Factors Influencing Risk-prevention Behaviors Related to COVID-19 in Early 2020

This study aims to analyze the effect of emotional factors, cognitive factors, trust, and media on citizens’ voluntary risk-prevention behaviors, considering that in dangerous situations with high uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens’ voluntary risk-prevention behavior is important to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. To gather data, a nationwide internet-based survey was conducted in March and April of 2020, when the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic concluded in South Korea. The survey results revealed that risk-prevention behaviors, such as "wearing a face mask" and "staying at home," were affected by the following variables: emotional response to COVID-19, risk perception, government trust, and the use of social media. In addition, in the cases of women and the elderly, the higher the education level, the more active people were in practicing risk-prevention behaviors. These findings suggest the type of government policy required to induce voluntary risk-prevention behaviors among citizens against COVID-19.