A cross-sectional analysis of trust of information and COVID-19 preventative practices among people with disabilities.
Catherine Ipsen, Andrew Myers, Rayna Sage
PMID 33495098WHAT IT FOUND
People with hearing or communication disabilities reported lower trust in health information and adopted fewer COVID-19 prevention practices.
Rural residents also showed lower trust and adherence. Trust in service providers was highest overall, but varied significantly by disability type and geography.
Key findings
01Individuals with hearing and communication disabilities reported significantly lower mean trust ratings than those without these disabilities.
02People with hearing and communication difficulties engaged in fewer recommended practices than those without these disabilities.
03Noncore respondents reported lower levels of trust overall and adopted fewer CDC recommended practices relative to micro and metro respondents.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it can only show associations, not that low trust caused poor adherence. Participants were recruited online via Mechanical Turk, which may bias the sample toward younger, more educated, and more liberal individuals than the general population. Self-reported disability status may not capture all types of disability, particularly mental health conditions. Data collection occurred during a specific, rapidly evolving phase of the pandemic, so findings may not apply to other times or crises.
Declared interests
The research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that low trust directly causes non-adherence. The study shows an association, but other factors like health literacy or perceived risk may explain both the lower trust and the fewer prevention practices.