ABSTRACT

Introduction: The rapid development of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into a pandemic required people to quickly acquire, evaluate, and apply novel complex health-related information about the virus and transmission risks. This study examined the potentially unique and synergistic roles of individual differences in neurocognition and health literacy in the early uptake and use of COVID-19 public health information.

Method: Data were collected between April 23 and 21 May 2020, a period during which 42 out of 50 states were under a stay-at-home order. Participants were 217 healthy adults who completed a telephone-based battery that included standard tests of neurocognition, health literacy, verbal IQ, personality, and anxiety. Participants also completed measures of COVID-19 information-seeking skills, knowledge, prevention intentions, and prevention behaviors.

Results: A series of hierarchical multiple regressions with data-driven covariates showed that neurocognition (viz, episodic verbal memory and executive functions) was independently related to COVID-19 knowledge (e.g. symptoms, risks) at a medium effect size, but not to information-seeking skills, prevention intentions, or prevention behaviors. Health literacy was independently related to all measured aspects of COVID-19 health information and did not interact with neurocognition in any COVID-19 health domain.

Conclusions: Individual differences in neurocognition and health literacy played independent and meaningful roles in the initial acquisition of knowledge related to COVID-19, which is a novel human health condition. Future studies might examine whether neurocognitive supports (e.g. spaced retrieval practice, elaboration) can improve COVID-19-related knowledge and health behaviors in vulnerable populations.

摘要

简介：2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 迅速发展为大流行病，要求人们快速获取、评估和应用有关该病毒和传播风险的新型复杂健康相关信息。这项研究检查了神经认知和健康素养的个体差异在早期吸收和使用 COVID-19 公共卫生信息中的潜在独特和协同作用。

方法：数据是在 2020 年 4 月 23 日至 5 月 21 日期间收集的，在此期间，50 个州中有 42 个处于居家令之下。参与者是 217 名健康成年人，他们完成了基于电话的电池测试，包括神经认知、健康素养、语言智商、性格和焦虑的标准测试。参与者还完成了 COVID-19 信息搜索技能、知识、预防意图和预防行为的测量。

结果：一系列具有数据驱动协变量的分层多元回归表明，神经认知（即情景言语记忆和执行功能）与 COVID-19 知识（例如症状、风险）独立相关，但与信息无关-寻求技能、预防意图或预防行为。健康素养与 COVID-19 健康信息的所有测量方面独立相关，并且不与任何 COVID-19 健康领域的神经认知相互作用。

结论：神经认知和健康素养的个体差异在与 COVID-19 相关知识的初始获取中发挥了独立且有意义的作用，这是一种新型的人类健康状况。未来的研究可能会检查神经认知支持（例如间隔检索练习、阐述）是否可以改善弱势人群与 COVID-19 相关的知识和健康行为。