The impact of health risk communication on self-perceived health and worry of targeted groups: Lessons from the Swedish COVID-19 response.
<h4>Background</h4>The Swedish COVID-19 strategy aimed to protect vulnerable groups through targeted measures, categorizing individuals aged 70 and above as high-risk. This study examines the impact of such group-based risk assessments on subjective health and virus-related concerns amon...
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| Format: | Article |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311596 |
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| _version_ | 1849314815480168448 |
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| author | Jonna Rickardsson Charlotta Mellander |
| author_facet | Jonna Rickardsson Charlotta Mellander |
| author_sort | Jonna Rickardsson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>The Swedish COVID-19 strategy aimed to protect vulnerable groups through targeted measures, categorizing individuals aged 70 and above as high-risk. This study examines the impact of such group-based risk assessments on subjective health and virus-related concerns among older adults.<h4>Methods</h4>We analyzed survey data from the SOM Institute for 68- to 71-year-olds in 2019 (N = 684) and 2020 (N = 726). Using ordered logit regression, we compared perceived health and virus-related concerns between individuals just below (68-69 years) and just above (70-71 years) the high-risk age threshold, controlling for demographic factors.<h4>Results</h4>In 2020, 70-year-olds reported significantly lower perceived health compared to their 69-year-old peers, a difference not observed in 2019. Furthermore, 70-year-olds exhibited significantly higher virus-related concerns than their slightly younger counterparts. These patterns persisted when expanding the analysis to include individuals aged 68 and 71.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Our findings suggest that the Swedish COVID-19 strategy, while aimed at protecting individuals aged 70 and over, may have inadvertently increased perceived vulnerability and health concerns within this group. Conversely, those just below the high-risk age threshold reported better health and lower virus-related concerns, highlighting potential unintended psychological consequences of age-based risk communication. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8a5f1d8295584d6fbfb56958e13bbb2d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-8a5f1d8295584d6fbfb56958e13bbb2d2025-08-20T03:52:19ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01201e031159610.1371/journal.pone.0311596The impact of health risk communication on self-perceived health and worry of targeted groups: Lessons from the Swedish COVID-19 response.Jonna RickardssonCharlotta Mellander<h4>Background</h4>The Swedish COVID-19 strategy aimed to protect vulnerable groups through targeted measures, categorizing individuals aged 70 and above as high-risk. This study examines the impact of such group-based risk assessments on subjective health and virus-related concerns among older adults.<h4>Methods</h4>We analyzed survey data from the SOM Institute for 68- to 71-year-olds in 2019 (N = 684) and 2020 (N = 726). Using ordered logit regression, we compared perceived health and virus-related concerns between individuals just below (68-69 years) and just above (70-71 years) the high-risk age threshold, controlling for demographic factors.<h4>Results</h4>In 2020, 70-year-olds reported significantly lower perceived health compared to their 69-year-old peers, a difference not observed in 2019. Furthermore, 70-year-olds exhibited significantly higher virus-related concerns than their slightly younger counterparts. These patterns persisted when expanding the analysis to include individuals aged 68 and 71.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Our findings suggest that the Swedish COVID-19 strategy, while aimed at protecting individuals aged 70 and over, may have inadvertently increased perceived vulnerability and health concerns within this group. Conversely, those just below the high-risk age threshold reported better health and lower virus-related concerns, highlighting potential unintended psychological consequences of age-based risk communication.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311596 |
| spellingShingle | Jonna Rickardsson Charlotta Mellander The impact of health risk communication on self-perceived health and worry of targeted groups: Lessons from the Swedish COVID-19 response. PLoS ONE |
| title | The impact of health risk communication on self-perceived health and worry of targeted groups: Lessons from the Swedish COVID-19 response. |
| title_full | The impact of health risk communication on self-perceived health and worry of targeted groups: Lessons from the Swedish COVID-19 response. |
| title_fullStr | The impact of health risk communication on self-perceived health and worry of targeted groups: Lessons from the Swedish COVID-19 response. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of health risk communication on self-perceived health and worry of targeted groups: Lessons from the Swedish COVID-19 response. |
| title_short | The impact of health risk communication on self-perceived health and worry of targeted groups: Lessons from the Swedish COVID-19 response. |
| title_sort | impact of health risk communication on self perceived health and worry of targeted groups lessons from the swedish covid 19 response |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311596 |
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