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

• Published in: Patient education and counseling 2023-06, Vol.111, p.107686-107686, Article 107686
• Main Authors: Okada, Hiroko, Okuhara, Tsuyoshi, Goto, Eiko, Kiuchi, Takahiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Health communication; Humans; Information Sources; Japan; Longitudinal Studies; Pandemic; Pandemics - prevention & control; Preventive behavior; SARS-CoV-2; Surveys and Questionnaires; Trust
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2023.107686

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. •Trust in physicians maintained the highest level.•Trust in government and experts tended to decline throughout the year.•Trust in physicians was associated with three long-term preventive behaviors.•Trust in infected patients was associated with four long-term preventive behaviors.•Trust in government was negatively associated with one long-term preventive behaviors.