Risk perceptions of COVID-19 around the world

TLDR

The WHO declared COVID‑19 a global public health emergency, and the spread of the disease is influenced by people’s risk perceptions and willingness to adopt preventive behaviors. The study aims to assess public risk perception of COVID‑19 worldwide using national samples from ten countries. The assessment surveyed 6,991 participants across Europe, America, and Asia to measure risk perception and related factors. Risk perception is generally high, highest in the UK, and is significantly predicted by personal experience, individualistic and prosocial values, social amplification, trust in authorities, and knowledge of government strategy; it also correlates with preventive behavior and varies across cultures, informing risk‑communication strategies.

Abstract

The World Health Organization has declared the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world a global public health emergency. It is well-known that the spread of the disease is influenced by people's willingness to adopt preventative public health behaviors, which are often associated with public risk perception. In this study, we present the first assessment of public risk perception of COVID-19 around the world using national samples (total N = 6,991) in ten countries across Europe, America, and Asia. We find that although levels of concern are relatively high, they are highest in the UK compared to all other sampled countries. Pooled across countries, personal experience with the virus, individualistic and prosocial values, hearing about the virus from friends and family, trust in government, science, and medical professionals, personal knowledge of government strategy, and personal and collective efficacy were all significant predictors of risk perception. Although there was substantial variability across cultures, individualistic worldviews, personal experience, prosocial values, and social amplification through friends and family in particular were found to be significant determinants in more than half of the countries examined. Risk perception correlated significantly with reported adoption of preventative health behaviors in all ten countries. Implications for effective risk communication are discussed.