Politicization of COVID-19 health-protective behaviors in the United States: Longitudinal and cross-national evidence

Citations Over TimeTop 1% of 2021 papers

Abstract

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.

Related Papers

• → Is there a relationship between political orientation and cognitive ability? A test of three hypotheses in two studies(2008)80 cited
• → The conservative tradition in America(1997)50 cited
• American History Analyzed by Conservatism——A Macroscopic Investigation on American History(2005)
• Analysis of American Conservatism in 1960s(2006)
• → The Promise and Danger of National Conservatism(2023)