Americans’ Trust in COVID-19 Information from Governmental Sources in the Trump Era: Individuals’ Adoption of Preventive Measures, and Health Implications

ABSTRACT

This study analyzes differences among Americans in their trust in COVID-19 information from governmental sources and how trust is associated with personal adoption of preventative measures under the Trump administration. Based on our analysis of data from a nationally representative survey conducted in October 2020 (effective sample size after weighting = 2615), we find that Americans in general have more trust in COVID-19 information from state/local governments than from the federal government. Variables such as age, party affiliation, religiosity, and race are significantly associated with Americans’ trust or lack of trust in COVID-19 information from governmental sources. During the study period, Republicans had more trust in the federal government as a COVID-19 information source than Democrats did, while Democrats had more trust in state/local governments. African Americans had the least trust in the federal and state/local governments as COVID-19 information sources, while Asian Americans had the most trust in both institutions. Trust in the state/local governments as COVID-19 information sources was positively associated with physical distancing and mask-wearing while trust in the federal government as a COVID-19 information source was negatively associated with physical distancing and mask-wearing, suggesting the distinctive roles that state/local governments and the federal government played in mobilizing Americans to adopt preventive measures.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical statement

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The NORC (National Opinion Research Center) Institutional Review Board reviewed and approved this study. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study according to NORC’s procedure.

Notes

1. The AmeriSpeak panel randomly selects U.S. households using area probability and address-based sampling, with a known, non-zero probability of selection from the NORC National Sample Frame. These sampled households are contacted by U.S. mail, telephone, and field interviewers. The panel provides sample coverage of approximately 97% of the U.S. household population. Those excluded from the sample include people with P.O. Box only addresses, some addresses not listed in the USPS Delivery Sequence File, and some newly constructed dwellings. While most AmeriSpeak households participated in this survey by web, non-internet households could participate by telephone. The NORC Institutional Review Board reviewed and approved this study. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study, according to NORC’s procedure.

2. Dynata uses a variety of sample sources such as panel, web intercept sample, and specialty lists. Each recruitment outlet delivers a different population and slightly different results, thus increasing diversity and representativeness. Loyalty panels are recruited by invitation to thousands of loyalty program members in travel, entertainment, media, and retail. Open enrollment is used to recruit through thousands of websites, social media influencers, and mobile apps. And affiliate networks are used to recruit through a broad range of websites, including schools and communities, where members log into communities with valid username and password and are invited to participate. Dynata used targeted sampling based on demographic requirements for the study. Dynata respondents were routed to AmeriSpeak, where they were screened. Qualified respondents were allowed to complete the survey, and upon completion, they were routed back to Dynata to receive their incentives.

3. In our survey, the state and local governments were lumped together as one category.

4. The choices for the first question include yes, no, don’t know, skipped on web, and refused. The choices for the second question include White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, multiracial, other, do not know, skipped on web, and refused.

5. As of June 4, 2021, the COVID data tracker website of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that among those who had received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, only 9% of recipients were African Americans while their percentage of U.S. population is 12.4%; in contrast, 6.1% of Asian Americans had already received at least one dose while their percentage of U.S. population is 5.8%.

Additional information

Funding

Funding support for the “Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic” survey comes from The Center for Reducing Health Disparities at University of Nebraska Medical Center, The Chinese Economists Society, and Calvin J Li Memorial Foundation. Views and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not reflect those of the funding agencies. There is no financial interest or benefit that has arisen from the direct applications of our research.