Public’s Willingness to Perform COVID-19 Self-Testing During the Transition to the Endemic Phase in Malaysia – A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Figures & data

Table 1 Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of the Respondents

Parameters	Total Respondents, n = 1453
Age, (mean ± SD, 95% CI)
Years	37.9 ± 11.11
Gender, n (%)
Male	421 (29.0)
Female	1032 (71.0)
Marital status, n (%)
Married	884 (60.8)
Single	520 (35.8)
Separated/widow	49 (3.4)
Region, n (%)
Southern	166 (11.4)
Northern	186 (12.8)
East coast	159 (10.9)
Borneo	382 (26.3)
Central	560 (38.5)
Education level, n (%)
Secondary and below	171 (11.8)
Tertiary	1282 (88.2)
Household income, n (%)
B40	695 (47.8)
M40	557 (38.3)
T20	201 (13.8)
Employment status, n (%)
Unemployed/retired	302 (20.8)
Employed	1151 (79.2)
Healthcare workers, n (%)
No	908 (62.5)
Yes	545 (37.5)
Lived with elderly or someone with chronic illness, n (%)
No	1009 (69.4)
Yes	444 (30.6)
Lived with young children, n (%)
No	726 (50.0)
Yes	727 (50.0)
Had chronic illness, n (%)
No	1206 (83.0)
Yes	198 (13.6)
Prefers not to answer	49 (3.4)
History of significant contact with COVID-19, n (%)
No	233 (16.0)
Yes	1220 (84.0)
Required quarantine	638 (52.3)
Required self-surveillance	582 (47.7)
Had been diagnosed with COVID-19, n (%)
No	495 (34.1)
Yes	958 (65.9)
Vaccinated for COVID-19, n (%)
No	18 (1.2)
Yes	1435 (98.8)
Had performed COVID-19 self-testing before, n (%)
No	251 (17.3)
Yes	1202 (82.7)
Saliva kit	411 (34.2)
Nasal/throat swab kit	119 (9.9)
Both	672 (55.9)

Notes: Italic: only respondents with a history of contact or who had performed COVID-19 self-testing before were presented.

Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; CI, confidence interval; COVID-19, coronavirus 2019; B40, lowest 40% of family income group; M40, middle 40% of family income group; T20, top 20% of the family income group.

Figure 1 Indications to perform COVID-19 self-testing.

Table 2 The Willingness of the Respondents to Perform COVID-19 Self-Testing

Parameters	Willing, n = 1297 (89.3%)	Not Willing or Hesitant, n = 156 (10.7%)	p-value	Multivariate Analysis, OR (95% CI), p-value
Age, (mean ± SD, 95% CI)
Years	37.8 ± 10.77	38.9 ± 13.60	0.242	-
Gender, n (%)
Male	345 (26.6)	76 (48.7)	< 0.001	Ref
Female	952 (73.4)	80 (51.3)		2.1 (1.44–3.00), < 0.001
Marital status, n (%)
Married	790 (60.9)	94 (60.3)	0.801	-
Single	462 (35.6)	58 (37.2)
Separated/widow	45 (3.5)	4 (2.6)
Region, n (%)
Central	508 (39.2)	52 (33.3)	< 0.001	Ref
Southern	152 (11.7)	14 (9.0)		1.2 (0.61–2.27), 0.631
Northern	178 (13.7)	8 (5.1)		3.2 (1.37–7.54), 0.007
East coast	137 (10.6)	22 (14.1)		0.8 (0.42–1.34) 0.341
Borneo	322 (24.8)	60 (38.5)		0.8 (0.16–1.16). 0.203
Education level, n (%)
Secondary and below	129 (9.9)	42 (26.9)	< 0.001	Ref
Tertiary	1168 (90.1)	114 (73.1)		2.1 (1.32–3.26), 0.002
Household income, n (%)
B40	613 (47.3)	82 (52.6)	0.374	-
M40	505 (38.9)	52 (33.3)
T20	179 (13.8)	22 (14.1)
Employment status, n (%)
Unemployed/retired	259 (20.0)	43 (27.6) 113	0.027	Ref
Employed	1038 (80.0)	(72.4)		1.0 (0.64–1.57), 0.979
Healthcare workers, n (%)
No	788 (60.8)	120 (76.9)	< 0.001	Ref
Yes	509 (39.2)	36 (23.1)		1.3 (0.81–1.92), 0.308
Lived with elderly or someone with chronic illness, n (%)
No	897 (69.2)	112 (71.8)	0.500	-
Yes	400 (30.8)	44 (28.2)
Lived with young children, n (%)
No	651 (50.2)	75 (48.1)	0.618	-
Yes	646 (49.8)	81 (51.9)
Had chronic illness, n (%)
No	1081 (83.3)	125 (80.1)	0.545	-
Yes	174 (13.4)	24 (15.4)
Prefers not to answer	42 (3.2)	7 (4.5)
History of significant contact with COVID-19, n (%)
No	188 (14.5)	45 (28.8)	< 0.001	Ref
Yes	1109 (85.5)	111 (71.2)		1.5 (0.98–2.31), 0.060
Required quarantine	585 (52.8)	53 (47.7)
Required self-surveillance	524 (47.2-)	58 (52.3)
Had been diagnosed with COVID-19, n (%)
No	432 (33.3)	63 (40.4)	0.078	-
Yes	865 (66.7)	93 (59.6)
Vaccinated for COVID-19, n (%)
No	7 (0.5)	11 (7.1)	< 0.001	Ref
Yes	1290 (99.5)	145 (92.9)		8.1 (2.63–24.82), < 0.001
Had performed COVID-19 self-testing before, n (%)
No	181 (14.0)	70 (44.9)	< 0.001	Ref
Yes	1116 (86.0)	86 (55.1)		4.2 (2.84–6.12), < 0.001
Saliva kit	385 (34.5)	26 (30.2)
Nasal/throat swab kit	112 (10.0)	7 (8.1)
Both	619 (55.5)	53 (61.7)

Notes: Italic: only respondents with a history of contact or who had performed COVID-19 self-testing before were presented.

Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; CI, confidence interval; COVID-19, coronavirus 2019; B40, lowest 40% of family income group; M40, middle 40% of family income group; T20, top 20% of the family income group, OR, odd ratio.

Figure 2 Reasons given by the respondents who were willing to perform COVID-19 self-testing.

Figure 3 Reasons given by the respondents who were not willing to perform COVID-19 self-testing.

Figure 4 Factors hesitant respondents would consider before performing COVID-19 self-testing.