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Trust in government regarding COVID-19 and its associations with preventive health behaviour and prosocial behaviour during the pandemic: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study
Abstract and Figures
Background
The effective implementation of government policies and measures for controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires compliance from the public. This study aimed to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of trust in government regarding COVID-19 control with the adoption of recommended health behaviours and prosocial behaviours, and potential determinants of trust in government during the pandemic.
Methods
This study analysed data from the PsyCorona Survey, an international project on COVID-19 that included 23 733 participants from 23 countries (representative in age and gender distributions by country) at baseline survey and 7785 participants who also completed follow-up surveys. Specification curve analysis was used to examine concurrent associations between trust in government and self-reported behaviours. We further used structural equation model to explore potential determinants of trust in government. Multilevel linear regressions were used to examine associations between baseline trust and longitudinal behavioural changes.
Results
Higher trust in government regarding COVID-19 control was significantly associated with higher adoption of health behaviours (handwashing, avoiding crowded space, self-quarantine) and prosocial behaviours in specification curve analyses (median standardised β = 0.173 and 0.229, p < 0.001). Government perceived as well organised, disseminating clear messages and knowledge on COVID-19, and perceived fairness were positively associated with trust in government (standardised β = 0.358, 0.230, 0.056, and 0.249, p < 0.01). Higher trust at baseline survey was significantly associated with lower rate of decline in health behaviours over time ( p for interaction = 0.001).
Conclusions
These results highlighted the importance of trust in government in the control of COVID-19.
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... Another line of research that emphasizes the role of trust in different economic times is the contention that people who trust the government will not cut down their expenditures so much, believing that the government will do enough to handle the situation (Foster & Frieden, 2017). Therefore, trust emerges as the focal factor in the effectiveness of policies made by the government (Han et al., 2021). But what creates this trust? ...
The intervention of relevant government authorities is crucial when a critical situation arises, such as the coronavirus pandemic. They should not be underestimated; job retention schemes are the tools through which the governments shield the most vulnerable population from the adverse effects of massive dismissals. These schemes, which can be used in various ways, can be used to provide a timely and temporary fix to a developing problem in the form of a crisis, or they can be used as solutions that address issues such as structural unemployment in the long run. Across the globe, nations have embraced a variety of job retention schemes, which generally fall into three main categories: short-time work schemes, furlough schemes, and wage subsidy schemes. These schemes are shaped to suit each country since they should address particular problems and situations. The article explores how employment protection measures affected the unemployment trends during the COVID-19 pandemic, with this classification understandably steering reliance on job retention schemes as either temporary crisis responses or fundamental tools for a sustainable labor plan. More specifically, the article uses a panel model to understand better the relationship between the growth rates of COVID-19 cases and the fluctuations in the unemployment rate. The findings have revealed that governments implementing long-term job retention schemes observe much lower increases in unemployment compared to those relying on short-term solutions. Furthermore, in countries where job retention schemes have become part of sustainable economic development strategies, a higher level of public trust towards government activities has contributed to more stable consumer behaviour and improved economic stability
... The type of research used in this study is an analytical survey with a Cross Sectional design, namely a study in which variables including risk factors and variables including effects are observed simultaneously at the same time. The Cross-Sectional design is widely used in public health research to analyze associations between variables without requiring longitudinal data [23]- [25]. This design is advantageous for identifying correlations and generating hypotheses, although it does not establish causality due to the absence of temporal sequence [26]- [28]. ...
Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of maternal education, the level of maternal nutritional knowledge and the food intake of toddlers on the nutritional status of toddlers. Methodology: This type of research is an analytical survey with a cross-sectional design. The sample in this study was 54 toddlers obtained using random sampling techniques. The instruments used were questionnaires, 24-hour recall forms, foot scales and height measuring tapes or microtoises. The data obtained in this study were processed using chi-square test statistics. Main Findings: There is a relationship between the level of maternal education and the nutritional status of toddlers with a P value = 0.203 based on BB/A and a P value = 0.847 based on the TB/A index, the level of maternal nutritional knowledge on the nutritional status of toddlers with a P value = 0.990 based on the BB/A index and a P value = 0.171 based on the TB/A index. There is no relationship between food intake and the nutritional status of toddlers in Tamangapa Village, Manggala District, Makassar City with a P value = 0.004 based on energy intake with nutritional status BB/A and a P value = 0.006 TB/A. Novelty/Originality of this study: As a reference material for health workers and the government so that they can provide information and direction to the community, especially mothers, to pay attention to food intake and the development of the nutritional status of their toddlers.
