IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i21p11436-d668776.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Behavioral Correlates of COVID-19 Worry: Stigma, Knowledge, and News Source

Author

Listed:
  • Gabriella Y. Meltzer

    (Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Virginia W. Chang

    (Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Department of Population Health, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Sarah A. Lieff

    (Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Margaux M. Grivel

    (Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Lawrence H. Yang

    (Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
    Indicates co-senior authorship.)

  • Don C. Des Jarlais

    (Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Indicates co-senior authorship.)

Abstract

Non-adherence to COVID-19 guidelines may be attributable to low levels of worry. This study assessed whether endorsing COVID-19-stigmatizing restrictions, COVID-19 knowledge, and preferred news source were associated with being ‘very worried’ versus ‘not at all’ or ‘somewhat’ worried about contracting COVID-19. Survey data were collected in July–August 2020 from N = 547 New York State (NYS) and N = 504 national Amazon MTurk workers. Respondents who endorsed COVID-19 stigmatizing restrictions (NYS OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.31, 2.92; national OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.06, 3.08) and consumed commercial news (NYS OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.21, 2.96; national OR 1.93; 95% CI 1.24, 3.00) were more likely to be very worried. National respondents who consumed The New York Times (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.00, 2.29) were more likely to be very worried, while those with little knowledge (OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.13, 0.43) were less likely to be very worried. NYS (OR 2.66; 95% CI 1.77, 4.00) and national (OR 3.17; 95% CI 1.95, 5.16) respondents with probable depression were also more likely to be very worried. These characteristics can help identify those requiring intervention to maximize perceived threat to COVID-19 and encourage uptake of protective behaviors while protecting psychological wellbeing.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriella Y. Meltzer & Virginia W. Chang & Sarah A. Lieff & Margaux M. Grivel & Lawrence H. Yang & Don C. Des Jarlais, 2021. "Behavioral Correlates of COVID-19 Worry: Stigma, Knowledge, and News Source," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11436-:d:668776
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11436/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11436/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sunhee Kim & Seoyong Kim, 2020. "Analysis of the Impact of Health Beliefs and Resource Factors on Preventive Behaviors against the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-21, November.
    2. Gemma Biviá-Roig & Valentina Lucia La Rosa & María Gómez-Tébar & Lola Serrano-Raya & Juan José Amer-Cuenca & Salvatore Caruso & Elena Commodari & Antonio Barrasa-Shaw & Juan Francisco Lisón, 2020. "Analysis of the Impact of the Confinement Resulting from COVID-19 on the Lifestyle and Psychological Wellbeing of Spanish Pregnant Women: An Internet-Based Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Ferree, Karen E. & Harris, Adam S. & Dulani, Boniface & Kao, Kristen & Lust, Ellen & Metheney, Erica, 2021. "Stigma, Trust, and procedural integrity: Covid-19 testing in Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    4. Des Jarlais, D.C. & Galea, S. & Tracy, M. & Tross, S. & Vlahov, D., 2006. "Stigmatization of newly emerging infectious diseases: AIDS and SARS," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(3), pages 561-567.
    5. Bruce Sacerdote & Ranjan Sehgal & Molly Cook, 2020. "Why Is All COVID-19 News Bad News?," NBER Working Papers 28110, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Ash, Elliott & Galletta, Sergio & Hangartner, Dominik & Margalit, Yotam & Pinna, Matteo, 2024. "The Effect of Fox News on Health Behavior during COVID-19," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(2), pages 275-284, April.
    7. Hatzenbuehler, M.L. & Phelan, J.C. & Link, B.G., 2013. "Stigma as a fundamental cause of population health inequalities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(5), pages 813-821.
    8. Bruno Chauvin & Danièle Hermand & Etienne Mullet, 2007. "Risk Perception and Personality Facets," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1), pages 171-185, February.
    9. Gonca Ustun, 2021. "Determining depression and related factors in a society affected by COVID-19 pandemic," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(1), pages 54-63, February.
