The Role of Inferences of Government Goals in Political Party and Belief in COVID-19 Misinformation: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Twitter Users Who Follow their State’s Public Health Twitter Account (Preprint)

10.2196/29246 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Stevens ◽  
Nicholas A. Palomares
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Twitter Account ◽  
Twitter Users

Constituents’ Inferences of Government Goals Explain the Relationship Between Political Party and Belief in COVID-19 Misinformation: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Twitter Users Who Follow their State’s Public Health Twitter Account (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Stevens ◽  
Nicholas A. Palomares
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Goal Understanding ◽  
Goal Inference

BACKGROUND Amidst the widespread global COVID-19 pandemic, social media have played a pivotal role in the circulation of health information. Public health agencies often use Twitter as a tool to disseminate and amplify the propagation of such information [1], but exposure to local government-endorsed COVID-19 public health information does not make one immune to believing in misinformation. Moreover, not all health information on Twitter is accurate, and some users may believe misinformation and disinformation just as much as those who endorse more accurate information [2]. This situation is complicated when considering the unfortunate reality that elected officials may be promoting misinformation in pursuit of their other political agendas, like downplaying the need for COVID-19 restrictions to promote their reelection bid [3]. The politicized and polarized nature of information surrounding COVID-19 on social media in the U.S. has fueled a concomitant COVID-19 social media infodemic [4-6]. As such, because pre-existing political beliefs can both facilitate and hinder persuasion [7,8], goal understanding processes are likely at work in the belief of COVID-19 misinformation for Twitter users, such that the valence of users’ goal inferences for their local government agencies likely impact the extent to which they believe state government-endorsed COVID-19 information disseminated via social media. OBJECTIVE The present investigation sheds light on the cognitive processes of goal understanding that underlie the relationship between partisanship and belief in health misinformation. We investigate how Twitter users’ goal inference valence of local government’s COVID-19 efforts predicts their beliefs in COVID-19 misinformation as a function of their political party. METHODS We conducted an online cross-sectional survey of U.S. Twitter users who followed their state’s official department of public health Twitter (n=258) between August 10 and December 23, 2020. Local government goal inferences, demographics, and COVID-19 misinformation were measured. State political affiliation was controlled. RESULTS Participants from all 50 states were in the sample. Results revealed an interaction between political party affiliation and goal inference valence on belief in covid misinformation, R2∆ = .04, F(8,249) = 4.78, p < .001, such that positive goal inference valence predicted increased belief in COVID-19 misinformation for Republicans, β=.47, t(249) = 2.59, p = 0.01 but not Democrats, β= .07, t(249) = 0.84, p = 0.40. CONCLUSIONS Results reveal that positive inferences about local government’s COVID-19 efforts can accelerate beliefs in misinformation for Republican-identifying constituents. Republicans’ inferences that their local government has positive intentions may make republican constituents more vulnerable to republican-endorsed COVID-19 misinformation. In other words, accurate COVID-19 transmission knowledge has been driven by constituents' sentiment about politicians rather than science. This work stresses the need for health campaigns to be sensitive to the preexisting political affiliation of their target audience when constructing persuasive health messages.

scholarly journals Examining Serendipitous Encounters and Self-Determination in Twitter-Enabled Innovation

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Henri Pirkkalainen ◽  
Ekaterina Olshannikova ◽  
Thomas Olsson ◽  
Jukka Huhtamäki
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Needs Satisfaction ◽  
New Information ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Empirical Context

Serendipity refers to unexpected encounters with ideas or insights and their intentional application to achieve favorable outcomes. Despite extensive prior studies, the concept lacks theoretical logic and empirical validation regarding the role of an intentional act in the relationship between serendipitous encounters and their favorable outcomes. Drawing from self-determination theory, we develop a model that highlights the role of needs satisfaction in explaining this relationship. Positioning the empirical context to fortunate discoveries of information and social connections in professional use of Twitter, we validate the model by a cross-sectional survey study of 473 users. The model builds on the observation that individuals’ serendipitous encounters are associated with Twitter-enabled innovation, that is, a contextualized form of task innovation. The study findings support the research model revealing that serendipitous encounters are positively associated with needs satisfaction and that needs satisfaction is positively associated with Twitter-enabled innovation. In other words, fortunate discoveries of new information and contacts increase Twitter users’ intent to utilize the platform in new ways to accomplish work when the three key psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are satisfied.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Hesitancy in a Sample of US Adults: Role of Perceived Satisfaction With Health, Access to Healthcare, and Attention to COVID-19 News

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Bauerle Bass ◽  
Maureen Wilson-Genderson ◽  
Dina T. Garcia ◽  
Aderonke A. Akinkugbe ◽  
Maghboeba Mosavel
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccination Rates

Understanding which communities are most likely to be vaccine hesitant is necessary to increase vaccination rates to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2. This cross-sectional survey of adults (n = 501) from three cities in the United States (Miami, FL, New York City, NY, San Francisco, CA) assessed the role of satisfaction with health and healthcare access and consumption of COVID-19 news, previously un-studied variables related to vaccine hesitancy. Multilevel logistic regression tested the relationship between vaccine hesitancy and study variables. Thirteen percent indicated they would not get vaccinated. Black race (OR 2.6; 95% CI: 1.38–5.3), income (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.50–0.83), inattention to COVID-19 news (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1–2.5), satisfaction with health (OR 0.72; 95% CI: 0.52–0.99), and healthcare access (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2–2.7) were associated with vaccine hesitancy. Public health officials should consider these variables when designing public health communication about the vaccine to ensure better uptake.

