Factors influencing individual responses to public health COVID-19 directives: Comparison of China and the United States

Abstract

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, the US government has issued several public health advisories, such as stay at home and wearing masks. However, during the early stages of the outbreak, the implementation of these measures was met with much opposition. This study aimed to explore factors influencing individual responses to public health COVID-19 directives in the United States and China. A total of 1018 samples were collected from the United States and China through a web-based questionnaire. We explored various perspectives, which includes demographic, personality, COVID-19 awareness & knowledge, public pressure, information, political party, motivations, cultural, personal and family concern, etc. We found that although age, personality, knowledge of COVID-19, and trust in government and health organizations can influence compliance with COVID-19 related public health orders, individual responsiveness and social influence are likely to be the underlying causes.