A Pandemic Risk Perception Scale

Abstract

We propose a Pandemic Risk Perception Scale. Our scale comprises two constructs, Dread Risk and Personal Exposure, divided into five dimensions: Infection Risk, Emotional Health Risk, Health System Risk,Financial Risk, and Alimentary Risk. Using multidimensional item response theory, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling on two samples of respondents, our results show that Alimentary Risk, Health System Risk, and Emotional Health Risk are the main dimensions of risk perception for the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, Infection Risk has a minor impact on the pandemic's risk perception, suggesting the presence of different dynamics between personal and general risk perceptions for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Health crisis; pandemic events; risk perception.

Fig 1

Theoretical model and dimensions. Source: Elaborated by the authors.

Fig 2

Final model of Pandemic Risk Perception with standardized relationship coefficients and significance. Note: * p < 0.01; ¹ the z‐value was not calculated when the parameter was set as 1, due to the model's requirements. For simplicity, correlations between errors are not represented.

Fig 3

Alternative models with standardized relationships coefficients and significance. Note: *p < 0.01; ¹z‐value not calculated, where the parameter was set as 1, due to the model's requirements. For simplicity, correlations between errors were not represented.