scholarly journals Information sources and changes in health behaviour in Japan: a cross-sectional online survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edris Kakemam ◽  
Djavad Ghoddoosi-Nejad ◽  
Zahra Chegini ◽  
Khalil Momeni ◽  
Hamid Salehiniya ◽  
...  

Background: Emerged in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the largest pandemics ever. During the early phase, little was known about public knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) relating to coronavirus disease. This study was designed to determine KAP of Iranians toward COVID-19.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was carried out in Iran from February 25 to April 25 using a self-administered questionnaire on 1,480 people. COVID-19-related KAP questions were adapted from other internationally validated questionnaires specific for infectious diseases.Results: All participants were aware of COVID-19. When asked unprompted, 80% of respondents could correctly cite fever, difficulty in breathing, and cough as signs/symptoms of COVID-19. Most of our sample population knew that staying at home and isolated (95.3%) as well as constant handwashing and using disinfectants (92.5%) could prevent COVID-19. However, there were also widespread misconceptions such as the belief that COVID-19 can be transmitted by wild animals (58%) and by air (48.3%). Unprompted, self-reported actions taken to avoid COVID-19 infection included handwashing with soap and water (95.4%), avoiding crowded places (93%), cleansing hands with other disinfectants (80.), and covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing (76.1%). The Internet and social media (94.5%) were the main coronavirus information sources. However, the most trusted information sources on coronavirus were health and medical professionals (79.3%). The majority of participants (77.0%) wanted more information about coronavirus to be available.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that people's knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 at the time of its outbreak was at a high level.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahmir H Ali ◽  
Joshua Foreman ◽  
Yesim Tozan ◽  
Ariadna Capasso ◽  
Abbey M Jones ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a heightened need to understand health information seeking behaviors to address disparities in knowledge and beliefs about the crisis. OBJECTIVE This study assessed sociodemographic predictors of the use and trust of different COVID-19 information sources, as well as the association between information sources and knowledge and beliefs about the pandemic. METHODS An online survey was conducted among US adults in two rounds during March and April 2020 using advertisement-based recruitment on social media. Participants were asked about their use of 11 different COVID-19 information sources as well as their most trusted source of information. The selection of COVID-related knowledge and belief questions was based on past empirical literature and salient concerns at the time of survey implementation. RESULTS The sample consisted of 11,242 participants. When combined, traditional media sources (television, radio, podcasts, or newspapers) were the largest sources of COVID-19 information (91.2%). Among those using mainstream media sources for COVID-19 information (n=7811, 69.5%), popular outlets included CNN (24.0%), Fox News (19.3%), and other local or national networks (35.2%). The largest individual information source was government websites (87.6%). They were also the most trusted source of information (43.3%), although the odds of trusting government websites were lower among males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.58, 95% CI 0.53-0.63) and those aged 40-59 years and ≥60 years compared to those aged 18-39 years (AOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74-0.92; AOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.54-0.71). Participants used an average of 6.1 sources (SD 2.3). Participants who were male, aged 40-59 years or ≥60 years; not working, unemployed, or retired; or Republican were likely to use fewer sources while those with children and higher educational attainment were likely to use more sources. Participants surveyed in April were markedly less likely to use (AOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.35-0.46) and trust (AOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.47-0.56) government sources. The association between information source and COVID-19 knowledge was mixed, while many COVID-19 beliefs were significantly predicted by information source; similar trends were observed with reliance on different types of mainstream media outlets. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 information source was significantly determined by participant sociodemographic characteristics and was also associated with both knowledge and beliefs about the pandemic. Study findings can help inform COVID-19 health communication campaigns and highlight the impact of using a variety of different and trusted information sources.


