This study examined the age differences in perceived preparedness for the continuation of COVID-19 pandemic; and tested the moderating effects of three types of social support, i.e., emotional, financial and instrumental support. Using a sample of 450 adults in Texas, USA from the research project ‘Vulnerability and Resilience to Disasters’ (October 2020 to January 2021), results of multiple linear regressions showed that compared with people aged over sixty-five, those aged eighteen–forty-four perceived a lower level of preparedness for the ongoing COVID-19 and there was no significant difference in perceived preparedness between individuals aged sixty-five+ and those aged forty-five–sixty-four. Receiving emotional and instrumental support was, respectively, more important for people aged sixty-five+ to perceive a better level of preparedness than for those aged eighteen–forty-four and forty-five–sixty-four. The findings highlighted the unique strengths of older adults in COVID-19 preparedness from the life course perspective and the importance of social support in their disaster preparedness. Based on these findings, social workers could incorporate the wisdom and experience of older adults into disaster management and develop age-specific interventions to promote preventive behaviours during future public health disasters.

中文翻译：

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对 COVID-19 大流行持续的感知准备程度的年龄差异：社会支持的重要作用

本研究调查了不同年龄层对新冠肺炎 (COVID-19) 大流行持续做好准备的认知差异；并检验了情感、经济和工具支持三种社会支持的调节作用。使用“灾害脆弱性与复原力”研究项目（2020 年 10 月至 2021 年 1 月）中美国德克萨斯州 450 名成年人的样本，多元线性回归结果显示，与 65 岁以上人群相比，18-40 岁人群- 四人认为对正在发生的 COVID-19 的准备程度较低，并且 65 岁以上的人和 45 岁至 64 岁的人之间的感知准备程度没有显着差异。获得情感和工具上的支持分别是 对于 65 岁以上的人来说，比 18-44 岁和 45-64 岁的人感知到更好的准备水平更为重要。研究结果从生命历程的角度强调了老年人在应对 COVID-19 方面的独特优势，以及社会支持在其备灾中的重要性。基于这些发现，社会工作者可以将老年人的智慧和经验融入灾害管理中，并制定针对特定年龄的干预措施，以促进未来公共卫生灾难中的预防行为。