COVID-19 and Elderly Females—a Study of Social Representations in Brazil

Abstract

This study investigates psychosocial aspects related to preventive behavior and social representations (SR) of COVID-19 for elderly females. The method used to understand these features was an online questionnaire for 326 women over 60 years old. In general, participants are afraid of COVID-19, believe that may kill them, and perceive that they do not venture themselves much. They consider themselves to be moderately informed about COVID-19. Right-winged participants believed more in the hydroxychloroquine efficacy with a greater belief that viruses and diseases may have been manufactured by organizations. Left-winged participants believe more in the truth of media information and also have a greater belief in science. Concerning the SR of COVID-19, a possible central core was observed around the following elements: fear, isolation, suffering, and danger. The conclusion is that there is an intense political polarization around the theme due to the political positioning of the participants