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

Journal article

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.

Authors: Stroebe, W; vanDellen, MR; Abakoumkin, G; Lemay, EP; Schiavone, WM

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Journal: PLoS ONE
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 10
• Pages: e0256740-e0256740
• Publication date: 2021-10-20
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256740
• EISSN: 1932-6203
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• Language: English
• Keywords: Personal protective equipment; Nursing; Disease; Medicine; Vulnerability (computing); Health behavior; Health policy; Conservatism; Pathology; Politics; Environmental health; Pandemic; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Public health; Longitudinal study; Political science; Biology and political orientation; Psychology