AUTHOR=Evensen Darrick , Warren George , Bouder Frederic 

TITLE=Satisfaction With Governmental Risk Communication Both Increases and Decreases COVID-19 Mitigation Behaviours

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=68

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1604966

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1604966

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> Over 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and intense societal and governmental response, a wealth of research has examined risk perceptions and public risk mitigation behaviours. The vast majority of this inquiry has focused on health risks. Nevertheless, as a “total social fact” influencing nearly every aspect of quotidian life, the pandemic engenders a wide range of risk perceptions.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold><italic>Via</italic> a survey (N = 4,206) of representative samples of the general public in five European countries (Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom), we explore perceptions of a range of personal/public health, economic, and societal risks. We also investigate the effects of perceptions of official governmental risk communication in one’s country on risk perceptions and risk mitigation behaviours.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Structural equation modelling reveals that whilst perceptions of effective risk communication directly increase behaviours that mitigate COVID-19 health risks, these same perceptions indirectly decrease behaviour frequency <italic>via</italic> a mediated relationship with societal risk perceptions.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> The findings highlight the import of governmental authorities analysing and communicating about the range of risk perceptions citizens might have about a “total social fact” such as COVID-19.</p>