3.1. Descriptive statistics of study variables
Table 1. Descriptive statistics of socio-demographic variables among Algerian citizens during the home confinement of coronavirus (n = 558).
Variables
|
n
|
%
|
Gender
|
|
|
Male
|
220
|
39,4
|
Female
|
338
|
60,6
|
Age
|
|
|
(15 – 30)
|
282
|
50,5
|
(30 – 45)
|
198
|
35,5
|
(45 – 60)
|
76
|
13,6
|
(60- 75)
|
02
|
2,4
|
Respect home confinement
|
|
|
Always
|
386
|
69,2
|
Sometimes
|
136
|
24,4
|
Rarely
|
36
|
6,5
|
Wear the mask when you leave the house
|
|
|
Always
|
204
|
36,6
|
Sometimes
|
138
|
24,7
|
Rarely
|
216
|
38,7
|
social stigmatization
|
|
|
Yes
|
282
|
50,5
|
No
|
276
|
49,5
|
According to the results presented in Table 1, the study sample consisted of 60.6% females and 39.4% males. In addition, 50.5% of the respondents are aged between 15 to 30 years, and 35.5% are aged 30 to 45 years, while 13.6% are between 45 and 60 years, and 2, 4% of participants are between 60 and 75 years old. Concerning the respect of confinement at home, it is found that 69.2% of the participants confirmed their respect always, whereas 24.4% confirmed perfect, while only 6.5% of the respondents insisted that confinement at home was rarely respected.
Regarding the wearing of a mask when leaving the house, the results in Table 1 indicate that 38.7% confirmed that they rarely wear the mask, and in the same direction, 36% of the sample said they still wear the mask, while 24% of the sample confirmed that they sometimes wear the mask when they leave the house. From the results in Table 1, it is concluded that 50.5% of the sample confirmed that people infected with the coronavirus suffer from social stigmatization, while 49.5% said that social stigmatization does not exist in the social life of people infected with coronavirus.
3.2. Unrealistic optimism among Algerian citizens during the home confinement
Table 2. Levels of unrealistic optimism among Algerian citizens during the home confinement of coronavirus (n = 558).
Items
unrealistic optimism
|
N= 558
|
Mean
|
Relative
weight
|
Rating
|
|
n
|
%
|
I think that I could be infected with the coronavirus.
|
Strongly Agree
|
74
|
13,3
|
2,49
|
49,80
|
09
|
Agreed
|
244
|
43,7
|
Neutral
|
164
|
29,4
|
Disagree
|
44
|
7,9
|
Strongly Disagree
|
32
|
5,7
|
My immunity protects me from infection with the coronavirus.
|
Strongly Disagree
|
40
|
7,2
|
3,11
|
62,20
|
03
|
Disagree
|
102
|
18,3
|
Neutral
|
210
|
37,6
|
Agreed
|
168
|
30,1
|
Strongly Agree
|
38
|
6,8
|
I will not have health complications due to coronavirus.
|
Strongly Disagree
|
46
|
8,2
|
2,84
|
56,80
|
05
|
Disagree
|
142
|
25,4
|
Neutral
|
246
|
44,1
|
Agreed
|
106
|
19,0
|
Strongly Agree
|
18
|
3,2
|
People of my age will not be infected with the coronavirus.
|
Strongly Disagree
|
144
|
25,8
|
2,16
|
43,20
|
10
|
Disagree
|
244
|
43,7
|
Neutral
|
122
|
21,9
|
Agreed
|
32
|
5,7
|
Strongly Agree
|
16
|
2,9
|
I think that the coronavirus is not a threat to my life.
|
Strongly Agree
|
12
|
2,2
|
3,98
|
79,60
|
01
|
Agreed
|
40
|
7,2
|
Neutral
|
86
|
15,4
|
Disagree
|
230
|
41,2
|
Strongly Disagree
|
190
|
34,1
|
Preventive measures reduce infection of the coronavirus.
|
Strongly Agree
|
246
|
44,1
|
1,67
|
33,40
|
13
|
Agreed
|
264
|
47,3
|
Neutral
|
36
|
6,5
|
Disagree
|
12
|
2,2
|
Strongly Disagree
|
//
|
//
|
Social distancing protects me from possible infection with the coronavirus.
