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 Factors Related to Health Risk Communication Outcomes among Migrant Workers in Thailand during COVID-19: A Case Study of Three Provinces

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11474
Author(s):  
Ratchadaporn Papwijitsil ◽  
Hathairat Kosiyaporn ◽  
Pigunkaew Sinam ◽  
Mathudara Phaiyarom ◽  
Sataporn Julchoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Preventive Practices

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerging infectious disease, and risk communication is one of several public health emergency responses. During the pandemic, many migrant workers in Thailand experienced barriers that hamper access to health information. This study aims to explore factors related to the outcomes of health risk communication, including awareness of public health measures and preventive practices. We conducted a cross-sectional survey on migrants between January and April 2021 using cluster sampling in Phuket, Ranong, and Samut Sakhon. In the descriptive analysis, we presented the median, proportion, and ratio, while in the inferential analysis, we employed a logistic regression with robust standard errors. Although a total of 303 participants were initially included in this study, the final number was narrowed down to 288 samples due to insufficient information required for the analysis. Frequent reception of health information and primary school education showed a statistically significant association with preventive practices. Middle-aged migrant workers demonstrated a significantly lower level of preventive practices than younger migrant workers. A longer stay in Thailand was significantly related to a lower degree of awareness toward public health measures. Thus, it is necessary to promote the accessibility of health information among migrant workers in Thailand, especially those who have lived in Thailand for more than eight years, are older, and have no formal education.

scholarly journals P49 Exploring medical student confidence in social media health advocacy through the lens of a pandemic

BJS Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vigneshwar Raj Veerappan ◽  
Ruksana Begum ◽  
Abdullah Raja ◽  
Tanjim Quddus ◽  
Rahul Senan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
National Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Advocacy ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Introduction Social media facilitates the rapid spread of information and misinformation to the public. Medical students as healthcare professionals in training have a responsibility to support public health advocacy. As such, it is important to understand whether medical students feel comfortable to use social media as a tool to promote public health. There is little literature evaluating this. The covid-19 pandemic gives us a unique opportunity to characterise this relationship. Methods This is a cross sectional survey-based study run by the student surgical society at Hull York Medical School. Data will be collected on confidence of medical students in receiving, appraising and resharing information on social media. The study will first be run as a single centre study. Following data collection and analysis, will be promoted to other student surgical societies across the UK to be run as a collaborative national study. Results Primary Objective How confident are medical students in receiving, appraising and resharing information they receive on social media?: Secondary Objective: Is there a relationship between years of training or postgraduate/undergraduate status and confidence in using social media amongst medical students? How often do medical students use social media as their primary source of information? Is there adequate education on how social media can be used to combat misinformation?: Conclusion: The covid-19 pandemic allows a unique opportunity to characterise the relationship between medical students, social media, and health advocacy. Understanding this relationship will help guide medical education to incorporate social media as an effective tool in healthcare.

scholarly journals Associations of Health Literacy, Social Media Use, Self-efficacy and Health Information Seeking Intentions among Chinese Social Media Users (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaomeng Niu ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
Jessica Willoughby ◽  
Ze Li ◽  
Rongting Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Related

BACKGROUND Empirical research has demonstrated that people frequently use social media for gathering and sharing online health information. Health literacy, social media use, and self-efficacy are important factors that may influence people’s health behaviors online. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the associations between health literacy, health-related social media use, self-efficacy and health behavioral intentions online. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Chinese adults aged 18 and above (N = 449) to examine predictors of health-related behavioral intentions online including health literacy, social media use, and self-efficacy. Hayes’ PROCESS macro was used to analyze the mediation and moderation models. RESULTS Two moderated mediation models were constructed. Self-efficacy mediated the effects of health literacy (Bindirect=0.213, 95% CI: 0.101 to 0.339) and social media use (Bindirect=0.023, 95% CI: 0.008 to 0.045) on health behavioral intentions on social media. Age moderated the effects of health literacy on self-efficacy (P=.029), while previous experience moderated the effects of social media use on self-efficacy (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Health literacy and health-related social media use influenced health behavioral intentions on social media via their prior effects on self-efficacy. The association between health literacy and self-efficacy was stronger among younger respondents, whereas the association between health-related social media use and self-efficacy was stronger among those who previously had positive experiences with health information on social media. Health practitioners should target self-efficacy among older population and increase positive media experience related to health. CLINICALTRIAL

scholarly journals Social Media Platforms for Health Communication and Research in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross Sectional Survey in Uganda

