Risk Management and Healthcare Policy (Jun 2024)
Association Between Risk Perceptions of COVID-19, Political Ideology, and Mask-Wearing Behavior After the Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Survey in South Korea
Abstract
Seung Yeon Lee,1,2 Ji Hye Ham,3 Hyun-Kyung Park,4 Deok Hyun Jang,5 Won Mo Jang6,7 1Department of Administration, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; 2Office of External Affairs, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Centre, Seoul, South Korea; 3Seoul Public Health Research Institute, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea; 4Health Insurance Research Institute, National Health Insurance Service, Wonju, South Korea; 5Research Analytics & Communications, Gallup Korea, Seoul, South Korea; 6Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Centre, Seoul, South Korea; 7Department of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South KoreaCorrespondence: Won Mo Jang, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government – Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, 07061, South Korea, Tel +82-2-870-2165, Email [email protected]: After the declaration by the World Health Organization signaling the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries lifted mandatory mask-wearing regulations. This study aimed to investigate factors such as risk perception and political ideology associated with continued adherence to mask-wearing among specific populations, particularly when it is no longer deemed necessary.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including a sample of 1001 respondents stratified by sex, age (≥ 18 years), and region from January 31 to February 2, 2023, after the mandatory mask regulation was lifted in South Korea. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to estimate the relationships between risk perceptions, political ideology, and mask-wearing maintenance, adjusting for factors such as sex, age, occupation, and trust in the government.Results: Our results indicated significant associations between age, self-reported household economic status, political ideology, affective risk perception, and perceived effectiveness of the government’s COVID-related measures with indoor mask-wearing. Specifically, liberals were more likely to keep mask-wearing indoors than conservatives (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33– 3.59); and those who perceived a greater affective risk of COVID-19 (aOR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.96– 3.10), along with those who perceived the government’s countermeasures as inadequate, were more inclined to maintain the habit of wearing masks indoors (aOR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.19– 3.03).Conclusion: Our study highlighted the multifaceted factors influencing mask-wearing behavior in the post-COVID-19 era. Even after adjusting for various confounding factors, such as age, sex, and trust in the government, an association remained between affective risk perception, political ideology, and mask-wearing behavior. However, further research for psychological mechanisms is needed to foster a culture of preventive behaviors proportional to the risk of infection.Keywords: risk perception, mask-wearing behaviors, political ideology