Author(s):  
Edris Kakemam ◽  
Djavad Ghoddoosi-Nejad ◽  
Zahra Chegini ◽  
Khalil Momeni ◽  
Hamid Salehinia ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundCOVID-19, which emerged in December 2019, is the largest pandemic ever to occur. During the early phase, little was known about public awareness relating to Coronavirus disease. This study was designed to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among the Iranian public towards COVID-19.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was carried out in Iran from 2 March to 8 April 2020 using a self-administered questionnaire on 1,480 people. COVID-19-related KAP questions were adapted from other internationally validated questionnaires specific to infectious diseases.ResultsAll participants were aware of COVID-19. When asked unprompted, 80% of respondents could correctly cite fever, difficulty breathing and cough as signs/symptoms of COVID-19. Most of our sample population knew that by staying at home and staying isolated (95.3%, 95 % CI: 94.2-96.3) as well as constant hand washing and using disinfectants (92.5%, 95 % CI: 91.1-93.8) could prevent COVID-19. However, there was also widespread misconceptions such as the belief that COVID-19 can be transmitted by wild animals (58%, 95 % CI: 55.5-60.5) and by air (48.3%, 95 % CI: 45.7-50.8). Unprompted, self-reported actions taken to avoid COVID-19 infection included hand washing with soap and water (95.4%, 95 % CI: 94.3-96.4), avoiding crowded places (93%, 95 % CI: 91.7-94.3), cleaning hands with other disinfectants (80.9 %, 95 % CI: 78.9-82.9), and covering mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing (76.1 %, 95 % CI: 73.9-78.2). The internet and social media (94.5%, 95 % CI: 93.3-95.6) were the main Coronavirus information sources. However, the most trusted information sources on Coronavirus were health and medical professionals (79.3%, 95 % CI: 77.2-81.3). The majority of participants (77.0%, 95 % CI: 74.8-79.1) wanted more information about Coronavirus to be available.ConclusionOur findings suggest that people’s knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 at the time of its outbreak was of a high level. Therefore, health systems should use multiple ways, such as mass media, phone applications, electronic, print, and tele-education to increase KAP related to COVID-19.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Kendrick Flannigan ◽  
John L. Oliffe ◽  
Donald R. McCreary ◽  
Nahid Punjani ◽  
Khushabu Kasabwala ◽  
...  

Introduction: Lifestyle-related diseases are the leading cause of death among North American men. We evaluated health behaviours and their predictors that contribute to morbidity and mortality among Canadian men as a means to making recommendations for targeted interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of Canadian men drawn from 5362 visitors to our online survey page was conducted. The current study sample of 2000 men (inclusion: male and >18 years; exclusion: incomplete surveys) were stratified to the 2016 Canadian census. The primary outcome was the number of unhealthy men classified using our Canadian Composite Classification of Health Behaviour (CCCHB) score. Secondary outcomes included the number of men with unhealthy exercise, diet, smoking, sleep, and alcohol intake, as well as socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with unhealthy behaviours to be used for targeting future interventions. Results: Only 118/2000 (5.9%) men demonstrated 5/5 healthy behaviours, and 829 (41.5%) had 3/5 unhealthy behaviours; 391 (19.6%) men currently smoked, 773 (38.7%) demonstrated alcohol overuse, 1077 (53.9%) did not get optimal sleep (<7 or >9 hours per night), 977 (48.9%) failed to exercise >150 minutes/week, and 1235 (61.8%) had an unhealthy diet. Multivariate analysis indicated that men with high school education were at increased risk of unhealthy behaviours (odds ratio [OR] 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15–2.18; p=0.005), as were men living with relatives (OR 2.10; 95% CI1.04–4.26; p=0.039), or with their partner and children (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.02–1.76; p=0.034). Conclusions: An overwhelming 41.5% of Canadian men had 3/5 unhealthy behaviours, affirming the need for targeted lifestyle interventions. Significant health inequities within vulnerable subgroups of Canadian men were identified and may guide the content and delivery of future interventions.


10.2196/21071 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. e21071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahmir H Ali ◽  
Joshua Foreman ◽  
Yesim Tozan ◽  
Ariadna Capasso ◽  
Abbey M Jones ◽  
...  

