Influence of trust on two different risk perceptions as an affective and cognitive dimension during Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak in South Korea: serial cross-sectional surveys

Jang, Won Mo; Kim, Un-Na; Jang, Deok Hyun; Jung, Hyemin; Cho, Sanghyun; Eun, Sang Jun; Lee, Jin Yong

Second, our study shows that low trust in government had influenced both affective and cognitive risk perceptions. After party identification was adjusted for, we examined correlation with trust and risk perception. It is consistent with previous studies that trust in government could shape the public`s risk perception (both affective and cognitive). 21 22 26 27 However, the previous studies have not distinguished between affective and cognitive reaction when evaluating the impact of trust regarding contagious diseases during outbreaks. 3 12 23 24 28-30 Our findings suggest that trust in government is correlated with both affective and cognitive risk perception and it is important to understand the relationship between trust in government and two different aspects of risk perceptions. Those who did not support the president were reported to have had higher risk perception in both the affective and cognitive levels. In the group that did not approve of the president, the probabilities of risk perception were higher at the cognitive dimension than at affective dimension. In the early days of the MERS-COV outbreak, the government did not specify details regarding scientifically uncertain information in order to reduce public anxiety over the crisis, nor did the government disclose which hospitals the confirmed patients had visited. This resulted in increased public distrust in the government. 4 5 8 9 Similar patterns of distrust in the government was associated with the spread of infection, during the outbreak of Ebola. 34 35 Those who disapproved of the ruling party had also higher risk perceptions. Identification of party can be classified in the political aspect of trust. 36 There is need to investigate further comprehensive understanding of trust`s effect on risk perception. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 F o r p e e r r e v i e w o n l y 17 Third, we found that gender, age, self-reported economic status, residential area, party identification correlated significantly with risk perception. According to multiple logistic regression analyses, being female predisposed to greater risk perception at the affective risk perception, but not at the cognitive dimension. Previous studies that investigated risk perception by gender also showed that a lower risk perception was associated with the male gender. 3 28 37-39 Possible explanation for lower perception of risk by male are that male have more to gain from risky behaviors. 40 However, previous studies did not distinguish between the level of risk perception. Further research is needed to determine why the same female group showed differences in perceived risk for affective and cognitive levels. The older the respondents, the lower the perceived cognitive dimension, but the opposite occurred weakly in the affective risk perception. The correlation with age and affective risk perception was not significant in most model (survey 1, survey 2, survey 3 models). After trust in government was adjusted for, we found correlation between older age and lower cognitive risk perception.