Kaua’i County Health Office survey finds most remain concerned about COVID-19
Posted on August 16, 2022 in COVID-19, Newsroom
LIHUE – The Kauaʻi District Health Office of the Department of Health (DOH) released the preliminary report of its July Community Assessment of Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) survey to gauge community perception of Kauaʻi’s efforts to the response to COVID-19 and the current level of emergency preparedness.
“The results of this survey tell us that Kaua’i residents continue to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in their daily lives and are taking steps to protect themselves with vaccinations and masks,” said Dr. Janet Berreman. , Kauaʻi County Health Officer, “It’s gratifying that residents have the tools they need to protect themselves and that they have a positive perception of the local response.”
Sixty-nine percent of Kauaʻi families remain very or somewhat concerned about their family members getting sick with COVID-19. This is unchanged from the level of distress reported in the CASPER 2020 survey. The proportion of households in which someone experienced emotional distress related to the pandemic increased slightly from 32% in 2020 to 36% in 2022. Only 16% of those who experienced emotional distress sought help for behavioral health.
The percentage of households that are very or somewhat worried about their ability to pay next month’s rent or mortgage decreased from 34% in 2020 to 17% in 2022, and 72% report that their income is stable or slightly higher than they were before the pandemic.
Consistent with ongoing concerns about COVID-19 infection, 83% of Kauaʻi households report that they think it is very or somewhat important to wear a mask indoors in places other than their home. Eighty-five percent of households reported that at least some or all family members are vaccinated.
With the aim of completing 210 family interviews, 176 interviews were conducted with a completion rate of 83.8%.
Residents were asked to rate Kauaʻi’s local response to the pandemic, using a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing “very poor” and five representing “very good.” The lowest rating (3.85) was for case investigation and contact tracing. This measure also had the highest percentage of “don’t know” responses from those who had no direct experience with these functions. Availability of testing, public information, and vaccine dissemination and availability were all rated 4.45, 4.44, and 4.42, respectively.
The final report on the CASPER survey will analyze emergency preparedness trends among Kauaʻi residents over the five CASPER surveys completed from 2017 to 2022.
“We greatly appreciate the participation of Kaua’i residents in this island-wide survey effort that enables the Kaua’i District Health Office to better meet the needs of our community,” said Lauren Guest, Deputy District Health Officer , Kaua’i County Health Office. .
The CASPER survey methodology was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to rapidly assess a community’s health and other resource needs after a disaster. Survey teams went door-to-door in Kauaʻi July 26-30, to selected households in 30 census tracts. The survey teams consisted of DOH staff with support from the Kaua’i Medical Reserve Corps and the American Red Cross.
This was the Department of Health’s fifth CASPER survey conducted on Kaua’i. View the 2022 preliminary report and previous CASPER survey reports, at: https://health.hawaii.gov/kauai/.
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PDF: Kaua’i County Health Office Survey Finds Most Remain Concerned About COVID-19