This study aimed to analyze how resource variables (health status, economic affordability, social network, social capital, and neighborhood environment) influence citizens’ intention to pay for and participate in disaster management and safety activities. We compared four psychometric paradigm variables with five resource variables and analyzed how the latter moderate the relationships of the perception variables with intention to pay and to participate. A regression analysis revealed that willingness to pay was mainly explained by trust, followed by social capital, economic affordability, perceived risk, and experience, respectively. Participation was explained by knowledge, social capital, age, trust, and social network, respectively. Gender, trust, and social capital had an influence both on willingness to pay and to participate. Perceived risk, knowledge, and trust had a moderating effect on willingness to pay, but this effect depended on the quality of the neighborhood environment. Trust, knowledge, and stigma had a moderating effect on participation intention, but this effect depended on social capital and the neighborhood environment.

This study aims to analyze the direct and indirect impact of beliefs in conspiracy theories on COVID-19-related preventive actions and vaccination intentions. The dominant theory in the literature is that beliefs in conspiracy theories have negative consequences. In particular, strong beliefs in conspiracy theories lower people’s intentions to engage in preventive actions and get vaccinated. Previous studies indicated that this dominant theory applies in Korea as well. However, we find that this dominant theory does not apply in Korea. Based on an analysis of survey data, we find that beliefs in conspiracy theories have positive impact on preventive actions and vaccination intentions. In addition, beliefs in conspiracy theories play indirect roles in these two responses to COVID-19. Specifically, when perceived benefits and trust in the government or science enhance preventive actions or increase vaccination intentions, strong beliefs in conspiracy theories promote this effect. This positive role of conspiracy theories is paradoxical because they are generally viewed as negative.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked the need for appropriate government responses in health-disaster situations worldwide. This study analyzes the impact of governments’ non-pharmaceutical measures on the number of deaths from COVID-19. In particular, it further analyzes how trust in government moderates government measures. Through this analysis, this study aims to explore the government’s appropriate role in overcoming future health disasters by understanding the effectiveness of government measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study collected and analyzed national data provided by various international organizations for countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). To estimate the relationship between various policy measures and COVID-19 related deaths, it employed panel data analysis using random effects, since only three years of data, ranging from 2020 to 2022, were utilized. Results: The main findings of this study are as follows. First, suppression measures which include measures that place relatively stronger restrictions on people’s behavior were directly related to decreases in the number of total deaths. However, mitigation measures which consisted of weak-intensity measures were directly related to increases in the number of deaths. Second, higher levels of trust in government were directly related to decreased numbers of deaths. Finally, the moderating effect of government trust on suppression measures was not tested, but the moderating effect on mitigation measures was confirmed. Conclusions: This study presents the following implications. First, governments’ non-pharmaceutical measures in times of pandemic need to consider various environmental factors of the country. Second, trust in government can be an important environmental condition in overcoming health-disaster situations. In particular, trust in government weakens the side effects that can be caused by government measures. Third, suppression methods that directly affect people’s movement and daily life had a positive association with decreases in the number of total deaths, and the correlations of these measures in overcoming the health-disaster situation were confirmed.

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked the need for appropriate government response in health-disaster situations worldwide. This study analyzes the impact of the government's non-pharmaceutical measures on the number of deaths from COVID-19. In particular, it further analyzes how trust in the government moderates government measures. Through this analysis, this study aims to explore the government’s appropriate role in overcoming future health disasters by understanding the effectiveness of government measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study collected and analyzed national data provided by various international organizations for countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). To estimate the relationship between various policy measures and COVID-19 related deaths, it employed panel data analysis using random effects, since only three-year data, ranging from 2020 to 2022, were utilized. Results: The main findings of this study are as follows. First, suppression measures, which included strong-intensity measures, directly affected the decrease in the number of total deaths. However, mitigation measures, which consisted of weak-intensity measures, directly affected the increase in the number of deaths. Second, trust in government directly influenced the decrease in the number of deaths. Finally, the moderating effect of government trust on the suppression measures was not tested, but the moderating effect on the mitigation measures was confirmed. Conclusions: This study presents the following implications. First, the government's non-pharmaceutical measures in times of pandemic need to consider various environmental factors of the country. Second, trust in the government can be an important environmental condition in overcoming health-disaster situations. In particular, trust in the government weakens the side effects that can be caused by government measures. Third, suppression methods that directly affect people's movement and daily life had a positive effect on the decrease in the total number of deaths, and the effectiveness of these measures to overcome the health-disaster situation was confirmed.