Paradox of Protective Behaviours among Muslim Men during the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Aceh, Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: The imposition of protective health protocols in public spaces to curb the spread of COVID-19 has confronted the ritual of congregational prayers in mosques for Muslims. This study examines the adoption of protective behaviours in the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak and the influence of religion on risk perception by comparing precautionary behaviours in public and in mosques. METHODS: Data was collected through an online survey of 327 Muslim men across the Aceh province, Indonesia, from 21 April 2020 to 2 May 2020. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the paired t-test were employed to compare the uptake of protective behaviours in public and mosques. RESULTS: The adoption of protective behaviours was higher in public rather than in mosques. It further revealed that the understanding of Islamic teachings during the pandemic has influenced perceived risk and the way Muslim men comply with the protective guidelines. Those who have complete, incomplete, or no compliance of precautionary behaviours have their own interpretation of Islamic teachings that inform their individual actions to manage the risk. CONCLUSION: This study suggests the significance of religious views for developing public health preparedness during the current and future pandemics in Aceh and other Muslim majority regions.