Knowledge and Behaviors Toward COVID-19 Among US Residents During the Early Days of the Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Online Questionnaire

Abstract

Background The early days of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States brought uncertainty in the knowledge about COVID-19 and what to do about it. It is necessary to understand public knowledge and behaviors if we are to effectively address the pandemic. Objective The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that knowledge about COVID-19 influences participation in different behaviors including self-reports of purchasing more goods than usual, attending large gatherings, and using medical masks. Methods This study was funded and approved by the Institutional Review Board on March 17, 2020. The cross-sectional online survey of 1034 US residents aged 18 years or older was conducted on March 17, 2020. Results For every point increase in knowledge, the odds of participation in purchasing more goods (odds ratio [OR] 0.88, 95% CI 0.81-0.95), attending large gatherings (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.93), and using medical masks (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.50-0.62) decreased by 12%, 13%, and 44%, respectively. Gen X and millennial participants had 56% and 76% higher odds, respectively, of increased purchasing behavior compared to baby boomers. The results suggest that there is a politicization of response recommendations. Democrats had 30% lower odds of attending large gatherings (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.50-0.97) and 48% lower odds of using medical masks (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.34-0.78) compared to Republicans. Conclusions This survey is one of the first attempts to study determinants of knowledge and behaviors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. A national, coordinated effort toward a pandemic response may ensure better compliance with behavioral recommendations to address this public health emergency.