Masculinity and Compliance With Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Recommended Health Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: It has been documented that men are suffering more severe illnesses and deaths in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic than women, which is thought to be due to a combination of biological and behavioral factors, paralleling men's greater morbidity and mortality overall. The present study tested and found support for four hypotheses regarding a model of the relationships between traditional masculinity ideology (TMI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended COVID-19 practices (CDC adherence), as mediated by conformity to several masculine norms and moderated by conspiratorial attitudes toward the pandemic (conspiratorial attitudes). Method: Data were collected online from a convenience sample of U.S. men that was selected to be nationally representative in terms of race/ethnicity and region of residence (N = 306; Mean age 41.79; SD= 15.90). Results: Conditional process modeling was used to test the model, revealing moderated mediation relationships between masculinity variables and CDC adherence conditional on conspiratorial attitudes. TMI was indirectly and inversely related to CDC adherence through conformity to playboy norms. These effects were strongest at high values of conspiratorial attitudes. Pursuit of status norms were associated with more CDC adherence but only at low levels of conspiratorial attitudes. Conclusion: The present study identified masculinity factors that are linked with men's CDC adherence to the CDC recommended practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the relationships among them. Future research should confirm the mediation results in a longitudinal or experimental study.