The Moderating Effects of Perceived Severity on the Generational Gap in Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S.
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Background
1.2. Hypotheses
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Data Collection and Respondent Profile
2.2. Variables and Measurements
3. Results
3.1. Generational Gaps in Perceived Severity of COVID-19
3.2. Generational Gaps in Preventive Actions for COVID-19
3.3. Moderating Effect of Perceived Severity
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Respondent Profile | n | % |
---|---|---|
Gender | ||
Male | 798 | 43.3 |
Female | 1045 | 56.7 |
Age | ||
18–24 | 191 | 10.4 |
25–39 | 521 | 28.3 |
40–54 | 354 | 19.2 |
55 and above | 777 | 42.2 |
Race/Ethnicity | ||
Caucasian/White(non-Hispanic) | 1413 | 76.7 |
Black/African American | 175 | 9.5 |
Latino/Hispanic | 115 | 6.2 |
Asian/Pacific Islander | 91 | 4.9 |
Native American/American Indian | 16 | .9 |
Other | 33 | 1.8 |
Annual Income | ||
$20,000 or under | 392 | 21.3 |
$20,001 or 40,000 | 391 | 21.2 |
$40,001–$60,000 | 320 | 17.4 |
$60,001–$80,000 | 264 | 14.3 |
$80,001–$100,000 | 161 | 8.7 |
$100,001 and higher | 315 | 17.1 |
Educational Level | ||
Less than higher school | 41 | 2.2 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 343 | 18.6 |
Some college but no degree | 402 | 21.8 |
Associate or technical degree | 228 | 12.4 |
Bachelor’s degree | 521 | 28.3 |
Master’s degree | 260 | 14.1 |
Doctoral degree | 48 | 2.6 |
Political Partisanship | ||
Democrat | 736 | 39.9 |
Republican | 615 | 33.4 |
Independent | 447 | 24.3 |
Other | 45 | 2.4 |
Survey Questions | Measurement | |
---|---|---|
Outcome Variables | ||
Perceived Severity (Cronbach α = 0.79) | I believe that COVID-19 is a deadly disease. | 5-point scale where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree |
I believe that COVID-19 can bring severe health problems. | ||
I believe that COVID-19 is a serious threat to my health. | ||
Preventive Actions (Cronbach α = 0.76) | Clean hands often. | 5-point scale where 1 = least likely and 5 = most likely |
Wear a face mask outside. | ||
Limit outdoor activities. | ||
Avoid attending mass gathering. | ||
Keep social distance with others. | ||
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. | ||
Independent Variable | ||
Age | Please select your age from the following choices. | 1 = Generation Z (18–24) 2 = Generation Y (25–39) 3 = Generation X (40–54) 4 = Baby Boomers (55 and above) |
Control Variables | ||
Gender | What’s your gender? | 1 = male and 0 = female |
Partisanship | Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, Democrat, independent, or what? | 1 = Independent 2 = Republican 3 = Democrat |
Ethnicity | Which of the following best describes your racial/ethnic identity? | 1 = White 2 = Non-white (i.e., African Americans) |
Education | What is the highest degree or level of education you have completed? | 1 = less than high school diploma … and 7 = doctorate degree |
Income | What is your annual income? | 1 = $20,000 or under … and 6 = $100,001 and higher |
Location | What is the state where you are living in? | 1 = most affected states (NY, CA, FL, LA, IL, MA, MI, NJ, PA) 0 = less affected states (the other 41 states) |
Personal Relevance | Is there anyone you know (e.g., family members, friends, colleagues, acquaintances) who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19? | 1 = yes 0 = no |
COVID information (Cronbach α = 0.83) | How much COVID-related information have you received from each of the following communication channels? (Broadcast television news, Cable television news, Print newspapers, Radio, Online News, Facebook, Twitter, Friends and family). | 5-point scale where 1 = not at all and 5 = a great deal |
Perceive Severity | Preventive Actions | Preventive Actions | |
---|---|---|---|
Model 1 (H1) | Model 2 (H2) | Model 3 (H3) | |
Gen Y | 0.21(0.002) ** | 0.10(0.032) * | −0.19(0.414) |
Gen X | 0.33(0.000) *** | 0.28(0.000) *** | 0.50(0.045) * |
Baby Boomers | 0.55(0.000) *** | 0.41(0.000) *** | 0.65(0.005) ** |
Perceived Severity (PS) | - | - | 0.36(0.000) *** |
PS X Gen Y | - | - | 0.05(0.355) |
PS X Gen X | - | - | −0.08(0.191) |
PS X Baby Boomers | - | - | −0.10(0.037) * |
Male | −0.06(0.135) | −0.16(0.000) *** | −0.14(0.000) *** |
Republicans | −0.04(0.47) | −0.04(0.288) | −0.03(0.403) |
Democrats | 0.18(0.000) *** | 0.09(0.026) * | 0.03(0.373) |
White | 0.11(0.022) * | −0.02(0.575) | −0.06(0.106) |
Educational Level | 0.003(0.821) | −0.003(0.765) | −0.01(0.596) |
Household Income | 0.01(0.347) | 0.01(0.238) | 0.01(0.451) |
Most Affected States | −0.01(0.853) | 0.06(0.054) | 0.06(0.025) * |
Personal Relevance | 0.03(0.468) | −0.05(0.20) | −0.05(0.107) |
COVID information | 0.19(0.000) *** | 0.21(0.000) *** | 0.15(0.000) *** |
constant | 3.05(0.000) *** | 3.43(0.000) *** | 2.32(0.000) *** |
N of obs | 1798 | 1798 | 1798 |
R2 | 0.09 *** | 0.12 *** | 0.26 *** |
Perceived Severity (Model 1) | Preventive Actions (Model 2) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
diff. | p-Value | diff. | p-Value | |
Gen Z vs. Gen Y | −0.21 | 0.011 | −0.10 | 0.249 |
Gen Z vs. Gen X | −0.33 | 0.000 | −0.28 | 0.000 |
Gen Z vs. Baby Boomers | −0.55 | 0.000 | −0.41 | 0.000 |
Gen Y vs. Baby Boomers | −0.34 | 0.000 | −0.31 | 0.000 |
Gen X vs. Baby Boomers | −0.22 | 0.000 | −0.13 | 0.013 |
Gen X vs. Gen Y | 0.12 | 0.121 | 0.17 | 0.001 |
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Luo, Y.; Cheng, Y.; Sui, M. The Moderating Effects of Perceived Severity on the Generational Gap in Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 2011. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18042011
Luo Y, Cheng Y, Sui M. The Moderating Effects of Perceived Severity on the Generational Gap in Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(4):2011. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18042011
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuo, Yunjuan, Yang Cheng, and Mingxiao Sui. 2021. "The Moderating Effects of Perceived Severity on the Generational Gap in Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 4: 2011. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18042011