Investigating the Factors Affecting Community Participation in Responding to the Crisis of COVID- 19

Extended Abstract
Background and Objectives

The most important factor determining the failure or success of collective policies in a country is the participation or non-participation of the people. Community participation is one of the topics in crisis management. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting community participation in responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Material and Methods

This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of research method. The statistical population of this study was adults in Kerman in 1399, which was estimated at 410,271. The research sample according to N = 410,271 and using the Cochran measurement formula with confidence including 0.95, z = 1.96, p = 0.5 at the level of 5% error (d = 0.05), 384 people were determined. The sampling method was cluster sampling. In terms of the rule, the sample is calculated through structural equations between 5q≤ n ≤15q is a good example. A questionnaire of factors affecting community participation was used to collect data. In the following, the tools are introduced and also the reliability and validity of the questionnaires are discussed. This questionnaire is a 24-point Likert question. For each question, there are five options ranging from a score of "strongly disagree" to five for "strongly agree". The validity of the questionnaire was measured by convergent and combined validity. Convergent validity is calculated by the mean variance extracted (AVE) and combined reliability (CR), the convergent validity of which was higher than 0.5 and the combined reliability higher than 0.7. The use of Likert spectrum was measured and confirmed. The questionnaire was provided to the respondents online and randomly. 384 questionnaires were collected and coded and used in the analyzes. Data analysis was performed using SPSS26 software and path analysis was performed using Amos24 software. In the descriptive statistics section, frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation, bar chart drawing and table compilation were used. In the inferential statistics section (Pearson, Spearman correlation and path analysis) and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to check the normality of the data.

Results

The findings showed that the variables of community attachment and community resilience had a significant effect on the variables of attitude toward community participation and crisis response. Also, the variables of attitude toward community participation have a significant effect on the variable of community participation with the variable of attitude towards response to crisis exerting a significant effect on the variable of community participation (t> 1.96), but the effect of the variable of benefits of community participation on the variables of attitude to community participation and attitude to response to crisis was not statistically significant (t <| 1.96 |). It shows that having gone through an unexpected crisis, the society enjoyed special support and benefits with a sophisticated capacity and enhaced ability to respond to crises. These changes contributed to the impact of the post-disaster crisis response and the rapid recovery of society. In addition, expectations of community recovery and community commitment were found to improve community accountability and support for community members. In terms of overall performance, the benefits of community participation, community attachment and community resilience to community participation are 0.05, 0.47 and 0.15, respectively, which shows that community involvement has a greater impact on community participation; therefore, when responding to the crisis caused by COVID-19 disease, we must pay more attention to community involvement in the process of disaster recovery.

Conclusion

The results of this study showed that the increase in community attachment and resilience had an effect on the community participation rise. Moreover, the findings revealed that community resilience, attachment and participation are effective factors in crisis response and also participation of people in society and their solidarity and empathy play an important role in controlling and responding to crisis. As COVID-19 virus is spreading and its impact is emerging, countries are struggling to balance the associated social and economic loads.

Practical Implications of Research

In general, according to the results of the present study, it can be said that community attachment, attitude toward crisis response, and community resilience have significant effect on attitude toward community participation and also crisis response about COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, it is suggested a comprehensive procedure be developed to monitor the performance of COVID-19 crisis management in the country and measures be taken to reduce the social activities of individuals during COVID-19 crisis. Research has shown that in such situations, a person's mental health will be endangered because social support has positive effects on mental toughness and quality of life. Adaptive structures may also be formed in critical situations. The onset of the coronavirus has practically become a social crisis that has not only affected our bodies and health, but also has very serious consequences for the culture, religion, politics and economy of Iran and the world and should be considered as a social crisis in the full sense. And considered it vast and perhaps a cloud of crisis. It is therefore necessary to reflect more and more on the social and cultural dimensions of this global pandemic situation.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical considerations with respect to questionnaire data collection, confidentiality of the information, privacy of individuals, as well as honesty and fidelity in writing are all observed throughout the present study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors stated that there is no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgment

This is an original research article wriiten based on the data from master crisis management thesis submitted to the University of Shahid Bahonar Kerman and approved in Research Department of the Iran Institute of Information Science and Technology with Cod of regisery 2671387.