COVID-19 Information Seeking on Digital Media and Preventive Behaviors: The Mediation Role of Worry

Abstract

The high prevalence of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and inefficient preventive measures taken to curb the disease are significant public health concerns. Rapid and innovative advances in digital media offer opportunities for health education, which could result in increased preventive behaviors. This study assessed preventive behaviors against contracting COVID-19 and tested mediation pathways linking four types of digital media consumption (social media, mobile social networking apps [MSNs], online news media, and social live steaming services [SLSSs]) to preventive behaviors, mediated by worry. Results from an online survey (N = 511) revealed that the vast majority (>90 percent) of respondents had very often or always practiced preventive behaviors against contracting COVID-19 such as washing their hands more regularly with soap and water, staying away from crowded places, and wearing face masks out in public. In addition, COVID-19 information seeking through the four types of digital media was a salient parameter that encouraged people to practice preventive behaviors either directly or indirectly. Specifically, seeking COVID-19-related information on MSNs, SLSSs, and online news media was directly associated with preventive behaviors. Whereas COVID-19 information consumption on social media, MSNs, and SLSSs during the infectious disease outbreak could elicit intense worry and, in turn, increase preventive behaviors. The reasons for and implications of the results are discussed.

Digital Disinformation About COVID-19 and the Third-Person Effect: Examining the Channel Differences and Negative Emotional Outcomes

“…Many empirical studies have shown support to TPE and that the perceptual discrepancy is strengthened when the media message is negative or is perceived as less socially desirable, such as pornography, 4 media violence, 5,6 and fake news. 1 The greater the social distance, the stronger the estimated effects on others.…”

“…8 However, digital media vary based on their characteristics, such as affordances, the nature of the content, and the context within which the medium is used. 4 Thus, four different types of digital media widely used for information dissemination are identified from the literature, 6 including social media, 7 mobile social networking (MSN) apps, 9 online news media, 10 and social live streaming services (SLSSs). 11,12 In addition to the differentiation of varied digital media that audiences might be exposed to fake news, it is important to realize that audiences become more alert in their reception practices given the deterioration in news quality and credibility.…”

Tendency to Worry and Fear of Mental Health during Italy’s COVID-19 Lockdown

“…Accordingly, in a study on the psychological impact of the 2003 SARS quarantine, participants reported more negative feelings such as worry, anger, guilt, nervousness, and sadness [6]. More recently, Liu [7] showed that COVID-19 related information consumption on social media during the pandemic outbreak elicited intense worry which, in turn, increased preventive behaviors such as washing hands more regularly, staying away from crowded places and wearing face masks.…”

<p>Information Seeking on Covid-19 Pandemic: Care Providers’ Experience at the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Northwest of Ethiopia</p>

“…13,14 Especially in the time of coronavirus, where the nature of the disease and its transmission is not well investigated, and the cure for the disease is not still discovered, seeking information and knowledge sharing are very important to combat the coronavirus disease. 8,15 Since the introduction of digital solutions, the landscape of information has changed drastically in health systems. 6,7,[16][17][18][19][20] This approach helps care providers in seeking information, which is a purposive searching of information, in order to satisfy their information need.…”