Abstract | December 19, 2022

Public Perception of COVID-19 Health Information as a Function of Population Demographics

Presenting Author: Vivian Dong, BS, Medical Student, 1st Year, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA

Coauthors: Erica Mark, BS, MS3, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA; Galina Udod, BS, MS3, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY; Jayne Skinner, MS, Brown University, Providence, RI

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe how demographic factors of location, information source, race, and essential worker status impact public attitudes toward COVID-19.
  2. Appreciate the complexity and intersectionality of social factors that exist in patient populations.

Background: Despite efforts to promote public health measures and disease prevention, the United States continues to lead the world in COVID-19 caseload and fatalities. This study investigates differences in public attitude toward COVID-19 across population demographics in the United States.

 

Methods: A self-compiled, validated attitude questionnaire was distributed via social media. 675 complete responses were used for data analysis. Chi-square statistics were calculated to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in attitudes among demographic groups toward the following statements: 1) social distancing prevents COVID-19 complications 2) I have trust in federal guidelines, 3) I have trust in state guidelines, and 4) The virus was made in a lab. The significance threshold was set at p < 0.01.

 

Results: Location of residence was significantly associated with differences in attitude toward social distancing, with a larger proportion of subjects in urban areas agreeing that social distancing prevents COVID-19 complications. Trust in state and public guidelines differed amongst participants who obtained their information from different sources, including the radio, scholarly articles, television, and the newspaper. Attitudes toward the statement “the virus was made in a lab” varied across multiple demographics, including race, essential worker status, location of residence, and main source of information.

 

Conclusions: Multifactorial demographic factors play a role in how individuals perceive public health information. Understanding public attitudes toward COVID-19 not only provides necessary insight into current public health landscapes, but also guides tailored and targeted interventions that serve diverse populations.

 

References:

  1. Chen, X., &amp; Chen, H. (2020). Differences in Preventive Behaviors of COVID-19 between Urban and Rural Residents: Lessons Learned from A Cross-Sectional Study in China. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(12), 4437. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124437

 

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