Media Use and Health Behavior in H1N1 Flu Crisis: The Mediating Role of Perceived Knowledge and Fear

Abstract

First detected in 2009, H1N1 flu has caused human causalities and become one of the top global health concerns. This study examined the relationship between the use of mass media for information about H1N1 flu and health-related behaviors. Past studies have focused primarily on the direct effects of media exposure on engagement in preventative behaviors. This study took a step forward by investigating the underlying mechanism in this relationship. Data from a web-based survey of college students showed that media use positively affected the likelihood of adopting preventative measures. Perceived knowledge and fear resulting from media exposure were important mediators of this process: Frequent exposure to media coverage of H1N1 flu led to higher levels of perceived knowledge and fear, which in turn translated into implementation of preventative measures.

Amplifying Panic and Facilitating Prevention: Multifaceted Effects of Traditional and Social Media Use During the 2015 MERS Crisis in South Korea

“…Ho (2012), for example, found that attention to newspaper and television news increased public knowledge about the H1N1 pandemic. Zhang et al (2015) also found that media use potentially influenced H1N1 preventive behaviors through fear and perceived knowledge. The results of 36 national surveys in the United Kingdom indicate that exposure to media coverage or advertising about swine flu increased the adoption of recommended preventive behaviors (G. Rubin, Potts, & Michie, 2010).…”

The impacts of knowledge, risk perception, emotion and information on citizens’ protective behaviors during the outbreak of COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in China

“…Media use has a profound impact on knowledge acquisition at a time of crisis [ 37 ], especially when the entire society is virtually locked down. Meanwhile, media reports can also fuel fear [ 38 ]. Modern information technology has broadened the source of information dramatically.…”

The effects of SNS communication: How expressing and receiving information predict MERS-preventive behavioral intentions in South Korea

“…Understanding how individuals experience and respond to an infectious disease outbreak can be derived from the extended parallel process model (EPPM) (Witte, 1992(Witte, , 1994. The EPPM has been widely employed in predicting preventive behaviors during infectious disease outbreaks (e.g., Balicer et al, 2010;Siu, 2008;Zhang, Kong, & Chang. 2015).…”