Older Europeans' health perception and their adaptive behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although older adults are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus, a significant proportion of them do not follow recommended guidelines concerning preventive actions during the ongoing pandemic. This article analyses the role of biased health beliefs for adaptive health behaviour such as reduced mobility, protection in public spaces and hygiene measures, for the population aged 50 and older in 13 European countries.

Methods

Health perception is measured based on the difference between self-reported health and physical performance tests for over 24 000 individuals included in the most recent Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Logistic regressions are employed to explore how over- and underestimating health are related to preventive behaviours.

Res

SUBMITTER: Spitzer S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8755393 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature