Association between trust in COVID-19 information sources and engaging in infection prevention behaviors in Japan: A longitudinal study.

We examined changes in people's trust in information sources in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic over the course of 1 year and investigated longitudinal associations between trust in such sources and engaging in infection prevention behaviors. We conducted a longitudinal survey of Japanese populations under a declared state of emergency at two time points, August 2020 and August 2021. We surveyed sociodemographic data, seven Trust in COVID-19 information sources and six COVID-19 preventive behaviors. In all, 784 participants completed the two surveys. Physicians were the most consistently trusted information source over the 1-year period. We identified three preventive behaviors that were positively associated with trust in physicians as an information source (social distancing, wearing masks, and washing hands with soap), four preventive behaviors that were positively associated with trusting infected patients (social distancing, using ventilation, wearing masks, and using hand sanitizer), and one preventative behavior that was negatively associated with trust in government (avoiding closed spaces). In the ongoing pandemic, information from physicians and patients may encourage people to engage in long-term preventive behaviors. Physicians and patients should be promoted as trusted and behavior influencing sources of information during the pandemic.

Okada H ，Okuhara T ，Goto E ，Kiuchi T ... -  《-》

Association Between Trust in Government and Practice of Preventive Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan.

Research suggests that preventive measures are critical to reducing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but evidence regarding the association between trust in government and the practice of preventive measures is limited. To examine whether the practice of preventive measures against COVID-19 differs by one's level of trust in government. A cross-sectional analysis using the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS) conducted in August and September 2020. A nationally representative sample of Japanese individuals aged 15 through 79 years. The primary outcome was the composite score for COVID-19 preventive measures, defined as the percentage of preventive measures an individual reported to be practicing (out of nine measures: social distancing, wearing masks, avoiding closed spaces, avoiding crowded spaces, avoiding close contact settings, hand washing, avoiding touching one's face, respiratory hygiene, and surface disinfection). The secondary outcomes were (1) support for stay-at-home requests, (2) use of a contact-tracing app, and (3) receipt of the influenza vaccine in the previous season. Our analysis included a total of 25,482 individuals. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that individuals with high trust in government were likely to practice preventive measures more frequently compared to those with low trust (adjusted composite scores, 83.8% for high- vs. 79.5% for low-trust individuals; adjusted difference, +4.3 percentage points [pp]; 95% CI, +2.4 to +6.2pp; P<0.001). We also found that high trust in government was associated with higher likelihoods of support for stay-at-home requests, use of a contact-tracing app, and receipt of the influenza vaccine in the previous season. High trust in government was associated with a higher intensity of practicing COVID-19 preventive measures among Japanese individuals at the national level. Our findings may provide useful information to develop and design effective public health interventions.

Gotanda H ，Miyawaki A ，Tabuchi T ，Tsugawa Y ... -  《-》

Association Between Public Knowledge About COVID-19, Trust in Information Sources, and Adherence to Social Distancing: Cross-Sectional Survey.

The success of behavioral interventions and policies designed to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on how well individuals are informed about both the consequences of infection and the steps that should be taken to reduce the impact of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between public knowledge about COVID-19, adherence to social distancing, and public trust in government information sources (eg, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), private sources (eg, FOX and CNN), and social networks (eg, Facebook and Twitter) to inform future policies related to critical information distribution. We conducted a cross-sectional survey (N=1243) between April 10 and 14, 2020. Data collection was stratified by US region and other demographics to ensure representativeness of the sample. Government information sources were the most trusted among the public. However, we observed trends in the data that suggested variations in trust by age and gender. White and older populations generally expressed higher trust in government sources, while non-White and younger populations expressed higher trust in private sources (eg, CNN) and social networks (eg, Twitter). Trust in government sources was positively associated with accurate knowledge about COVID-19 and adherence to social distancing. However, trust in private sources (eg, FOX and CNN) was negatively associated with knowledge about COVID-19. Similarly, trust in social networks (eg, Facebook and Twitter) was negatively associated with both knowledge and adherence to social distancing. During pandemics such as the COVID-19 outbreak, policy makers should carefully consider the quality of information disseminated through private sources and social networks. Furthermore, when disseminating urgent health information, a variety of information sources should be used to ensure that diverse populations have timely access to critical knowledge.

Fridman I ，Lucas N ，Henke D ，Zigler CK ... -  《JMIR Public Health and Surveillance》

Trusted information sources in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic predict vaccination uptake over one year later.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake has been a major barrier to stopping the pandemic in many countries with vaccine access. This longitudinal study examined the capability to predict vaccine uptake from data collected early in the pandemic before vaccines were available. 493 US respondents completed online surveys both at baseline (March 2020) and wave 6 (June 2021), while 390 respondents completed baseline and wave 7 (November 2021) surveys. The baseline survey assessed trust in sources of COVID-19 information, social norms, perceived risk of COVID-19, skepticism about the pandemic, prevention behaviors, and conspiracy beliefs. Multivariable logistic models examined factors associated with the receipt of at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose at the two follow-ups. In the adjusted model of vaccination uptake at wave 6, older age (aOR = 1.02, 95 %CI = 1.00-1.04) and greater income (aOR = 1.69, 95 %CI = 1.04-2.73) was associated with positive vaccination status. High trust in state health departments and mainstream news outlets at baseline were positively associated with vaccination at wave 6, while high trust in the Whitehouse (aOR = 0.42, 95 %CI = 0.24-0.74) and belief that China purposely spread the virus (aOR = 0.66, 95 %CI = 0.46-0.96) at baseline reduced the odds of vaccination. In the adjusted model of vaccination uptake at wave 7, increased age was associated with positive vaccination status, and Black race (compared to white) was associated with negative vaccination status. High trust in the CDC and mainstream news outlets at baseline were both associated with being vaccinated at wave 7, while high trust in the Whitehouse (aOR = 0.24, 95 %CI = 0.11-0.51) and belief that the virus was spread purposefully by China (aOR = 0.60, 95 %CI = 0.39-0.93) were negatively associated with vaccination. These findings indicated that vaccine uptake could be predicted over a year earlier. Trust in specific sources of COVID-19 information were strong predictors, suggesting that future pandemic preparedness plans should include forums for news media, public health officials, and diverse political leaders to meet and develop coherent plans to communicate to the public early in a pandemic so that antivaccine attitudes do not flourish and become reinforced.

Latkin C ，Dayton L ，Miller J ，Eschliman E ，Yang J ，Jamison A ，Kong X ... -  《-》

The relationships between social participation before the COVID-19 pandemic and preventive and health-promoting behaviors during the pandemic: the JAGES 2019-2020 longitudinal study.

Kimura M ，Ide K ，Sato K ，Bang E ，Ojima T ，Kondo K ... -  《-》