Impact of Social Support and Social Trust on Public Viral Risk Response: A COVID-19 Survey Study

Eugene Song and Hyun Jung Yoo
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Eugene Song: Department of Consumer Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
Hyun Jung Yoo: Department of Consumer Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-14

Abstract: Public health has been under continuous threat worldwide in recent years. This study examined the impact of social support and social trust on the activities and efficacy of the public’s risk response in the case of COVID-19. We conducted an online survey over eight days with 620 Korean adult participants. Data were analyzed using structural equation modelling and K-means cluster analysis. Our results showed that public support had a positive impact on response efficacy, while response efficacy had a positive impact on sanitation, distancing, and purchasing activities. In addition, social support positively moderated the impact of public and individual support on response efficacy, while response efficacy negatively moderated the impact on sanitation activities. These results suggest that, first, amid viral risk, governments should proactively supply tools and information for infection-prevention, and deliver messages that encourage and support infection-prevention activities among the public. Second, when viral risk occurs, governments, along with all other members of society, must engage in aggressive risk response measures. Third, there is a need for risk communication that further emphasizes the importance of personal sanitation activities in the face of viral risk.

Keywords: distancing activity; public health; purchasing activity; response efficacy; sanitation activity; social support; social trust; viral risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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