Abstract
An analysis of risk perceptions during public health emergencies is crucial for effective risk management and policy-making. This paper examines risk perceptions in China during the early coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) outbreak using first-hand data. It reveals that residents experienced heightened perceived severity and vulnerability towards COVID-19. Moreover, substantial heterogeneity in risk perceptions existed between social groups based on age, education, employment status, and hukou type. Specifically, higher risk perception was observed among young adults, the well-educated, those outside formal employment systems, and urban hukou-holders. Furthermore, external factors like residential environment, information disclosure satisfaction, and COVID-19 exposure significantly influenced risk perceptions. Notably, homeownership was linked to higher general risk perception compared to renting. Individuals in informal settlements like Chengzhongcun exhibited greater risk perception than those in commodity housing. The residential environment contributed significantly to perceived severity, but not vulnerability. These findings demonstrate the complex factors influening risk perception, emphasizing the need for tailored policies addressing the unique concerns of various social groups and residential settings.
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Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank Professor Zhigang Li from Wuhan University for providing insightful suggestions that helped improve this work. We are also grateful to the anonymous reviewers and editors for their valuable comments and suggestions.
Funding
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42301255) and Key Laboratory of Ecology and Energy Saving Study of Dense Habitat, Ministry of Education in China (Grant No. 20221450059).
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HC: Conceptualization; Project administration; Formal analysis; Investigation; Visualization; Methodology; Writing—original draft & review. LZ: Investigation; Visualization; Writing -original draft & review. FG: Formal analysis; Writing -original draft & review. WZ: Investigation; Writing—original draft & review.
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Cheng, H., Zhu, L., Gou, F. et al. Unpacking risk perceptions of COVID-19 in China: insights for risk management and policy-making. Nat Hazards 120, 529–546 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-06182-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-06182-9