Gender Differences in Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus

Social distancing and hygiene practices are key to preventing the spread of Coronavirus. However, people vary in the degree to which they follow these practices. Consistent with previous findings that women adhere more to preventative health practices, in Study 1, women reported engaging in preventative practices regarding COVID-19 (e.g., social distancing, hygiene) more so than men. In Study 2, across three different Northeast U.S. locations, we observed a greater percentage of women wearing masks in public than men. In Study 3, U.S. counties with a greater percentage of women exhibited a higher reduction in movement as tracked by ~17 million GPS smart-phone coordinates. These findings may partly explain the greater infection rates among men and suggest that preventive health messages should be tunedtowards men.