Socioeconomic Status, Crowding, COVID-19 Perceptions, and Protective Behavior

Crowding, a key factor that catalyzes the transmission of infectious diseases, disproportionately affects individuals from lower socioeconomic groups. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether socioeconomic status (SES) and crowding are related to differences in COVID-19 risk and efficacy perceptions and whether these perceptions explain protective behaviors. We specifically focused on household income and education as indicators of SES, and household crowding and public transportation use as indicators of crowding. Results from an online survey of 387 working adults, collected during the second peak of the pandemic in Turkey, showed that SES and public transportation use were negatively related to COVID-19 risk perceptions. On the other hand, SES, household crowding, and COVID-19 risk and efficacy perceptions were positively related to hygiene-related protective behavior and physical distancing. Moreover, the association between COVID-19 perceived protective norms and physical distancing was moderated by household crowding such that the positive relationship between protective norms and physical distancing was stronger at higher levels of domestic crowding. Yet, robustness checks suggest that further evidence is needed before to make any definitive conclusions about the interaction effect.