Physical distancing remains an important initiative to curb COVID-19 and virus transmission more broadly. This exploratory study investigated how physical distancing behaviour changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether it was associated with identity with virus transmission avoidance and physical distancing habit strength. In a longitudinal, multinational study with fortnightly repeated-assessments, associations and moderation effects were considered for both overall (person-level means) and occasion-specific deviations in habit and identity. Participants (N = 586, M age = 42, 79% female) self-reported physical distancing behavioural frequency, physical distancing habit strength, and identity with avoiding virus transmission. Physical distancing followed a cubic trajectory, with initial high engagement decreasing rapidly before increasing again near study end. Physical distancing was associated with both overall and occasion-specific virus transmission avoidant identity and physical distancing habit strength. People with strong virus transmission avoidant identity engaged in physical distancing frequently regardless of fluctuations in habit strength. However, for those with weaker virus transmission avoidant identity, physical distancing was strongly aligned with fluctuations in habit strength. To enhance engagement in physical distancing, public health messaging might fruitfully target greater or more salient virus-transmission avoidance identity and stronger physical distancing habit.

中文翻译：

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识别为避免病毒传播的人可以加强身体疏远的习惯行为关系：COVID-19 大流行期间的一项纵向多国研究

保持身体距离仍然是更广泛地遏制 COVID-19 和病毒传播的一项重要举措。这项探索性研究调查了在 COVID-19 大流行期间保持社交距离的行为如何变化，以及它是否与避免病毒传播和保持社交距离习惯强度的身份有关。在一项每两周进行一次重复评估的纵向跨国研究中，考虑了整体（个人水平的平均值）和特定场合的习惯和身份偏差的关联和调节效应。参与者（N  = 586，M年龄 = 42，79% 为女性）自我报告的保持身体距离的行为频率、保持身体距离的习惯强度以及避免病毒传播的身份。物理距离遵循立方轨迹，最初的高参与度迅速下降，然后在接近研究结束时再次增加。物理距离与整体和特定场合的病毒传播避免身份和物理距离习惯强度有关。无论习惯强度如何波动，具有强烈病毒传播回避身份的人都经常保持身体距离。然而，对于那些病毒传播回避身份较弱的人来说，身体距离与习惯强度的波动密切相关。为了加强身体距离的参与，