Analyzing Risk Communication, Trust, Risk Perception, Negative Emotions, and Behavioral Coping Strategies During the Covid-19 Pandemic in China Using a Structural Equation Model

Datos Bibliográficos

ID22089375
AutoresJunwang Gu (0000-0001-9815-5024, Gannan Medical University, autor de correspondencia), Rong He (0000-0002-1728-8907, Gannan Medical University), He Rong (0000-0002-5716-2364), Xuanhui Wu (Gannan Medical University), Jing Tao (0000-0003-1749-9920, Gannan Medical University), Wenhui Ye (Gannan Medical University), Chunmei Wu (0000-0002-6721-544X, Gannan Medical University)
Año2022
Volumen10
Páginas843787-843787
Fecha de publicación2022-05-30
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
EditorialFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2022.843787
PMID35712304
OpenAlexW4281617009
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas48

Objective Risk communication and the degree of trust are major factors that affect the public's behavioral coping strategies and play an important role in emergency risk management. However, the internal formation mechanism involved in the public's psychological behavior remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association among risk communication, trust, risk perception, negative emotions, and behavioral coping strategies during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and to identify and quantify the factors that influence public behavior. Methods We launched an online survey through social media from April to July 2020 in China. Relevant data were elicited using a self-designed questionnaire that mainly examined respondent characteristics, risk communication, trust, risk perception, negative emotions, protective coping behavior, and excessive coping behavior in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 735 valid responses were obtained. A structural equation model was then used to explore relationship pathways among the components. Results The higher the degree of risk communication (β = −0.10, p < 0.05) and trust (β = −0.22, p < 0.001), the lower the public risk perception. Risk communication and trust had a direct effect on public behavioral coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The higher the level of risk communication (β = 0.14, p < 0.001) or trust (β = 0.48, p < 0.001), the more likely it was that this would encourage the public to adopt protective coping behaviors, while the public was less likely to engage in excessive coping behaviors as the degree of trust increased (β = −0.12, p < 0.01). Risk perception influenced by poor risk communication and trust generated negative emotions (β = 0.31, p < 0.001), and such negative emotions further positively influenced public behavioral coping strategies (whether protective [β = 0.09, p < 0.05] or excessive [β = 0.24, p < 0.001] behaviors). Conclusion Risk communication, trust, risk perception, and negative emotions were significantly directly or indirectly related to public behavior. The findings provide useful information for emergency risk management and a theoretical basis for follow-up research on public coping behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

Disease · Environmental health · Pandemic · Perception · Political science · Public health · Public relations · Public trust · Respondent · Risk communication · Risk perception · Structural equation modeling · Clinical Psychology · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Disaster Management and Resilience · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Risk Perception and Management · Social Psychology