Behavioral responses to the 2015 MERS epidemic in Korea

•Individual behavioral responses to the 2015 MERS epidemic in Korea were explored.•Exposure led to lasting protective impacts on smoking and drinking behaviors.•Intensity of exposure and social interactions are found to be potential mechanisms. Understanding behavioral responses to epidemics is important in evaluating the broad health consequences of emerging infectious diseases. Building on the economic epidemiology literature, this study investigates individual behavioral responses to the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) epidemic in Korea using a panel of individuals in a nationally representative survey. Results show that exposure to the epidemic led to lasting impacts on smoking and drinking behaviors, indicating that emerging infectious disease outbreaks are motivations for behavioral changes and opportunities for public policy interventions. In particular, individuals in the hardest-hit regions or socially connected persons were more likely to change their risky behaviors, suggesting that intensity of exposure and social interactions are potential mechanisms.