Exploring the Singapore general population’s trust in COVID-19 information from different sources and its association with perceived risk of infection during the pandemic

Abstract

BackgroundThe degree of public trust in the government’s competence is crucial in preventing the spread of misinformation and reducing psychological distress during a pandemic. The study aimed to (i) explore the trust in COVID-19 information from different sources and trust in the ability of the World Health Organization (WHO), government departments and related institutions in handling the epidemic in Singapore and (ii) its association with perceived risk of infection among Singapore residents.MethodsA total of 1,129 participants (aged 21 and above) were recruited from a cross-sectional study examining the well-being and resilience of Singapore’s population between May 2020 to June 2021. Trust in COVID-19 information from different sources was measured on a 10-point scale and an ordinal 7-point scale was used for perceived risk of infection. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression model were conducted.Results85.5% reported high trust in COVID-19 information from the government and their ability in handling the pandemic. Participants also reported high trust in COVID-19 information from local public health or infectious disease experts (84.4%) and traditional media (77.2%). Low trust in the ability of government departments and related institutions was associated with higher future (1 month) perceived risk of infection (OR: 5.7, 95% CI 1.02–32.45) and low trust in social media was associated with higher current perceived risk of infection (OR: 2.4, 95% CI 1.09–5.24).DiscussionThe present study provided insight on the level of trust on COVID-19 information from different sources and its associated perceived risks of infection. Future qualitative studies are recommended to facilitate better understanding of public trust and identify strategies for how it can be effectively addressed to support future public health responses.