Citizen’s Policy Compliance With Stringent Measures in Public Health Crisis: Evidence From China’s COVID-19 Response

This study aims to portray the policy compliance landscape among Chinese citizens, focusing on their adherence to strict public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey, we employed ordinary least squares and ordered Logit models to explore factors influencing compliance with government epidemic prevention policies. Findings indicate that individuals with higher education levels, chronic illnesses, high trust in government, and strong sense of social responsibility tend to demonstrate higher policy compliance, while married individuals and those with high trust in the healthcare system exhibit lower policy compliance. Based on a dual framework of normative and calculative motivation, this study reveals multiple mechanisms underlying policy compliance. Under the normative pathway, trust, sense of responsibility, and education may promote internalized compliance through reinforcing policy identification, while married individuals may show weaker response due to family responsibilities. Under calculative motivation, those with higher education levels and poor health conditions may develop stronger protective motivation due to threat perception. In contrast, married individuals may prioritize household interests, reducing compliance. Meanwhile, high trust in the healthcare system may trigger a “trust paradox.”