... Therefore, the characteristics of that audience and techniques leading to PA are worth further investigating. Secondly, although more challenging, the government can improve its chances of people following its guidance by investing time and effort in really making sure that the citizens feel satisfied with its handling of health crises and trust their government (e.g., [75]). This is not an easy task, but it has definite value. ...
This study examines the relative effectiveness of the UK government’s public health messages used during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on the use of a loss versus gain frame. We look at the effect of framing on behavioural inclination to follow COVID-19 guidance, as well as affective mechanisms and individual characteristic moderators that might explain said willingness. We ran two studies with a voluntary sample of the UK adult population (total n = 300). Across both studies, we only find a significant impact of message framing on the level of negative affect triggered, with the loss frame triggering a higher negative affect. Instead, attitude to public health communication had a direct and indirect effect on behavioural inclination. Our results suggest that threat minimisation and satisfaction with authorities handling a health crisis might be key to consider when developing effective public health communications.
... For example, high-income countries have better capability to implement vaccine passports in combination with stringent mitigation policies due to relatively higher vaccine availability and vaccinated population than other countries, which may strengthen the association between stringency index and vaccination rate in high-income countries [50][51][52][53]. Furthermore, populations in these countries generally have a higher level of trust in government than populations in LMICs, as shown in CPI, making them more likely to adhere to strict mitigation policies such as lockdowns, social distancing, and vaccine mandates because they trust the government [54]. ...
Introduction
Vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are being developed and supplied at an unprecedented rate. However, disparities in income levels among countries has influenced the supply and vaccination rate. This imbalance poses a potential risk factor, especially if vaccine-resistant variants emerge and the pandemic persists. To effectively combat a global pandemic such as COVID-19, understanding the key factors that influence vaccination rates worldwide is essential. This study utilizes cross-country panel regression to examine the factors associated with vaccination rates in countries at different income levels.
Methods
We analyzed weekly vaccination rates in relation to several COVID-related variables, including government suppression policies, vaccination coverage, and search trends from Google Trends. The data consistently spanned from March 2021 to February 2022. Random-effects panel regression models were employed to identify factors linked to weekly vaccination rates by income level. Independent variables included disease status, country characteristics, policy variables, and search trends.
Results
Significant disparities in weekly vaccination rates were observed between income-level groups. High-income countries experienced considerable fluctuations during outbreaks, whereas, low- and lower-middle-income countries demonstrated steady increase over time. The random-effects model, stratified by income level, showed that the vaccination coverage and search trend for “COVID-19 vaccine” were commonly associated with higher vaccination rates across all income groups. However, other factors varied based on income level, and gross domestic product per capita was not significant in the regression based on income level.
Conclusion
Vaccination rate and their associated factors differed across income levels. There is no universal strategy for boosting vaccination rates during a pandemic. Consequently, country specific approaches, including promotional programs to raise awareness and interest in vaccination, are essential for preparing for future pandemics.
Humanitarian crises like the Covid‐19 pandemic pose significant challenges to society, prompting scientific debate on whether such situations elicit more prosocial or more selfish behavior. Despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, current evidence indicates a continued display of various prosocial behaviors. This research aims to enhance the understanding of what constitutes prosocial behavior from both individuals’ lay and scientific perspectives. For this purpose, we analyzed lay perspectives via an open question in a representative survey ( N = 446) and qualitatively categorized the reported prosocial behaviors inductively with content analysis. The qualitative content analysis revealed three clusters of prosocial behaviors: promoting the welfare of others, health‐protective measures, and supporting society. Additionally, we conducted a systematic literature review to identify the scientific perspective view (i.e., focusing on the empirical measurements) on prosocial behaviors studied during the pandemic. Although behaviors promoting the welfare of others (e.g., donations) were the most commonly studied in the literature review, participants reported more health‐protective behavior, such as hand‐washing, which was not traditionally considered to be prosocial before the pandemic. The comparison between individuals’ lay and scientific perspectives highlighted some prosocial behaviors that warrant future investigation (e.g., supporting the economy, home office).
The article is devoted to the study of human behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in two African countries – Tanzania and Nigeria. Using our own field data, the authors analyzed the dynamics of the level of anxiety on the background of stress from the spread of COVID-19 during two large waves of the pandemic: 1) from May to August 2020 with an average peak on May 11; 2) from June to September 2021. The total sample was 1034 people. One of the authors’ hypotheses was that different control strategies in these countries led to different levels of stress in the population. The most important factor was not only the level of morbidity and mortality in the country, but also the lack of information and misinformation. Using the example of the two African countries, it is shown that misinformation, concealment of official statistics and fear of uncertainty led to an increase in anxiety among the population of Tanzania and slowed down the psychological adaptation of people in the context of a global crisis, observed in many countries around the world a year after the spread of coronavirus infections.
