Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on behavior changes among Japanese in
different demographics: Examination using a free-response survey
Abstract
Background: The spread of COVID-19 has changed people’s everyday
behaviors. The present research aimed to describe the dynamics of
changes experienced by Japanese people with varying demographic
backgrounds, aiming to reveal how those demographic features mediate the
behavior changes caused by the pandemic. While most past studies
investigating behavioral change caused by the pandemic used
multiple-choice questions about pre-selected behaviors, the present
research used a free-response style survey to cover a wide range of
behaviors. Methods: 301 Japanese with varying demography took part in an
online survey. They firstly wrote down at least five activities they
frequently performed before the virus outbreak. After, they did the same
about their current life. Results: A total of 1858 answers for the
before-condition and 1668 answers were collected and grouped into 19
categories. The appearance rate for each category (the number of items
divided by the number of participants) was calculated. Those appearance
rates were compared across conditions (before and after the outbreak)
and demographic features. Conclusion: Although the pandemic altered most
people’s daily behaviors, its impacts were not identical to everyone and
were significantly mediated by individual’s demography.