The Moderating Effects of Perceived Severity on the Generational Gap in Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S

Yunjuan Luo, Yang Cheng and Mingxiao Sui
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Yunjuan Luo: Department of Online Communication, School of Journalism and Communication, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yang Cheng: Department of Communication, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Mingxiao Sui: Department of Media & Communication, School of Arts and Science, Ferrum College, Ferrum, VA 24151, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults appear to be more susceptible to the coronavirus disease. Although the health stakes are higher for older adults, individuals of all ages should adopt preventive measures to contain the human-to-human transmission of the virus. This study conducted a national online survey of 1843 adults at the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. to examine age disparities in preventive behaviors against the virus. The results show that older generations, motivated by a higher perceived severity of the disease, were more likely to take the precautionary actions recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) than younger generations. This thus suggests that persuasive health messages addressing the severity of COVID-19 might reduce the generational gap and promote preventive behaviors among young people, to protect themselves and the elderly.

Keywords: risk perception; perceived severity; preventive behavior; generational gap; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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