Beyond fear of backlash: Effects of messages about structural drivers of COVID-19 disparities among large samples of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White Americans
Open accessAbstract
Although U.S. health disparities are well-documented, the very communities that bear the brunt of those disparities are, ironically, underrepresented in scientific efforts to understand and address them. In two experiments (total N = 9523), we explored the consequences of omitting those perspectives for efforts to understand and address disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that, by prioritizing the perspectives of White Americans, studies of pandemic disparities likely missed important insights. Specifically, we purposively sampled the four largest racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. and found that people of color were consistently more concerned, and more willing to engage in both individual and collective efforts to address health disparities, than their White counterparts. In addition, messages highlighting structural drivers of health disparities further bolstered support for inequality mitigating policies.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
A 2025 experimental survey study found that structural messaging increased support for systemic policy solutions.
“For example, a 2025 experimental survey study found structural messaging increased support for systemic policy solutions, illustrating how traditional deprivation-based SDOH frameworks obscure communities’ demonstrated capacity to mobilize against health injustices [27].”
From Then, Now, Next: Unpacking the Shifting Trajectory of Social Determinants of Health (2025) · cites this paper as [27]
Cites
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/bf03193146 · Cited by 65,971 · see citing works
At what sample size do correlations stabilize?
Schönbrodt, F. D., & Perugini, M. (2013) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2013.05.009 · Cited by 2,232 · see citing works
The COVID-19 vaccine development landscape
Le, T. T., Andreadakis, Z., Kumar, A., Román, R. G., Tollefsen, S., Saville, M. K., & Mayhew, S. (2020) · Nature Reviews Drug Discovery · doi:10.1038/d41573-020-00073-5 · Cited by 1,959 · see citing works
Online panels in social science research: Expanding sampling methods beyond Mechanical Turk
Chandler, J., Rosenzweig, C., Moss, A. J., Robinson, J., & Litman, L. (2019) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/s13428-019-01273-7 · Cited by 668 · see citing works
Pfattheicher, S., Nockur, L., BOHM, R. M., Sassenrath, C., & Petersen, M. B. (2020) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797620964422 · Cited by 576 · see citing works
Behavioural science is unlikely to change the world without a heterogeneity revolution
Bryan, C. J., Tipton, E., & Yeager, D. S. (2021) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-021-01143-3 · Cited by 547 · see citing works
Miles to Go before We Sleep: Racial Inequities in Health
Williams, D. R. (2012) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/0022146512455804 · Cited by 507 · see citing works
Andrasfay, T., & Goldman, N. (2021) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2014746118 · Cited by 490 · see citing works
The Emergence of COVID-19 in the US: A Public Health and Political Communication Crisis
Gollust, S. E., Nagler, R. H., & Fowler, E. F. (2020) · Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law · doi:10.1215/03616878-8641506 · Cited by 278 · see citing works
Self-citationUse caution when applying behavioural science to policy
IJzerman, H., Lewis, N. A., Przybylski, A. K., Weinstein, N., DeBruine, L., Ritchie, S. J., Vazire, S., Forscher, P. S., Morey, R. D., Ivory, J. D., et al. (2020) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-020-00990-w · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Self-citationUsing Political Efficacy Messages to Increase Climate Activism
Feldman, L., & Hart, P. S. (2015) · Science Communication · doi:10.1177/1075547015617941 · Cited by 238 · see citing works
Kang, S.-G., & Powell, G. B. (2010) · The Journal of Politics · doi:10.1017/s0022381610000502 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
The COVID-19 syndemic is not global: context matters
Mendenhall, E. (2020) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(20)32218-2 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
From the Margins to the Center: A Bottom-Up Approach to Welfare State Scholarship
Michener, J., SoRelle, M. E., & Thurston, C. N. (2020) · Perspectives on Politics · doi:10.1017/s153759272000359x · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Self-citationWe Need the Lens of Equity in COVID-19 Communication
Viswanath, K., Lee, E. W. J., & Pinnamaneni, R. (2020) · Health Communication · doi:10.1080/10410236.2020.1837445 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Skinner, A. L., Sarmal, A., Rogbeer, K. G., Andre, C. J., Patel, B., & Cha, L. (2022) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114951 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Insights into the accuracy of social scientists’ forecasts of societal change
Collaborative, T. F., Grossmann, I., Rotella, A., Hutcherson, C. A. C., Sharpinskyi, K., Varnum, M. E. W., Achter, S., Dhami, M. K., Guo, X., Kara-Yakoubian, M., et al. (2023) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-022-01517-1 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Explicit and Hidden Racial Bias in the Framing of Social Problems
Drakulich, K. (2015) · Social Problems · doi:10.1093/socpro/spu003 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
What counts as good science? How the battle for methodological legitimacy affects public psychology.
