Cited by 422COVID-19 Prevention and ImpactPublic Health Policies and EducationCOVID-19 epidemiological studies

How to improve adherence with quarantine: rapid review of the evidence

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Webster, R.K., Brooks, S.K., Smith, L.E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Rubin, G.J.·2020·Public Health

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The December 2019 outbreak of coronavirus has once again thrown the vexed issue of quarantine into the spotlight, with many countries asking their citizens to 'self-isolate' if they have potentially come into contact with the infection. However, adhering to quarantine is difficult. Decisions on how to apply quarantine should be based on the best available evidence to increase the likelihood of people adhering to protocols. We conducted a rapid review to identify factors associated with adherence to quarantine during infectious disease outbreaks. STUDY DESIGN: The study design is a rapid evidence review. METHODS: We searched Medline, PsycINFO and Web of Science for published literature on the reasons for and factors associated with adherence to quarantine during an infectious disease outbreak. RESULTS: We found 3163 articles and included 14 in the review. Adherence to quarantine ranged from as little as 0 up to 92.8%. The main factors which influenced or were associated with adherence decisions were the knowledge people had about the disease and quarantine procedure, social norms, perceived benefits of quarantine and perceived risk of the disease, as well as practical issues such as running out of supplies or the financial consequences of being out of work. CONCLUSIONS: People vary in their adherence to quarantine during infectious disease outbreaks. To improve this, public health officials should provide a timely, clear rationale for quarantine and information about protocols; emphasise social norms to encourage this altruistic behaviour; increase the perceived benefit that engaging in quarantine will have on public health; and ensure that sufficient supplies of food, medication and other essentials are provided.

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Authors
Webster, R. K., Brooks, S. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., & Rubin, G. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Sheffield (GB)
  • King's College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Webster, R.K.
Venue
Public Health
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-05
Volume
182
Pages
163-169
ISSN
0033-3506 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3012344084
Cited by
422
References
33
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 85 · 2021: 148 · 2020: 79
FWCI
15.77
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institute for Health Research
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › COVID-19 Prevention and Impact
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Public Health Policies and Education
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Modeling and Simulation › COVID-19 epidemiological studies
Keywords
self-isolation, infectious disease outbreaks, COVID-19 pandemic, social norms, risk perception, perceived benefits, public health communication, altruism
MeSH terms
COVID-19, Culture, Disease Outbreaks, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Pneumonia, Viral, Public Health, Quarantine, Time Factors, Coronavirus Infections, Guideline Adherence, Pandemics, Sociological Factors, Social Norms

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