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a heightened need to understand health information seeking behaviors to address disparities in knowledge and beliefs about the crisis. Objective This study assessed sociodemographic predictors of the use and trust of different COVID-19 information sources, as well as the association between information sources and knowledge and beliefs about the pandemic. Methods An online survey was conducted among US adults in two rounds during March and April 2020 using advertisement-based recruitment on social media. Participants were asked about their use of 11 different COVID-19 information sources as well as their most trusted source of information. The selection of COVID-related knowledge and belief questions was based on past empirical literature and salient concerns at the time of survey implementation. Results The sample consisted of 11,242 participants. When combined, traditional media sources (television, radio, podcasts, or newspapers) were the largest sources of COVID-19 information (91.2%). Among those using mainstream media sources for COVID-19 information (n=7811, 69.5%), popular outlets included CNN (24.0%), Fox News (19.3%), and other local or national networks (35.2%). The largest individual information source was government websites (87.6%). They were also the most trusted source of information (43.3%), although the odds of trusting government websites were lower among males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.58, 95% CI 0.53-0.63) and those aged 40-59 years and ≥60 years compared to those aged 18-39 years (AOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74-0.92; AOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.54-0.71). Participants used an average of 6.1 sources (SD 2.3). Participants who were male, aged 40-59 years or ≥60 years; not working, unemployed, or retired; or Republican were likely to use fewer sources while those with children and higher educational attainment were likely to use more sources. Participants surveyed in April were markedly less likely to use (AOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.35-0.46) and trust (AOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.47-0.56) government sources. The association between information source and COVID-19 knowledge was mixed, while many COVID-19 beliefs were significantly predicted by information source; similar trends were observed with reliance on different types of mainstream media outlets. Conclusions COVID-19 information source was significantly determined by participant sociodemographic characteristics and was also associated with both knowledge and beliefs about the pandemic. Study findings can help inform COVID-19 health communication campaigns and highlight the impact of using a variety of different and trusted information sources.


10.2196/23922 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. e23922
Author(s):  
Emma Mohamad ◽  
Jen Sern Tham ◽  
Suffian Hadi Ayub ◽  
Mohammad Rezal Hamzah ◽  
Hasrul Hashim ◽  
...  

Background There are multiple media platforms and various resources available for information on COVID-19. Identifying people’s preferences is key to building public confidence and planning for successful national health intervention strategies. Objective This study examines the sources of information for COVID-19 used by the Malaysian public and identifies those that are associated with building public confidence and positive perceptions toward the Malaysian government. Methods A cross-sectional online survey of 4850 Malaysian residents was conducted. Participant demographics, media use, information sources, and attitudes surrounding COVID-19 were assessed. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to gauge the relationship between demographics, information sources, and attitudes toward COVID-19. Results Malaysians primarily used television and internet news portals to access information on COVID-19. The Malaysian Ministry of Health was the most preferred source of COVID-19 information. Respondents who referred to the Ministry of Health, television, and the Malaysian National Security Council for information were more likely to believe that the country could win the battle against COVID-19 and that the government was handling the health crisis well compared to those who referred to other information sources. Those who used the World Health Organization, friends, YouTube, family, and radio as sources of information were less likely to harbor confidence and positive belief toward combating COVID-19. Conclusions Managing information and sustaining public confidence is important during a pandemic. Health authorities should pay considerable attention to the use of appropriate media channels and sources to allow for more effective dissemination of critical information to the public.


Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Lew ◽  
Ksenia Chistopolskaya ◽  
Yanzheng Liu ◽  
Mansor Abu Talib ◽  
Olga Mitina ◽  
...  

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buaphrao Raphiphatthana ◽  
Paul Jose ◽  
Karen Salmon

Abstract. Grit, that is, perseverance and passion for long-term goals, is a novel construct that has gained attention in recent years ( Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007 ). To date, little research has been performed with the goal of identifying the antecedents of grit. Thus, in order to fill this gap in the literature, self-report data were collected to examine whether mindfulness, a mindset of being-in-the-present in a nonjudgmental way, plays a role in fostering grittiness. Three hundred and forty-three undergraduate students completed an online survey once in a cross-sectional study, and of these, 74 students completed the survey again 4.5 months later. Although the cross-sectional analyses identified a number of positive associations between mindfulness and grit, the longitudinal analysis revealed that the mindfulness facets of acting with awareness and non-judging were the most important positive predictors of grit 4.5 months later. This set of findings offers implications for future grit interventions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Niehuis

Issues in applied survey research, including minimizing respondent burden to encourage survey completion and the increasing administration of questionnaires over smartphones, have intensified efforts to create short measures. We conducted two studies to examine the psychometric properties of single-item measures of four close-relationship variables: satisfaction, love, conflict, and commitment. Study 1 was longitudinal, surveying an initial sample of 121 college-age dating couples at three monthly phases. Romantic partners completed single- and multi-item measures of the four constructs, along with other variables, to examine test-retest reliability and convergent (single-item measures with their corresponding multi-item scales), concurrent, and predictive validity. Our single-item measures of satisfaction, love, and commitment exhibited impressive psychometric qualities, but our single-item conflict measure performed somewhat less strongly. Study 2, a cross-sectional online survey (n = 280; mainly through Facebook), showed strong convergent validity of the single-item measures, including a .60 correlation between single- and multi-item conflict measures.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document