Change Over Time in Public Support for Social Distancing, Mask Wearing, and Contact Tracing to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic Among US Adults, April to November 2020

Abstract

Objectives. To examine how sociodemographic, political, religious, and civic characteristics; trust in science; and fixed versus fluid worldview were associated with evolving public support for social distancing, indoor mask wearing, and contact tracing to control the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods. Surveys were conducted with a nationally representative cohort of US adults in April, July, and November 2020.Results. Support for social distancing among US adults dropped from 89% in April to 79% in July, but then remained stable in November 2020 at 78%. In July and November, more than three quarters of respondents supported mask wearing and nearly as many supported contact tracing. In regression-adjusted models, support differences for social distancing, mask wearing, and contact tracing were most pronounced by age, partisanship, and trust in science. Having a more fluid worldview independently predicted higher support for contact tracing.Conclusions. Ongoing resistance to nonpharmaceutical public health responses among key subgroups challenge transmission control.Public Health Implications. Developing persuasive communication efforts targeting young adults, political conservatives, and those distrusting science should be a critical priority.

FIGURE 1—

Unadjusted Differences in Public Support Among US Adults for Public Health Measures to Prevent Coronavirus Transmission in April, July, and November 2020 Note. The figure shows point estimates and 95% confidence intervals for support for each public health measure by wave. Respondents were only asked about the importance of wearing a mask or contact tracing in waves 2 and 3, not wave 1. Respondents who answered that social distancing is extremely or moderately important were coded as 1, and those who answered that it is neutral, slightly important, or not important at all were coded as zero. Respondents who answered that mask wearing or contact tracing is extremely or moderately important were coded as 1, and those who answered that it is neutral, slightly important, or not important at all were coded as zero.

FIGURE 2—

Unadjusted Differences in Public Support Among US Adults for (a) Social Distancing, (b) Indoor Mask Wearing, and (c) Contact Tracing by Political Partisanship, Trust in Science, and Worldview in April, July, and November 2020 Note. The figure shows point estimates and 95% confidence intervals for support for each public health measure by wave. Respondents were only asked about the importance of wearing a mask or contact tracing in waves 2 and 3, not wave 1. Partisanship was assessed at baseline; trust in science and worldview were assessed in wave 1. Respondents who answered that social distancing is extremely or moderately important were coded as 1, and those who answered that it is neutral, slightly important, or not important at all were coded as zero. Respondents who answered that mask wearing or contact tracing is extremely or moderately important were coded as 1, and those who answered that it is neutral, slightly important, or not important at all were coded as zero.