Risk tolerance and changes in COVID-related health behaviors: A longitudinal study

Abstract

The present study examined behavioral responses during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic and the role of dispositional risk tolerance in the Australian context.Method:The study involved a six-wave longitudinal investigation with a nationally representative sample ofAustralians (N= 1,296). Dispositional risk tolerance was measured at Wave 1 and participants’anxietylevel and self-report implementation of 10 COVID actions was assessed in each wave. Autoregressivemultinomial regression models were estimated to assess the unique contribution of risk tolerance to thelongitudinal change of participants’implementation of COVID actions.Results:The results revealed ahigh implementation rate for protective actions when Australia had a peak in the severity of theCOVID-19 pandemic and subsequently declined with the easing threat of the pandemic. Individuals’dispositional risk tolerance significantly predicted transition to, and endorsement of, protective actions.Participants who had low risk tolerance were more likely to remain at the state of implementingCOVID-19 measures than being in, or transitioning to, other states.Conclusions:Thefindings suggestthat when encouraging protective actions, governments and public authorities should acknowledge vari-ability in the community in responding to risk and consider measures in addition to risk messaging toencourage protective actions among individuals with a high level of risk tolerance.Keywords:behavioral change, preventive health behavior, risk attitudes, risk perception, COVID-19pandemic