Culture and Coronavirus Disease Statistics Public Health Through the Lens of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, A Multiple Regression Analysis

Abstract Background Hofstede’s Culture Dimensions (HCD) are the most prevalent metrics with which social scientists distinguish cultural differences between countries. In this study, we examine the relationships between HCD and the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we investigate how differences in COVID-19 infection, death and recovery between countries correlate with differences in individualism (IDV), indulgence (IVR) and power distance index (PDI).Method We use multiple linear regressions to interpret statistical and economic significances. Results IDV is found to be significantly associated with death rate and recovery rate globally, while IVR and PDI do not seem to be significantly relevant. None of the three dimensions are significantly related to the global infection rate. Conclusions These results have implications for the design of public health campaigns on preventing COVID-19 infection and compliance with vaccination campaigns. Some practical strategies have been proposed for public health officials to help mitigate COVID 19 spread.