Generational differences in the relationship between media exposure and health behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic

Based on a questionnaire survey (N = 857), this study analyzed generational differences in the public health behaviors of COVID-19 and provided an explanation for generational differences from the perspective of media exposure. There are significant differences in media exposure and health behaviors between the Mesozoic generation (35–55) and the young generation (18–34) during the lull. The Mesozoic generation paid greater attention to information on pandemics. Consequently, their health behaviors surpass that of the young generation. On the basis of social cognitive theory and protection motivation theory, this study develops a mediating model of media exposure on health behaviors, demonstrating that media exposure can influence health behaviors through the mediating effects of perceived severity, self-efficacy, and response efficacy, but not via perceived susceptibility. Moreover, a moderated mediation study found that generation moderates the indirect effect of media exposure on health behaviors via perceived susceptibility. Media exposure influences Mesozoic healthy behaviors positively by decreasing their perceived susceptibility. The implication of this study is that the development of health communication theory must account for generational differences and disease-specific characteristics.