Testing the Strain Theory of Suicide – The Moderating Role of Social Support

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Lew ◽  
Ksenia Chistopolskaya ◽  
Yanzheng Liu ◽  
Mansor Abu Talib ◽  
Olga Mitina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Strains ◽  
Moderating Role

Abstract. Background: According to the strain theory of suicide, strains, resulting from conflicting and competing pressures in an individual's life, are hypothesized to precede suicide. But social support is an important factor that can mitigate strains and lessen their input in suicidal behavior. Aims: This study was designed to assess the moderating role of social support in the relation between strain and suicidality. Methods: A sample of 1,051 employees were recruited in Beijing, the capital of China, through an online survey. Moderation analysis was performed using SPSS PROCESS Macro. Social support was measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and strains were assessed with the Psychological Strains Scale. Results: Psychological strains are a good predictor of suicidality, and social support, a basic need for each human being, moderates and decreases the effects of psychological strains on suicidality. Limitations: The cross-sectional survey limited the extent to which conclusions about causal relationships can be drawn. Furthermore, the results may not be generalized to the whole of China because of its diversity. Conclusion: Social support has a tendency to mitigate the effects of psychological strains on suicidality.

Sleep Reactivity and Psychological Health in Normal Sleepers: the moderating role of stress

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason G. Ellis ◽  
Sarah Allen ◽  
Michael Perlis ◽  
Michael Grandner ◽  
Maria Gardani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Public Health Campaign ◽  
Health Campaign ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Dysfunctional Cognitions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

The aim of the present study was to determine whether normal sleepers with vulnerability to insomnia, via high sleep reactivity, demonstrate more sleep-related dysfunctional cognitions and behaviours and poorer psychological health compared to those who are not vulnerable. Further, the influence of stress on the relationship between sleep reactivity and psychological health was also examined. A cross-sectional survey of 737 young adult ‘normal’ sleepers from the general population was undertaken. Results indicated normal sleepers vulnerable to insomnia demonstrated more sleep-related dysfunctional cognitions and behaviours as well as poorer psychological health compared to those not vulnerable. Furthermore, the relationship between sleep reactivity and psychological health was moderated by perceived stress over the previous month and life events over the previous year. Therefore, identifying and supporting those who are vulnerable to insomnia may be a fruitful avenue for preventative public health campaign to mitigate both insomnia and poor psychological health.

scholarly journals Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4369
Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The U.S

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.

scholarly journals Vaccination knowledge, attitudes and practices in patients with HIV: a cross-sectional survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Rousset ◽  
G Voglino ◽  
E Boietti ◽  
A Corradi ◽  
M R Gualano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health System ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Public Health System ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Hiv Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Contagion Risk ◽  
High Level

Abstract Background Infectious diseases are more common and severe in patients with HIV, which show different response to vaccines and a diminished protection. It is therefore very important to assess knowledge and attitudes towards vaccination in people with HIV, since precise vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy are not well established in this subgroup of patients. Methods A sample of 119 patients with HIV completed a cross-sectional survey. Patients were recruited during their routine medical examination at the infectious diseases clinic in Turin. The survey explored these main areas: demographics and history of HIV infection, vaccination history, attitudes towards vaccination, confidence in the public health system, contagion risk and disease seriousness perception. In this preliminary phase descriptive analysis were conducted. Results Preliminary data show that mean age of the participants was 49.51 years, 80% were males. The median of HIV infection duration was 10 years, while the median of the lymphocyte count was 762.50 cells/mm3. The disease with the highest vaccination coverage was tetanus (88.7%), considered a serious or very serious disease by 85.6% of the participants, despite low or very low contagion risk perception (84.1%). The disease with the lowest vaccination coverage was Herpes Zoster (7.3%), despite high or very high seriousness perception (70%). Furthermore, 99.1% of the participants showed high or very high confidence toward public health system professionals, and the majority of them (59.5%) stated that vaccines are more useful for the community than for the single person. Conclusions Vaccination coverage is still not fully satisfactory regarding diseases considered infrequent or mild. Considering the high level of confidence toward the public health system that has emerged, it is necessary to implement informative and operative strategies about vaccination for European HIV patients, which are particularly at risk regarding infectious diseases. Key messages Vaccination coverage and risk perception in HIV patients is not satisfactory for many diseases and an effort to implement informative strategies in Europe is needed. The role of vaccination in preventing infectious diseases in HIV patients should be recognized and strengthened by relying on the high level of confidence toward European public health systems.

