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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Cathrine Degnen
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Objective: To identify the key individual-level (demographics, attitudes, mobility) andcontextual (Covid-19 case numbers, tiers of mobility restrictions, urban districts)determinants of adopting the NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app and continued use overtime.Design and setting: A three-wave panel survey conducted in England in July 2020(background survey), November 2020 (first measure of app adoption), and March 2021(continued use of app and new adopters) linked with official data.Participants: N = 2,500 adults living in England, representative of England’s population interms of regional distribution, age, and gender (2011 census).Primary outcome: Repeated measures of self-reported app usage.Analytical approach: Multilevel logistic regression linking a range of individual-level (fromsurvey) and contextual (from linked data) determinants to app usage.Results: We observe initial app uptake at 41%, 95% CI [0.39,0.43], and a 12% dropout rateby March 2021, 95% CI [0.10,0.14]. We also found that 7% of nonusers as of wave 2became new adopters by wave 3, 95% CI [0.05,0.08]. Initial uptake (or failure to use) of theapp associated with social norms, privacy concerns, and misinformation about third-partydata access, with those living in postal districts with restrictions on mobility less likely to usethe app. Perceived lack of transparent evidence of effectiveness was associated with dropout of use. In addition, those who trusted the government were more likely to adopt in wave3 as new adopters.Conclusions: Successful uptake of the contact tracing app should be evaluated within thewider context of the UK Government’s response to the crisis. Trust in government is key toadoption of the app in wave 3 while continued use is linked to perceptions of transparentevidence. Providing clear information to address privacy concerns could increase uptake,however, the disparities in continued use among ethnic minority participants needs furtherinvestigation.
Author(s): Horvath L, Banducci S, Blamire J, Degnen C, James O, Jones A, Stevens D, Tyler K
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: BMJ Open
Year: 2022
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Print publication date: 17/01/2022
Online publication date: 17/01/2022
Acceptance date: 23/12/2021
Date deposited: 07/02/2022
ISSN (electronic): 2044-6055
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
URL: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053327
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053327
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