Relationship Between COVID-19 Risk Perception and Face-To-Face and Non-Face-To-Face Social Isolation During COVID-19:...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered social interactions, leading to widespread social isolation.
• Risk perception is a key motivator for social distancing behaviors during health crises.
• Previous research explored risk perception as a dual process, but its real-world application during the pandemic remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between risk perception (affective and cognitive), changes in social contact, and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To understand the role of different facets of risk perception in shaping social behaviors and isolation experiences.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide cross-sectional study involving 804 adults.
• Data collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews.
• Statistical analyses included analysis of variance and logistic regression models to examine relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Both affective and cognitive risk perceptions were significantly associated with changes in face-to-face and non-face-to-face social contact.
• Only affective risk perception demonstrated a significant association with social isolation.
• Higher levels of social isolation are linked to negative mental and physical health outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Affective risk perception plays a crucial role in driving social isolation during pandemics.
• Findings highlight social isolation as a significant health-related issue with implications for well-being.
• Interventions aimed at reducing social isolation could improve public health outcomes.