|
Strongly Agree
|
244
|
43,7
|
1,66
|
33,20
|
14
|
Agreed
|
270
|
48,4
|
Neutral
|
38
|
6,8
|
Disagree
|
4
|
,7
|
Strongly Disagree
|
2
|
,4
|
I think that I am completely immune to infection with the coronavirus.
|
Strongly Disagree
|
76
|
13,6
|
2,80
|
56,00
|
06
|
Disagree
|
158
|
28,3
|
Neutral
|
148
|
26,5
|
Agreed
|
152
|
27,2
|
Strongly Agree
|
24
|
4,3
|
Coronavirus only affects people with chronic diseases.
|
Strongly Disagree
|
170
|
30,5
|
1,95
|
39,00
|
11
|
Disagree
|
294
|
52,7
|
Neutral
|
52
|
9,3
|
Agreed
|
38
|
6,8
|
Strongly Agree
|
4
|
,7
|
I think the coronavirus will disappear soon.
|
Strongly Disagree
|
44
|
7,9
|
2,81
|
56,20
|
07
|
Disagree
|
176
|
31,5
|
Neutral
|
206
|
36,9
|
Agreed
|
104
|
18,6
|
Strongly Agree
|
28
|
5,0
|
Coronavirus can affect everyone without exception.
|
Strongly Agree
|
236
|
42,3
|
1,74
|
34,80
|
12
|
Agreed
|
258
|
46,2
|
Neutral
|
38
|
6,8
|
Disagree
|
24
|
4,3
|
Strongly Disagree
|
2
|
,4
|
More than others, I can avoid infection with the coronavirus.
|
Strongly Disagree
|
24
|
4,3
|
3,25
|
65,00
|
02
|
Disagree
|
102
|
18,3
|
Neutral
|
180
|
32,3
|
Agreed
|
212
|
38,0
|
Strongly Agree
|
40
|
7,2
|
I have enough skills to avoid being infected with the coronavirus on the street.
|
Strongly Disagree
|
38
|
6,8
|
2,94
|
58,80
|
04
|
Disagree
|
166
|
29,7
|
Neutral
|
170
|
30,5
|
Agreed
|
162
|
29,0
|
Strongly Agree
|
22
|
3,9
|
I will not get hurt
|
Strongly Disagree
|
52
|
9,3
|
2,78
|
55,60
|
08
|
Disagree
|
170
|
30,5
|
Neutral
|
210
|
37,6
|
Agreed
|
102
|
18,3
|
Strongly Agree
|
24
|
4,3
|
Levels of
unrealistic optimism
|
High level
(mean 49 – 70)
|
08
|
(1,4)
|
36,17±5,97
|
|
Average level
(mean 35 – 49)
|
306
|
(54,8)
|
low level
(mean 14 – 35)
|
244
|
(43,7)
|
Tables 1 indicates that levels of unrealistic optimism among Algerian citizens during the home confinement of coronavirus are divided into three parts. First, 54.8% of the respondents had an average level of unrealistic optimism, where the mean of participants was (36,17 ± 5,97). Second, 43.7% of them had a low level. Third, only 1.4% of the sample had a high level of unrealistic optimism.
Among the indicators of the spread of unrealistic optimism for the study sample, it is found that their conviction with the coronavirus does not pose a threat to their lives, and that they have more capacity than others to avoid infection, especially, since their immunity is strong according to their thinking, in addition to their enormous confidence in their capacity to avoid infection by the coronavirus during social interaction. Accordingly, they do not believe that they are exposed to health complications due to the coronavirus, and this poor estimation of the objective risk is reflected in their conviction that they are completely away from infection with the coronavirus; they are convinced that this virus will disappear very soon because the idea of infection does not exist in their imagination. So, the reduction of objective risk to human health and life can be a breaking factor to home confinement, and may further increase the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.
3.3. Association between respect home confinement and wear the mask with the levels of unrealistic optimism
Table 3. Association between respecting home confinement and wearing the mask with the levels of unrealistic optimism among Algerian citizens during the home confinement of coronavirus (n = 558).
