Worry much? Preventive health behaviours related to worry across countries amid COVID-19. (April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kapoor, Hansika; Tagat, Anirudh
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 27:Number 5(2022)
• Page Start: 1125
• Page End: 1136
• Publication Date: 2022-04
• Subjects: approach-avoidance -- COVID-19 -- cross-cultural -- preventive health behaviours -- public health; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105321999090
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between worry and health behaviours using an online survey of 69, 033 respondents from 32 countries. We hypothesized that past health behaviours predicted worry experienced, which in turn predicted future health behaviours, and included a metric of cultural distance from the US. Past behaviours such as maintaining physical distance predicted higher worry, whereas worry reduced the likelihood of going outside. Being culturally dissimilar to the US was associated with lower worry. However, cultural distance was not associated with future health behaviours. We analyse worry as an approach-avoidance motivator of health behaviours from a cross-cultural perspective, to facilitate effective health communication strategies.