Association between trusted sources of information and COVID-19 protective behaviors: results from a longitudinal survey of adults living in New York City during the pandemic.

Introduction: For the public to adopt health promoting behaviors widely, there has to be sufficient trust in the institutions that disseminate information on protective behaviors. However, when members of the public lose trust in formal information sources, many seek information from informal information sources. Identifying trusted informal messengers is key to restore trust and effectively promote public health. Methods: We conducted repeat surveys with young adults and older adults living in New York City public housing to assess who they consider a trusted source of COVID-19 information, as well as their protective behavior practices across a period of five weeks. We then examined the association between trusted sources and participant behavior. Results: Participants in both age groups showed the highest trust in doctors or healthcare providers. Associations with protective behavior existed across multiple information sources, but strongest associations for both age groups were seen in relation to trusting one's faith leader for information. Discussion: Although other sources of information were more frequently cited as trustworthy by participants, trust in one's faith leader was the strongest predictor of protective behavior practices.