Gender Differences on Psychosocial Factors Affecting COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors

Nicolás Bronfman, Paula Repetto, Paola Cordón, Javiera Castañeda and Pamela Cisternas
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Nicolás Bronfman: Engineering Sciences Department, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 7500973, Chile
Paula Repetto: Research Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management ANID/FONDAP/15110017, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Paola Cordón: Department of Psychology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Javiera Castañeda: Department of Psychology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Pamela Cisternas: Research Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management ANID/FONDAP/15110017, Santiago 7820436, Chile

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: Previous studies have reported differences between men and women in the adoption of preventive behaviors against infectious diseases. This study aims to examine gender differences on a set of psychosocial factors shown to influence preventive behaviors against infectious diseases such as COVID-19. We conducted a web survey ( N = 1.004) a few weeks after the end of the peak of the first wave of infections in Chile. The survey assessed participants’ perception of risk and worry about the COVID-19 pandemic, confidence in the government’s competence and integrity in dealing with the crisis, attribution of responsibility to various stakeholders, and adoption of preventive behaviors such as hygiene, distancing, and information-seeking. Our results confirm significant gender-based differences for both the psychosocial factors and the adoption of preventive behaviors. We conclude that women show a higher level of worry and fear of the pandemic and are keener to adopt preventive hygiene and social distancing behaviors. Similarly, participants report a low level of trust in government authorities, with women reporting the lowest trust level. The implications of these findings for the design of future risk communication strategies are discussed.

Keywords: gender; trust; worry; preventive behaviors; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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