Objectives This study systematically evaluates age and race differences in mental health symptoms as they unfold microlongitudinally during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with a focus on within-person reactivity to forecasting and experiencing COVID-19 stress. Method A daily diary approach was used to examine predictors of daily anxiety and depressive symptoms among 526 adults (White [54%] and Black American [46%]) aged 21–79. A total of 3,605 online diaries were collected for 21 consecutive days between October and November, 2020. In addition to mental health symptoms, participants reported forecasted (next 24 h) stress as well as experienced (past 24 h) stress related to COVID-19. Results Patterns of reactivity to forecasted and experienced COVID-19 stress depended on age and race. White older adults displayed greater reactivity to COVID-19-related stress than White younger adults, but the effects of COVID-19-related stress were consistently detrimental for the daily anxiety of Black Americans, regardless of age. For Black Americans, age was less negatively associated with depressive symptoms than for White Americans. Increases in experienced COVID-19 stress were also more strongly associated with increases in depressive symptoms for Black Americans relative to White participants. Discussion This study moves beyond cross-sectional, descriptive work within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the dynamic nature of within-person reactivity patterns that differ by age and race. Although White older adults experienced an increase in daily anxiety when forecasting COVID-19 stress, the co-occurring pandemic of systemic racism may be more powerful than age-related vulnerabilities for Black adults.
Precaution taking is an important part of managing COVID-19 and has been since the start of the pandemic. Guided by the Health Belief Model, two studies conducted during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic aimed to identify possible individual difference predictors of precautionary actions. Study 1 was an online, cross-sectional study using 763 adults aged 20–79 years old. Study 2, a 30-day daily diary study, examined daily precautions in 261 persons over the age of 55 years old. Study 1 and Study 2 indicated that COVID-19 knowledge predicted precautionary behaviors. Multilevel models from Study 2 indicated that daily increases in in-person interactions and leaving home were associated with decreases in precautions, but increases in disruption to routine were associated with increases in precautions. In both studies, including concurrent and lagged models in Study 2, significant interactions between information seeking and perceived risk suggested higher information seeking was related to higher precautions for those who consider themselves low risk. Findings highlight the burden of daily precautions and potentially modifiable factors of engagement in precautions.
Background: This study sought to identify cognitive and behavioral predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Specifically, this study examined the effect of anxiety about developing COVID-19 and proactive coping behavior on the likelihood of reporting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in a sample of adults living in the United States. Methods: An online survey of proactive coping strategies, anxiety related to developing COVID-19, and vaccine hesitancy was administered in October 2020 to 534 adults aged 21-79-years old. Age, gender, race, self-rated health, years of education, COVID-19 knowledge, and perceived constraints were included as covariates. Results: Over half of the study participants (56.7%) were COVID-19 vaccine hesitant. People who were less anxious about developing COVID-19 were more likely to be vaccine hesitant. A statistically significant COVID-19 anxiety × proactive coping interaction showed the odds of vaccine hesitancy was highest among individuals with low anxiety about developing COVID-19 and high proactive coping, whereas vaccine hesitancy was lowest among individuals with high COVID-19 anxiety and high proactive coping. Conclusion:Results support a future-oriented approach to public health outreach efforts regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Improvement of proactive coping skills and emphasis on the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 may be more effective in increasing vaccine uptake than simply restating scientific facts regarding safety or efficacy.
Slowing the spread of COVID-19 depends on public adherence to precautionary actions, such as wearing masks. The Health Belief Model (Rosenstock, 1974) suggests the likelihood of using precautionary measures depends on perceived susceptibility, the severity of a disease, and whether effective measures can be taken to reduce the perceived threat of a disease. This daily diary study focused on identifying predictors of daily precautionary behavior in older persons. Between April 1 and June 26, 2020, 261 adults ages 55-79 (M = 64.29, SD = 5.20) completed up to 30 consecutive days of online diaries. We examined whether perceived risk, COVID-19 knowledge, fake news beliefs, information seeking, disruption to routine, in-person interactions, and leaving the house predicted the number of daily precautions participants engaged in. Multilevel modeling was used to examine within-person fluctuations in precautions as well as change in precautions from one day to the next. People who reported higher education, scored higher on the COVID-19 knowledge quiz, had lower fake news beliefs, and perceived a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 endorsed more precautions. At the daily level, increases in the number of in-person interactions, leaving home, and disruption to daily routine were each associated with decreases in precautionary behaviors. Concurrent day and lagged models showed significant interactions between information seeking and perceived risk, suggesting increases in information seeking are related to increases in precautions for those who consider their risk to be low. Findings highlight potentially intervenable factors that influence older adults’ daily decision making related to precautionary actions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.