Analysis of the Impact of Neighborhood Environments, Social Interaction and Trust on Risk Perception of Infectious Diseases: Focusing on Comparison between Beginning and Middle·Late COVID-19 Pandemic

Risk perceptions of infectious diseases vary depending on individuals’ perceptions of their neighborhood environments, such as walkability, living conditions, health and welfare services, and education, which are spaces where diseases can spread. Social interaction and trust influence overall risk perception, but their impact may vary in neighborhoods perceived as potential spaces for contagion. Therefore, we used multilevel ordered logistic models to analyze the effects of the neighborhood environment, social interaction, and trust on the risk perception of infectious diseases. The findings showed that, first, the walking environment and living environment in all periods increased risk perception as satisfaction increased, while educational environment decreased. Second, neighborhood trust initially reduced risk perception in the beginning period but later increased it in the middle and late periods, while public trust consistently lowered perception of infectious disease risk across all periods. The policy implications are that there should be planning for anti-pandemic walking and living environments, such as creating more parks or utilizing open spaces in schools. Additionally, public policies should aim to increase trust in infectious disease response measures.