Do psychological distress and digital sports influence the willingness to take the vaccine and precautionary saving? Empirical evidence from Shanghai

AIM: The COVID-19 epidemic has caused risk and uncertainty. This study answers whether and how psychological distress and digital sports influence willingness to take the vaccine and precautionary savings. SUBJECT AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with an online survey sample of 1016 Shanghai residents who live and work there and are aged between 16–60. All of them experienced the COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai. We used logistic regressions to examine the relationships between the variables of interest. RESULTS: Three findings were demonstrated. First, psychologically distressed individuals are less inclined to take the vaccine. Second, those engaged in fitness activities via digital media platforms are more willing to get vaccinated. Third, psychologically distressed individuals and digital video-based physical exercisers are more likely to precautionary save. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to the literature by documenting how people changed their life from the perspective of finance and health during the lockdown and providing practical implications.