Gender differences in health protective behaviours and its implications for COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan: a population-based study

INTRODUCTION: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection produces more severe symptoms and a higher mortality in men than in women. The role of biological sex in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is believed to explain this sex disparity. However, the contribution of gender factors that influence health protective behaviors and therefore health outcomes, remains poorly explored. METHODS: We assessed the contributions of gender in attitudes towards the COVID-19 pandemic, using a hypothetical influenza pandemic data from the 2019 Taiwan Social Change Survey. Participants were selected through a stratified, three-stage probability proportional-to-size sampling from across the nation, to fill in questionnaires that asked about their perception of the hypothetical pandemic, and intention to adopt health protective behaviors. RESULTS: A total of 1,990 participants (median age = 45·92 years, 49% were women) were included. Significant gender disparities (p < .001) were observed. The risk perception of pandemic (OR = 1·28, 95% CI [1·21 − 1·35], p < .001), older age (OR = 1·06, 95% CI [1·05 − 1·07], p < .001), female gender (OR = 1·18, 95% CI [1·09-1·27], p < .001), higher education (OR = 1·10, 95% CI [1·06 − 1·13], p < .001), and larger family size (OR = 1·09, 95% CI [1·06 − 1·15], p < .001) were positively associated with health protective behaviors. The risk perception of pandemic (OR = 1·25, 95% CI [1·15 − 1·36]), higher education (OR = 1·07, 95% CI [1·02 − 1·13], p < .05), being married (OR = 1·17, 95% CI [1·01–1·36, p < .05), and larger family size (OR = 1·33, 95% CI [1·25 − 1·42], p < .001), were positively associated with intention to receive a vaccine. However, female gender was negatively associated with intention to receive a vaccine (OR = 0·85, 95% CI [0·75 − 0·90], p < ·01) and to comply with contact-tracing (OR = 0·95, 95% CI [0·90 − 1·00], p < .05) compared to men. Living with children was also negatively associated with intention to receive vaccines (OR = 0·77, 95% CI [0·66 − 0·90], p < .001). CONCLUSION: This study unveils gender differences in risk perception, health protective behaviors, vaccine hesitancy, and compliance with contact-tracing using a hypothetical viral pandemic. Gender-specific health education raising awareness of health protective behaviors may be beneficial to prevent future pandemics. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14288-1.