Variables
|
|
Respect home confinement
|
Wear the mask when you leave the house
|
level of unrealistic optimism
|
All
(n=558)
|
Always
(n = 386)
|
Sometimes
(n = 136)
|
Rarely
(n = 36)
|
P-Value
|
Always
(n = 204)
|
Sometimes
(n = 138)
|
Rarely
(n = 216)
|
P-Value
|
High level
|
08 (1,4)
|
06 (1,1)
|
00
|
2 (0,4)
|
0,001
|
02 (0,4)
|
04 (0,4)
|
02 (0,4)
|
0,183
|
|
Average level
|
306 (54,8)
|
226 (40,5)
|
58 (10,4)
|
22 (3,9)
|
122 (21,9)
|
74 (13,3)
|
110 (19,7)
|
Low level
|
244 (43,7)
|
154 (27,6)
|
78 (14,0)
|
12 (2,2)
|
80 (14,3)
|
60 (10,8)
|
104 (18,6)
|
Table 3 also shows that the unrealistic optimism level was the average level 54.8%, followed by low level 43.7%, and a high level 1.4%. This means that the respondents had confirmed the existence of the subjective perception and underestimated the risk linked to the coronavirus. This is why we find individuals leaving their homes during the times of confinement without any fear of losing their lives on one side, and infecting their families on the other side.
The results in the table show that there is an association between the levels of unrealistic optimism nd respecting the home confinement (P = 0.001). It is also noticed that 40.5% of respondents with an average level of unrealistic optimism confirm their total respect for confinement, and even 27% of them had a low level of unrealistic optimism. They focus on the importance of staying at home during the pandemic (COVID-19), which means that the low level of unrealistic optimism pushes people to objectively assess the risks of coronavirus and the need to take preventive instructions into account, which will include the belief in the effectiveness of staying at home and avoiding the social interactions that cause the spread of the infection.
By contrast, the results of table 3 show that there is no association between the levels of unrealistic optimism and wearing the mask (P = 0.183). According to the results, we observed a dispersion in the responses of the respondents who have low and average levels of unrealistic optimism concerning the wearing of masks outside the house. Hence, 38.3% of respondents said that they rarely wear a mask when they leave the house, 36.2% among them said sometimes, and 24.1% of respondents said all the time, but this is due to the rarity of masks in pharmacies, and even the negligence of the effectiveness of masks to fight against the corona virus. In effect, this behavior is predominant in our social life, which requires measures to impose the wearing of masks to all who go outside to public places.
3.4. Association between the level of unrealistic optimism and age
Table 4. Association between the level of unrealistic optimism and age among Algerian citizens during the home confinement of coronavirus (n = 558).
Variable
|
R2
|
AR2
|
Beta
|
t
|
P-Value
|
age
|
,006
|
,004
|
-,119
|
-2,820
|
0,005
|
According to the results shown in Table 4, there is significantly a negative association (B = -, 119, P = 0.005) with unrealistic optimism and the age among Algerian citizens during the home confinement of coronavirus. This means that the elderly have low unrealistic optimism scores because of their objective perception of the risk according to life experiences, so they prefer to avoid the danger of death due to coronavirus. Contrary to young people who often love adventure and risk-taking, and this is what we see in reality as many young people neither adhere to home confinement nor feel anxiety or fear for their lives, and this is due to the high level of unrealistic optimism they have.
3.5. The differences in the unrealistic optimism between the groups of gender
Table 5. The differences in the unrealistic optimism between the groups of gender among Algerian citizens during the home confinement of coronavirus (n = 558).
Variables
|
Male (220)
|
Female (338)
|
T
|
P-Value
|
Mean
|
Standard deviation
|
Mean
|
Standard deviation
|
Unrealistic optimism
|
36,2364
|
5,74961
|
36,1302
|
6,11809
|
,208
|
,835
|
Table 5 indicates that there is no significant difference about the unrealistic optimism between the groups of gender among Algerian citizens during the home confinement of coronavirus (P = 0,0835). This means that the gender variable is not linked to optimism, since it represents a psychological characteristic linked to behavior in general, including behaviors linked to the home confinement.