebayo, D. , Akintola, A. and Olaseni, A. (2022) Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Behaviours: the Implication of Life Orientation and Sociodemographic Factors among Residents in Nigeria. Psychology, 13, 469-481. doi: 10.4236/psych.2022.134032.