Understanding preventative behavior during prolonged crises: The role of color-coded maps and pandemic fatigue in COVID-19 risk management

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced the use of color-coded COVID-19 guidance maps to communicate varying levels of transmission based on local public health data and infrastructure capacity. This study explores the application of an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understand how color-coded COVID-19 guidance, pandemic fatigue, and risk perception influence intentions to seek COVID-19 risk information and engage in preventative behaviors. Through two separate studies comprising nationally representative samples in the U.S. (N = 169 and N = 148), conducted at different points during the pandemic, we examine the effect of these factors on intentions to seek COVID-19 risk information and intentions to engage in preventative behaviors. Study 1, conducted in November 2020, focused on these behavioral intentions before vaccine availability, while Study 2, conducted in March 2022, examined these behavioral intentions as the pandemic evolved and vaccines were widely accessible. Path analysis using OLS regression was used to evaluate the models proposed in each study. Our findings highlight that while color-coded risk maps significantly influenced preventive behavior intentions, their impact on information-seeking intentions was less consistent. Results surrounding the influence of pandemic fatigue are mixed, with pandemic fatigue leading to increased risk information seeking in Study 1 and greater preventative behavioral intentions in Study 2. This study offers implications and recommendations for public health officials responsible for communicating complex, prolonged, and location-specific health information.