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Gender differences in COVID-19 attitudes and behavior: Panel evidence from eight countries
Vincenzo Galasso1,2,3,4, Vincent Pons5,6,7, Paola Profeta8,4
1Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University, 20136 Milan, Italy.
Summary
Women exhibited higher compliance with COVID-19 policies, perceiving the pandemic as more serious and supporting stricter public health measures. These gender differences in pandemic behavior were consistent across countries and not explained by demographics or psychological factors.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated significant public behavior changes, like social distancing and mask-wearing.
- The success of public health interventions relies on widespread compliance.
- Individual compliance is influenced by perceptions and beliefs about the pandemic's severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender disparities in beliefs and behaviors related to COVID-19.
- To analyze the factors influencing these gender differences in compliance with public health measures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized original survey data from two waves (March-April 2020) across eight OECD countries.
- Survey included 21,649 participants, assessing COVID-19 beliefs, policy attitudes, and compliance behaviors.
- Employed statistical analysis to examine gender differences and potential confounding factors.
Main Results:
- Women reported higher perceived seriousness of COVID-19 and greater agreement with and compliance with public health policies.
- Sizable gender differences in attitudes and behaviors were observed across all surveyed countries.
- These differences were not explained by sociodemographic, employment, psychological, or behavioral factors, and were only partially reduced by cohabitation or direct virus exposure.
Conclusions:
- Gender is a significant factor influencing public response to health crises like COVID-19.
- Public health communication and policies may require gender-specific tailoring for optimal effectiveness.
- Findings highlight a distinct domain of gender differences in behavioral adaptation to novel risks.
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