scholarly journals Hand Hygiene Knowledge, Perception, and Practices among Domestic Visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque in Al Madinah City Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 673
Author(s):  
Hashim A. Mahdi ◽  
Hamza M. Assaggaf ◽  
Mohammad Alfelali ◽  
Omar B. Ahmed ◽  
Radi Alsafi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Graduate Education ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

This study aimed to assess hand hygiene knowledge, perception, and practices of visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque in Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia. Using a self-administered electronic questionnaire, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among domestic residents, who visited the mosque between 31 July and 3 August 2020. Participants’ demographic data, hand hygiene knowledge, perception, and practices were collected. Four hundred participants aged 18–65 (median 36) years completed the survey, of which 215 (53.8%) were female. The visitors’ mean knowledge score about hand hygiene was 6.4 (± standard deviation (SD) 1.35) of total 12. Most participants (392, 98%) were aware of the role of hand hygiene in preventing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); nevertheless, 384 (96%) said hand hygiene lowers body immunity and 316 (79%) thought <60% alcohol is sufficient for hand disinfection. Males had a higher knowledge score than females (6.46 (±1.41) vs. 6.14 (±1.27), p = 0.02) and, visitors who had no formal education scored higher than those with post-graduate education (6.88 (±1.45) vs 5.73 (±1.12), p = 0.01). Washing hands with soap and water was the predominant method practiced after a meal (365, 91.7%), after toilet visit (354, 88.5%), after touching a surface (262, 65.7%), after waste disposal (332, 83.2%), and when hands were visibly dirty (357, 89.5%). Al Madinah visitors had moderate knowledge about hand hygiene, but demonstrated some knowledge gaps and negligence in practice that are crucial to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Antibiotic use in goats: role of experience and education of Missouri veterinarians

2020 ◽  
Vol 186 (11) ◽  
pp. 349-349
Author(s):  
Lauren Landfried ◽  
Patrick Pithua ◽  
Roger D Lewis ◽  
Steven Rigdon ◽  
Jonathan Jacoby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Continuing Education ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Herd Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Prescription Practices

BackgroundIn a previous study, we found that rates of antibiotic residues in goat carcasses in Missouri were three times the published national average, warranting further research in this area.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of goat veterinarians to determine attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics, recruiting 725 veterinarians listed on the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners (AASRP) website and 64 Missouri Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) veterinarians.ResultsWe collected 189 responses (26.1%) from AASRP members (170 valid) and 8 (12.5%) from MVMA veterinarians totalling 178 responses. While the vast majority of all veterinarians indicated that they prescribed antibiotics less than half of the time, Missouri veterinarians indicated that they spent more time treating goats for overt disease like intestinal parasites and less time on proactive practices such as reproductive herd health management comparatively. While veterinarians agreed that antibiotic resistance was a growing concern, veterinarians outside of Missouri seemed more confident that their own prescription practices was not a contributor. Although nationally most veterinarians felt that attending continuing education classes was beneficial, 73.4% in other states attended classes on antibiotic use compared to only four of the nine Missouri veterinarians.ConclusionMissouri veterinarians had less veterinary experience than veterinarians in other states, and this, in conjunction with low continuing education requirements in Missouri relative to most other states, may hinder development of more proactive and effective client–veterinary relationships.

The Teacher Behavior Checklist: The Mediation Role of Teacher Behaviors in the Relationship Between the Students’ Importance of Teacher Behaviors and Students’ Effort

2020 ◽  
pp. 009862832097989
Author(s):  
Michael T. Geier
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Teacher Behavior ◽  
Teacher Behaviors ◽  
Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Teaching Implications

Background: Previous research suggests a relationship between teacher behaviors and students’ effort. However, it is not clear what role the students’ expectations (i.e., importance of teacher behaviors) play in this relationship. Objective: Utilizing the teacher behavior checklist, this study sought to investigate whether teacher behaviors mediate the relationship between the importance students set on teacher behaviors and students’ effort. Further, the study explored which specific behaviors influence students’ effort. Method: Cross-sectional survey data were analyzed ( N = 159) using mediation analysis and stepwise multiple linear regression. Results: There was evidence that teacher behaviors mediate the relationship between the importance students set on teacher behaviors and students’ effort. Four of the 28 teacher behaviors had a significant relationship to students’ effort: creative and interesting, enthusiastic about teaching, happy/positive/humorous, and promotes critical thinking. Conclusion: Knowing students’ expectations (i.e., the importance of teacher behaviors) is essential to increasing students’ effort. Teaching Implications: Happy/positive/humorous had a negative relationship with students’ effort, while creative and interesting, enthusiastic about teaching, and promotes critical thinking showed a positive relationship with students’ effort.

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