The effect of education, age, and gender on disease risk perception and disease severity perception at a community college during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to measure the correlation between knowledge of viral disease and disease risk perception, disease severity perception, and mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic by level of education, age, and gender at a community college in Phoenix, Arizona. Participants were recruited by an email sent to all students, faculty, and staff at PVCC using an all-college email distribution list. Disease risk and severity perception were assessed with the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire 5, which was modified to include questions measuring participant age, education level, and whether they had ever taken a college biology course. Two additional question sets measured compliance of willingness to wear a face mask. Analysis showed a significant relationship between gender and mask wearing behavior and between knowledge of viral disease in combination with education level and the combined variables of disease risk perception, disease severity perception, and mask wearing behavior. No significant difference from having taken a biology course was found in risk perception, disease severity perception, and mask wearing behavior by age. The results suggest that formal higher education that includes a knowledge of viral disease influences how individuals perceive the severity and risk of COVID-19 and modify their mask wearing behavior accordingly. Gender influences people's willingness to wear a mask, even though it has no effect of risk perception or severity perception. The results can be used to modify existing health education strategies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)