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Olum ◽  
Felix Bongomin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Public Health Campaigns

ABSTRACTObjectives(1) To examine the usage of social media and other forms of media among medical students (MS) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Uganda. (2) To assess the perceived usefulness of social media and other forms of media for COVID-19 public health campaigns.DesignA descriptive WhatsApp messenger-based cross-sectional survey in April 2020.SettingMakerere University Teaching Hospitals (MUTH) and 9 of the 10 medical schools in Uganda.ParticipantsHCPs at MUTH and MS in the 9 medical schools in Uganda.Main outcome measuresWe collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, sources of information on COVID-19, preferences of social media platform and perceived usefulness of the different media platforms for acquisition of knowledge on COVID-19.ResultOverall, response rate was 21.5% for both MS and HCPs. In total, 877 (HCPS [136, 15.5%], MS [741, 85.5%]) were studied. Majority (n=555, 63.3%) were male with a median age of 24 (range: 18-66) years. Social media was a source of information for 665 (75.8%) participants. Usage was similar among MS and HCPs (565/741 (76.2%) vs. 100/136 (73.5%), p=0.5). Among the MS, commonly used social media were: WhatsApp (n=705, 95.1%) Facebook (n=405, 54.8%), Twitter (n=290, 39.1%), Instagram (n=178, 24.0) and Telegram (n=80, 10.8%). Except for WhatsApp, male MS we more likely to use the other social media platforms (p= <0.001 − 0.01). Mass media (television and radio) and social media were preferred the most useful tools for dissemination of COVID-19 related information.ConclusionMore than two-thirds of MS and HCPs are routinely using social media in Uganda. Social media platforms may be used for dissemination of information as well as a research tool among MS and HCPs. Social media alongside other media platforms can also be used as sources of reliable information on COVID-19 as well as for dissemination of research findings and guidelines.Strengths and limitationsThis is the first study in sub Saharan Africa on the use of social media for research during the COVID-19 pandemic.The study also explores perceived usefulness of different media for COVID-19 public health campaigns.Diversity of the participants consisting both healthcare professionals and medical students.A relatively large sample size was enrolled in the survey despite a low response rate.

scholarly journals Social, Cognitive, and eHealth Mechanisms of COVID-19–Related Lockdown and Mandatory Quarantine That Potentially Affect the Mental Health of Pregnant Women in China: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Yang ◽  
Bo Song ◽  
Anise Wu ◽  
Phoenix K H Mo ◽  
Jiangli Di ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Prenatal Care ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Fit Index

BACKGROUND Although lockdown and mandatory quarantine measures have played crucial roles in the sharp decrease of the number of newly confirmed/suspected COVID-19 cases, concerns have been raised over the threat that these measures pose to mental health, especially the mental health of vulnerable groups, including pregnant women. Few empirical studies have assessed whether and how these control measures may affect mental health, and no study has investigated the prevalence and impacts of the use of eHealth resources among pregnant women during the COVID-19 outbreak. OBJECTIVE This study investigated (1) the effects of lockdown and mandatory quarantine on mental health problems (ie, anxiety and depressive symptoms), (2) the potential mediation effects of perceived social support and maladaptive cognition, and (3) the moderation effects of eHealth-related factors (ie, using social media to obtain health information and using prenatal care services during the COVID-19 pandemic) on pregnant women in China. METHODS An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 19,515 pregnant women from all 34 Chinese provincial-level administrative regions from February 25 to March 10, 2020. RESULTS Of the 19,515 participants, 12,209 (62.6%) were subjected to lockdown in their areas of residence, 737 (3.8%) were subjected to mandatory quarantine, 8712 (44.6%) had probable mild to severe depression, 5696 (29.2%) had probable mild to severe anxiety, and 1442 (7.4%) had suicidal ideations. Only 640 (3.3%) participants reported that they used online prenatal care services during the outbreak. Significant sociodemographic/maternal factors of anxiety/depressive symptoms included age, education, occupation, the area of residence, gestational duration, the number of children born, complication during pregnancy, the means of using prenatal care services, and social media use for obtaining health information. Multiple indicators multiple causes modeling (<i>χ</i><sup>2</sup><sub>14</sub>=495.21; <i>P</i>&lt;.05; comparative fit index=.99; nonnormed fit index=.98; root mean square error of approximation=.04, 90% CI 0.038-0.045) showed that quarantine was directly and indirectly strongly associated with poor mental health through decreased perceived social support and increased maladaptive cognition (B=.04; <i>β</i>=.02, 95% CI 0.01-0.02; <i>P</i>=.001), while lockdown was indirectly associated with mental health through increased social support and maladaptive cognition among pregnant women (B=.03; <i>β</i>=.03, 95% CI 0.02-0.03; <i>P</i>=.001). Multigroup analyses revealed that the use of social media for obtaining health information and the means of using prenatal care services were significant moderators of the model paths. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide epidemiological evidence for the importance of integrating mental health care and eHealth into the planning and implementation of control measure policies. The observed social and cognitive mechanisms and moderators in this study are modifiable, and they can inform the design of evidence-based mental health promotion among pregnant women.