Lewis, N. A. (2021) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/amp0000870 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Self-citationNew Directions in Public Opinion
(2012) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203839836 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Harell, A., & Lieberman, E. S. (2021) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113884 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
White Americans’ Reactions to Racial Disparities in COVID-19
Stephens-Dougan, L. (2022) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.1017/s000305542200051x · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Scientific Hegemony and the Field of Autism
Decoteau, C. L., & Daniel, M. (2020) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.1177/0003122420922531 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Power from the Margins: Grassroots Mobilization and Urban Expansions of Civil Legal Rights
Michener, J. (2019) · Urban Affairs Review · doi:10.1177/1078087419855677 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Self-citationRacism, Power, And Health Equity: The Case Of Tenant Organizing
Michener, J. (2023) · Health Affairs · doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00509 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Self-citationMeasuring What Matters: Data Absenteeism, Science Communication, and the Perpetuation of Inequities
Viswanath, K., McCloud, R. F., Lee, E. W. J., & Bekalu, M. A. (2022) · The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science · doi:10.1177/00027162221093268 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Hutcherson, C. A. C., Sharpinskyi, K., Varnum, M. E. W., Rotella, A., Wormley, A. S., Tay, L., & Grossmann, I. (2023) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/amp0001151 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Niederdeppe, J., Liu, J., Spruill, M., Lewis, N. A., Moore, S. T., Fowler, E. F., & Gollust, S. E. (2023) · Milbank Quarterly · doi:10.1111/1468-0009.12651 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Self-citationSystemic Considerations in Child Development and the Pursuit of Racial Equality in the United States
Perry, S., Skinner, A. L., Wages, J., & Abaied, J. L. (2021) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1080/1047840x.2021.1971453 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Gollust, S. E., Nelson, K. L., & Purtle, J. (2021) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106912 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Self-citationEffects of communicating health disparities using social comparison framing: A comprehensive review
Liu, J., & Niederdeppe, J. (2024) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116808 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citationCultural attributions for racial inequality
Nelson, T. E., & Joselus, D. (2022) · Politics Groups and Identities · doi:10.1080/21565503.2022.2061361 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Cultivating Equal Minds: Laws and Policies as (De)biasing Social Interventions
Lewis, N. A. (2023) · Annual Review of Law and Social Science · doi:10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-111622-063213 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Self-citationIntegrating Social and Moral Psychology to Reduce Inequality
Mosley, A. J., & Heiphetz, L. (2021) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1080/1047840x.2021.1971445 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Niederdeppe, J., Porticella, N., Liu, J., Michener, J., Fowler, E. F., Nagler, R. H., Taylor, T., Barry, C. L., & Lewis, N. A. (2024) · PNAS Nexus · doi:10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae588 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Self-citationPerspective getting in a democracy
Paluck, E. L., & Starck, J. G. (2021) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1080/1047840x.2021.1971446 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
The Entangled Emergencies of COVID-19
Decoteau, C. L. (2024) · Sociological Theory · doi:10.1177/07352751241247567 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Pivot: partisan policy responses to COVID-19 health disparities
Creary, M., Greer, S. L., Kitzmiller, S., Singer, P. M., Unwala, N., Vaziri, S., & Willison, C. E. (2023) · Health Affairs Scholar · doi:10.1093/haschl/qxad054 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Esmonde, K., Jones, J. A., Johns, M., Hutler, B., Faden, R., & Barnhill, A. (2024) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117188 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Cancer and Race: What They Tell Us about the Emerging Focus of Health Equity
Wailoo, K. A. (2017) · Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law · doi:10.1215/03616878-3940441 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Achieving Equality in a Pluralist Democracy
Nelsen, M. D. (2021) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1080/1047840x.2021.1971457 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 42 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Then, Now, Next: Unpacking the Shifting Trajectory of Social Determinants of Health
Wallington, S. F., & Feger, C. (2025) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph22101541 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Gollust, S. E., Medero, K., Nelson, Q. M., FORD, C., Fowler, E. F., Niederdeppe, J., & Nagler, R. H. (2025) · Milbank Quarterly · doi:10.1111/1468-0009.70022 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Importance of Dreaming About (and Mobilizing to Create) Equitable Futures
Lewis, N. A. (2025) · Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law · doi:10.1215/03616878-12262632 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citationRobert, S., & Liu, A. W. K. (2025) · Preventive Medicine Reports · doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103159 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Looking for information and avoiding it: Covid-19 and Black Americans
Stewart, B. J., & Ju, B. (2025) · Journal of Librarianship and Information Science · doi:10.1177/09610006251387724 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Lewis, N. A. (2025) · Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1177/23727322251405276 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Self-citationYang, Y., Dong, Y., & Shuvo, M. S. M. (2026) · Health Communication · doi:10.1080/10410236.2026.2681779
Murad, Y., Medero, K., Gansen, C., SANDATE, J., HALLO, M., & Gollust, S. E. (2026) · Milbank Quarterly · doi:10.1111/1468-0009.70101
Self-citationVersey, H. S., Card, K., Bogucki, C., Baum, L. M., & Fowler, E. F. (2026) · Journal of Urban Affairs · doi:10.1080/07352166.2026.2706178
Self-citation
- Authors
- Lewis, N. A., Porticella, N., Liu, J., Taylor, T., Michener, J., Barry, C. L., Nagler, R. H., Gollust, S., Moore, S. T., Fowler, E. F., & Niederdeppe, J.
- Affiliations
- Cornell University (US)
- University of Florida (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Wesleyan University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lewis, Neil A.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Social Science & Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2025-07
- Volume
- 377
- Pages
- 118096
- ISSN
- 0277-9536 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4409744479
- Cited by
- 9
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 6
- FWCI
- 15.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Social Science & Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (79754)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Social Sciences › Communication › Communication and COVID-19 Impact
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- racial and ethnic minorities, Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, White Americans, collective action
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, White, Adult, Asian, Black or African American, Ethnicity, Female, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, United States, White People, Health Status Disparities
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review