Date of Graduation

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Sociology and Criminology

Advisor/Mentor

Hearne, Brittany

Committee Member/Reader

Niño, Michael

Committee Member/Second Reader

Amason, Patricia

Committee Member/Third Reader

Warren, Ron

Abstract

Studying how perceived threat of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) differs across intersections of age and race/ethnicity as well as age and gender will create a basis for identifying subgroups at greater risk of negative mental health outcomes. I analyzed nationally representative survey data collected in February 2021 from the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (N=9,069). To measure perceived threat, the respondents were asked whether COVID-19 is considered 0) no threat, minor threat, or 1) major threat for personal and population health. Race/ethnicity, gender, and age categories are used as independent variables. Results from logistic regression models indicate that race/ethnicity, gender, and age are each associated with perceived COVID-19 threats. Compared to Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians have higher log-odds of perceiving major threat to population and personal health; females report higher log-odds of perceiving major threat to population and personal health compared to males; and compared to young adults (18-29), the log-odds of perceiving major threat to population and personal health is greater for those 30-49, 50-64, and 65+. Interactions between age and race/ethnicity for perceived major threat to personal health are statistically significant for Asian 30–49 year olds (b = -1.48, p < .05). Unlike the other racial/ethnic groups, plotted predicted probabilities show that young adult Asians had a higher probability of perceiving major threat to personal health compared to 30-49 year old Asians. These findings contribute to the limited research on perceived threat of COVID-19 and provide a basis for further study.

Keywords

COVID-19; perceived threat; age; race and ethnicity; gender

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