Objective:
To evaluate how public perceptions and trust in government communications affected the adoption of protective behaviour in Singapore during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods:
We launched our community-based cohort to assess public perceptions of infectious disease outbreaks in mid-2019. After the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Singapore on 23 January, we launched a series of seven COVID-19 surveys to both existing and regularly enrolled new participants every 2 weeks. As well as sociodemographic properties of the participants, we recorded changing responses to judge awareness of the situation, trust in various information sources and perceived risk. We used multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate associations with perceptions of risk and self-reported adopted frequencies of protective behaviour.
Findings:
Our cohort of 633 participants provided 2857 unique responses during the seven COVID-19 surveys. Most agreed or strongly agreed that information from official government sources (99.1%; 528/533) and Singapore-based news agencies (97.9%; 522/533) was trustworthy. Trust in government communication was significantly associated with higher perceived threat (odds ratio, OR: 2.2; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.6-3.0), but inversely associated with perceived risk of infection (OR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4-0.8) or risk of death if infected (OR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4-0.9). Trust in government communication was also associated with a greater likelihood of adopting protective behaviour.
Conclusion:
Our findings show that trust is a vital commodity when managing an evolving outbreak. Our repeated surveys provided real-time feedback, allowing an improved understanding of the interplay between perceptions, trust and behaviour.
Significance
This paper makes three contributions. First, it provides insights from Germany on people’s agreement with policy choices that all countries face in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. My findings point to dimensions relevant for policy makers when deciding between voluntary as opposed to enforced measures. These insights include the essential role of trust in government. Second, the paper contributes to the small but important literature on the intersection of policy design, state capacities, and the interplay of obedience and voluntary compliance. Third, my finding that even 30 y after reunification those who have experienced state coercion in East Germany are less control-averse concerning anti–COVID-19 measures than West Germans contributes to the literature on endogenous preferences and comparative cultural studies.
Background
Freeman et al . (2020a, Psychological Medicine , 21, 1–13) argue that there is widespread support for coronavirus conspiracy theories in England. We hypothesise that their estimates of prevalence are inflated due to a flawed research design. When asking respondents to their survey to agree or disagree with pro-conspiracy statements, they used a biased set of response options: four agree options and only one disagree option (and no ‘don't know’ option). We also hypothesise that due to these flawed measures, the Freeman et al. approach under -estimates the strength of the correlation between conspiracy beliefs and compliance. Finally, we hypothesise that, due to reliance on bivariate correlations, Freeman et al. over -estimate the causal connection between conspiracy beliefs and compliance.
Methods
In a pre-registered study, we conduct an experiment embedded in a survey of a representative sample of 2057 adults in England (fieldwork: 16−19 July 2020).
Results
Measured using our advocated ‘best practice’ approach (balanced response options, with a don't know option), prevalence of support for coronavirus conspiracies is only around five-eighths (62.3%) of that indicated by the Freeman et al. approach. We report mixed results on our correlation and causation hypotheses.
Conclusions
To avoid over-estimating prevalence of support for coronavirus conspiracies, we advocate using a balanced rather than imbalanced set of response options, and including a don't know option.
Background:
Much research effort is focused on developing an effective vaccine for combatting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccine development itself, however, will not be enough given that a sufficient amount of people will need to be vaccinated for widespread immunity. Vaccine hesitancy is on the rise, varies across countries, and is associated with conspiratorial worldview. Given the rise in COVID-19-related conspiracy theories, we aimed to examine the levels of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its association with beliefs on the origin of the novel coronavirus in a cross-cultural study.
Methods:
We conducted an online survey in the UK (N = 1088) and Turkey (N = 3936), and gathered information on participants' willingness to vaccinate for a potential COVID-19 vaccine, beliefs on the origin of the novel coronavirus, and several behavioural and demographic predictors (such as anxiety, risk perception, government satisfaction levels) that influence vaccination and origin beliefs.
Results:
In all, 31% of the participants in Turkey and 14% in the UK were unsure about getting themselves vaccinated for a COVID-19 vaccine. In both countries, 3% of the participants rejected to be vaccinated. Also, 54% of the participants in Turkey and 63% in the UK believed in the natural origin of the novel coronavirus. Believing in the natural origin significantly increased the odds of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.
