Open AccessPoliticization of COVID-19 health-protective behaviors in the United States: Longitudinal and cross-national evidence
Author(s) -
Wolfgang Stroebe,
Michelle R. vanDellen,
Georgios Abakoumkin,
Edward P. Lemay,
William M. Schiavone,
Maximilian Agostini,
Jocelyn J. Bélanger,
Ben Gützkow,
Jannis Kreienkamp,
Anne Margit Reitsema,
Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom,
Vjolica Ahmedi,
Handan Akkaş,
Carlos A. Almenara,
Mohsin Atta,
Sabahat Çiğdem Bağcı,
Sima Basel,
Edona Berisha Kida,
Allan B. I. Bernardo,
Nicholas R. Buttrick,
Phatthanakit Chobthamkit,
HoonSeok Choi,
Mioara Cristea,
Sára Csaba,
Kaja Damnjanović,
Ivan Danyliuk,
Arobindu Dash,
Daniela Di Santo,
Karen M. Douglas,
Violeta Enea,
Daiane Gracieli Faller,
Gavan J. Fitzsimons,
Alexandra Gheorghiu,
Ángel Gómez,
Ali Hamaidia,
Qing Han,
Mai Helmy,
Joevarian Hudiyana,
Bertus F. Jeronimus,
DingYu Jiang,
Veljko Jovanović,
Željka Kamenov,
Anna Kende,
ShianLing Keng,
Tra Thi Thanh Kieu,
Yasin Koç,
Kamila Kovyazina,
Inna Kozytska,
Joshua Krause,
Arie W Kruglanksi,
Anton Kurapov,
Maja Kutlaca,
Nóra Anna Lantos,
Cokorda Bagus Jaya Lemsmana,
Winnifred R. Louis,
Adrian Lueders,
Najma Iqbal Malik,
Anton Philipp Martinez,
Kira O. McCabe,
Jasmina Mehulić,
Mirra Noor Milla,
Idris Mohammed,
Erica Molinario,
Manuel Moyano,
Hayat Muhammad,
Silvana Mula,
Hamdi Muluk,
Solomiia Myroniuk,
Reza Najafi,
Cláudia Nisa,
Boglárka Nyúl,
Paul A. O’Keefe,
José Javier Olivas Osuna,
Evgeny Osin,
Joonha Park,
Gennaro Pica,
Antonio Pierro,
Jonas Rees,
Elena Resta,
Marika Rullo,
Michelle K. Ryan,
Adil Samekin,
Pekka Santtila,
Edyta Sasin,
Birga M. Schumpe,
Heyla A. Selim,
Michael Stanton,
Samiah Sultana,
Robbie M. Sutton,
Eleftheria Tseliou,
Akira Utsugi,
Jolien van Breen,
Caspar J. van Lissa,
Kees van Veen,
Alexandra Vázquez,
Robin Wollast,
Victoria Wai Lan Yeung,
Somayeh Zand,
Iris Žeželj,
Bang Zheng,
Andreas Zick,
Claudia Zúñiga,
N. Pontus Leander
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0256740
Subject(s) - vulnerability (computing) , pandemic , covid-19 , conservatism , biology and political orientation , longitudinal study , environmental health , health behavior , health policy , personal protective equipment , medicine , public health , psychology , politics , political science , nursing , pathology , disease , computer security , computer science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , law
During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. conservative politicians and the media downplayed the risk of both contracting COVID-19 and the effectiveness of recommended health behaviors. Health behavior theories suggest perceived vulnerability to a health threat and perceived effectiveness of recommended health-protective behaviors determine motivation to follow recommendations. Accordingly, we predicted that—as a result of politicization of the pandemic—politically conservative Americans would be less likely to enact recommended health-protective behaviors. In two longitudinal studies of U.S. residents, political conservatism was inversely associated with perceived health risk and adoption of health-protective behaviors over time. The effects of political orientation on health-protective behaviors were mediated by perceived risk of infection, perceived severity of infection, and perceived effectiveness of the health-protective behaviors. In a global cross-national analysis, effects were stronger in the U.S. ( N = 10,923) than in an international sample (total N = 51,986), highlighting the increased and overt politicization of health behaviors in the U.S.