    10. Andrey Simonov & Szymon Sacher & Jean-Pierre Dube & Shirsho Biswas, 2020. "The Persuasive Effect of Fox News: Non-Compliance with Social Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Working Papers 2020-67, Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aassve, Arnstein & Capezzone, Tommaso & Cavalli, Nicolo' & Conzo, Pierluigi & Peng, Chen, 2022. "Trust in the time of coronavirus: longitudinal evidence from the United States," SocArXiv vwzk7, Center for Open Science.
    2. Maxim Ananyev & Michael Poyker & Yuan Tian, 2021. "The safest time to fly: pandemic response in the era of Fox News," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(3), pages 775-802, July.
    3. Jose Maria Barrero & Nicholas Bloom & Steven J. Davis, 2023. "Long Social Distancing," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 41(S1), pages 129-172.
    4. Leonardo Bursztyn & Aakaash Rao & Christopher Roth & David Yanagizawa-Drott, 2023. "Opinions as Facts," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(4), pages 1832-1864.
    5. Besley, Timothy & Dray, Sacha, 2023. "The political economy of lockdown: Does free media matter?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    6. Burcu Ozgun & Tom Broekel, 2024. "Saved by the news? COVID-19 in German news and its relationship with regional mobility behaviour," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(2), pages 365-380, February.
    7. Allcott, Hunt & Boxell, Levi & Conway, Jacob & Gentzkow, Matthew & Thaler, Michael & Yang, David, 2020. "Polarization and public health: Partisan differences in social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    8. Andersson, Ola & Campos-Mercade, Pol & Meier, Armando N. & Wengström, Erik, 2021. "Anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines reduces willingness to socially distance," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    9. Duan, Wenjie & Bu, He & Chen, Zheng, 2020. "COVID-19-related stigma profiles and risk factors among people who are at high risk of contagion," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    10. Eslami, Keyvan & Lee, Hyunju, 2024. "Overreaction and the value of information in a pandemic," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    11. Kakizawa, Hisanobu, 2023. "The value of public service broadcasting in Japan during COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of WTP by Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).
    12. Jung Ki Kim & Eileen M Crimmins, 2020. "How does age affect personal and social reactions to COVID-19: Results from the national Understanding America Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, November.
    13. Robert J. Cramer & Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling & Andrea R. Kaniuka & Corrine N. Wilsey & Annelise Mennicke & Susan Wright & Erika Montanaro & Jessamyn Bowling & Kristin E. Heron, 2020. "Preferences in Information Processing, Marginalized Identity, and Non-Monogamy: Understanding Factors in Suicide-Related Behavior among Members of the Alternative Sexuality Community," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-17, May.
    14. Nicholas W. Papageorge & Matthew V. Zahn & Michèle Belot & Eline Broek-Altenburg & Syngjoo Choi & Julian C. Jamison & Egon Tripodi, 2021. "Socio-demographic factors associated with self-protecting behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(2), pages 691-738, April.
    15. Mayank Aggarwal & Anindya S. Chakrabarti & Chirantan Chatterjee, 2023. "Movies, stigma and choice: Evidence from the pharmaceutical industry," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(5), pages 1019-1039, May.
    16. Karen M. Davison & Vidhi Thakkar & Shen (Lamson) Lin & Lorna Stabler & Maura MacPhee & Simon Carroll & Benjamin Collins & Zachary Rezler & Jake Colautti & Chaoqun (Cherry) Xu & Esme Fuller-Thomson & B, 2021. "Interventions to Support Mental Health among Those with Health Conditions That Present Risk for Severe Infection from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Scoping Review of English and Chinese-Langu," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-22, July.
    17. Ester Faia & Andreas Fuster & Vincenzo Pezone & Basit Zafar, 2024. "Biases in Information Selection and Processing: Survey Evidence from the Pandemic," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(3), pages 829-847, May.
    18. Garthwaite, Kayleigh & Bambra, Clare, 2017. "“How the other half live”: Lay perspectives on health inequalities in an age of austerity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 268-275.
    19. Layland, Eric K. & Maggs, Jennifer L. & Kipke, Michele D. & Bray, Bethany C., 2022. "Intersecting racism and homonegativism among sexual minority men of color: Latent class analysis of multidimensional stigma with subgroup differences in health and sociostructural burdens," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    20. Bruce C. Martin & Benson Honig, 2020. "Inclusive Management Research: Persons with Disabilities and Self-Employment Activity as an Exemplar," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 553-575, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11436-:d:668776. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.