Conclusions:
Our results point at a concerning level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, especially in Turkey, and suggest that wider communication of the scientific consensus on the origin of the novel coronavirus with the public may help future campaigns targeting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
Trust between governors and the governed is seen as essential to facilitating good governance. This claim has become a prominent contention during the coronavirus pandemic. The crisis also presents a unique test of key hypotheses in the trust literature. Moreover, understanding the dynamics of trust, how it facilitates and hinders policy responses, and also the likely effects of these responses on trust, are going to be fundamental questions in policy and trust research in the future. In this paper, we review the early literature on the coronavirus pandemic and political and social trust, summarise their findings, and highlight key challenges for future research. We show how the studies shed light on trust’s association with implementation of government measures, public compliance with them, mortality rates, and the effect of government action on levels of trust. We also urge caution given the varying ways of measuring trust and operationalising the impact of the pandemic, the existence of common issues with quantitative studies, and the relatively limited geographical scope of studies to date. We argue that it is going to be important to have a holistic understanding of these dynamics, using mixed-methods research as well as the quantitative studies we review here.
Background:
An invisible threat has visibly altered the world. Governments and key institutions have had to implement decisive responses to the danger posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Imposed change will increase the likelihood that alternative explanations take hold. In a proportion of the general population there may be strong scepticism, fear of being misled, and false conspiracy theories. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of conspiracy thinking about the pandemic and test associations with reduced adherence to government guidelines.
Methods:
A non-probability online survey with 2501 adults in England, quota sampled to match the population for age, gender, income, and region.
Results:
Approximately 50% of this population showed little evidence of conspiracy thinking, 25% showed a degree of endorsement, 15% showed a consistent pattern of endorsement, and 10% had very high levels of endorsement. Higher levels of coronavirus conspiracy thinking were associated with less adherence to all government guidelines and less willingness to take diagnostic or antibody tests or to be vaccinated. Such ideas were also associated with paranoia, general vaccination conspiracy beliefs, climate change conspiracy belief, a conspiracy mentality, and distrust in institutions and professions. Holding coronavirus conspiracy beliefs was also associated with being more likely to share opinions.
Conclusions:
In England there is appreciable endorsement of conspiracy beliefs about coronavirus. Such ideas do not appear confined to the fringes. The conspiracy beliefs connect to other forms of mistrust and are associated with less compliance with government guidelines and greater unwillingness to take up future tests and treatment.
The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive global health crisis. Because the crisis requires large-scale behaviour change and places significant psychological burdens on individuals, insights from the social and behavioural sciences can be used to help align human behaviour with the recommendations of epidemiologists and public health experts. Here we discuss evidence from a selection of research topics relevant to pandemics, including work on navigating threats, social and cultural influences on behaviour, science communication, moral decision-making, leadership, and stress and coping. In each section, we note the nature and quality of prior research, including uncertainty and unsettled issues. We identify several insights for effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight important gaps researchers should move quickly to fill in the coming weeks and months.
In the COVID-19 pandemic, the most vulnerable people are most likely to be the hardest hit. What can we learn from past epidemics to protect not only refugees but also the wider population?
Non-uniform compliance with public policy by citizens can undermine the effectiveness of government, particularly during crises. Mitigation policies intended to combat the novel coronavirus offer a real-world measure of citizen compliance, allowing us to examine the determinants of asymmetrical responsiveness. Analyzing county-level cellphone data, we leverage staggered roll-out to estimate the causal effect of stay-at-home orders on mobility using a difference-in-differences strategy. We find movement is significantly curtailed, and examination of descriptive heterogeneous effects suggests the key roles that partisanship and trust play in producing irregular compliance. We find that Republican-leaning counties comply less than Democratic-leaning ones, which we argue underlines the importance of trust in science and acceptance of large-scale government policies for compliance. However, this partisan compliance gap shrinks when directives are given by Republican leaders, suggesting citizens are more trusting of co-partisan leaders. Furthermore, we find that higher levels of social trust increase compliance; yet these gains attenuate or intensify depending upon community-level partisan sentiments. Our study provides a real-world, behavioral measure that demonstrates the influence of partisanship, social trust, and their interaction on citizen welfare. Finally, we argue that our results speak to how trust in government may impact successful containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While degraded trust and cohesion within a country are often shown to have large socio-economic impacts, they can also have dramatic consequences when compliance is required for collective survival. We illustrate this point in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Policy responses all over the world aim to reduce social interaction and limit contagion. Using data on human mobility and political trust at regional level in Europe, we examine whether the compliance to these containment policies depends on the level of trust in policy makers prior to the crisis. Using a double difference approach around the time of lockdown announcements, we find that high-trust regions decrease their mobility related to non-necessary activities significantly more than low-trust regions. We also exploit country and time variation in treatment using the daily strictness of national policies. The efficiency of policy stringency in terms of mobility reduction significantly increases with trust. The trust effect is nonlinear and increases with the degree of stringency. We assess how the impact of trust on mobility potentially translates in terms of mortality growth rate.