Impact of pandemic proximity and media use on risk perception during COVID-19 in China

Abstract

Do people in other areas perceive less risk from the COVID-19 pandemic than those in Hubei Province in the pandemic area? Do people in communities with COVID-19 infections perceive a higher level of risk of the virus? What media do people use to get information about the pandemic, and how do the chosen information source influence risk perception? To answer these questions, this study conducted an online questionnaire survey among the public in Guangdong and Hubei Provinces (N = 407) between January and April 2020, and systematically analyzed the impact of proximity to the pandemic and different types of information media on pandemic risk perception. It found that during this period, there was no difference in residents' pandemic risk perception between Hubei and other provinces, and that the greater the number of relatives and friends infected with the virus, the higher people’s pandemic risk perception. Individual social media use positively influences perception, and it is the most powerful variable for predicting pandemic risk perception.