Arbeitspapier

Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Self-Protecting Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Disease spread is in part a function of individual behavior. We examine the factors predicting individual behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States using novel data collected by Belot et al. (2020). Among other factors, we show that people with lower income, less flexible work arrangements (e.g., an inability to tele-work) and lack of outside space at home are less likely to engage in behaviors, such as social distancing, that limit the spread of disease. We also find evidence that region, gender and beliefs predict behavior. Broadly, our findings align with typical relationships between health and socio-economic status. Moreover, they suggest that the burden of measures designed to stem the pandemic are unevenly distributed across socio-demographic groups in ways that affect behavior and thus potentially the spread of illness. Policies that assume otherwise are unlikely to be effective or sustainable.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 13333

Classification
Wirtschaft
Health: General
Health and Inequality
Subject
COVID-19
health
income
behavior

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Papageorge, Nicholas W.
Zahn, Matthew V.
Belot, Michèle
van den Broek-Altenburg, Eline
Choi, Syngjoo
Jamison, Julian C.
Tripodi, Egon
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
(where)
Bonn
(when)
2020

Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET

Data provider

This object is provided by:
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.

Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Papageorge, Nicholas W.
  • Zahn, Matthew V.
  • Belot, Michèle
  • van den Broek-Altenburg, Eline
  • Choi, Syngjoo
  • Jamison, Julian C.
  • Tripodi, Egon
  • Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Time of origin

  • 2020

Other Objects (12)