Twitter jako źródło wiedzy o stanie zdrowia polskiego społeczeństwa – ujęcie infodemiologiczne.

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (49) ◽  
pp. 120-0
Author(s):  
Agata Malesińska
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Novel Concept ◽  
Insight Into

Article explores a novel concept of mining social media for information on public health (infodemiology) and provides insight into chosen results of original research covering random tweets by Polish Twitter users. Author asks what public health information can be learned from “Polish Twitter” and whether the collected data might be a valuable and reliable starting point for a broader analysis of Polish public health.

scholarly journals Hand Hygiene and Mask-Wearing Practices during COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers: Misinformation as a Predictor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Senhu Wang ◽  
Lambert Zixin Li ◽  
Natasha van Antwerpen ◽  
Sutrisno Suparman ◽  
Mergy Gayatri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Health Related

Poor public health information is a hurdle in infectious disease control. The study aims to examine whether healthcare workers adhere to hand hygiene and mask-wearing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore their exposure to misinformation about the pandemic as a predictor. A cross-sectional survey was sent to 518 healthcare workers across Indonesia, the fourth largest nation in the world, in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents reported whether they adhered to the guidelines of hand hygiene and mask wearing and whether they believed in four pieces of misinformation about the origin, severity, contagion, and prevention of COVID-19. The association between misinformation and hand hygiene and mask wearing was tested with logistic regression models controlling for demographic and health-related covariates. Approximately 25% of healthcare workers did not always adhere to hand hygiene guidelines and approximately 5% did not adhere to mask-wearing guidelines. There are significant associations between all four pieces of misinformation and hand hygiene and mask wearing. It is important to improve public health information about COVID-19, which may hold key to healthcare workers’ hand hygiene and mask wearing and to protect their health and patients’ safety.

PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF STREET HAWKING ON THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN IN ANYIGBA, DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-07
Author(s):  
Alfred Eboh
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Government Area ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
The Government

Background: The hawking of wares by children has been a serious issue confronting the Nigerian society. Children hawk in some of the most horrible conditions conceivable, where they face a serious risk of injury, chronic illness, kidnapping, rape or death. Objective: The focus of this study was to assess the perceived effects of street hawking on the well-being of children in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. Methods: The population of this study consists of parents of the street hawkers in Anyigba while cross-sectional survey design was used through the purposive sampling technique to choose the sample size of one hundred and sixty-two (162) respondents. The validated structured questionnaire and In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) served as the instruments for the data collection respectively. The hypotheses were tested using Chi-Square at a predetermined 0.05 level of significance. The quantitative data were analysed with the aid of the SPSS (version 20). Results: The results indicated among others that street hawking had significant social implications and physical consequences on children's moral behaviour as well as health status in the study area. Conclusion: The study, therefore, concluded that the government of Kogi State should carry out an enlightenment campaign through the media and religious institutions on the negative consequences of street hawking are recommended as panacea. Also, the child right act instrument and its implementation should be strengthened in order to curb street hawking in the study area.

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