Surav Man Sakya1, Lauren Jodi Van Scoy2, John C Garman1, Erin L Miller3, Bethany Snyder4, Emily Wasserman4,5, Vernon M Chinchilli5, Robert P Lennon3,6. 1. School of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA. 2. Departments of Medicine, Humanities, Public Health Sciences and the Qualitative and Mixed Methods Core, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA. 3. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA. 4. Qualitative and Mixed Methods Core, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA. 5. Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA. 6. Penn State Law, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have increasingly relied on internet versus television news. The extent to which this change in health news consumption practice impacts health knowledge is not known. This study investigates the relationship between most trusted information source and COVID-19 knowledge. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was sent to a convenience sample from a list of adults on a central Pennsylvania health system's marketing database 25-31 March 2020. Respondents were grouped by their trusted news sources and comparison of respondent COVID-19 knowledge was made between these groups for 5948 respondents. RESULTS: Those who selected government health websites as their most trusted source were more likely to answer COVID-19 questions correctly than those who selected other internet news sources or television news (OR 1.21, p < .05; 1.08, p > .05; and 0.87, p < .05, respectively). Those who used Facebook as an additional source of news in any way were less likely to answer COVID-19 questions correctly than those who did not (OR 0.93, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 knowledge correlates with trusted news source. To increase public knowledge of COVID-19 in order to maximize information dissemination and compliance with COVID-19-related public health recommendations, those who provide health information should consider use of the public's most trusted sources of information, as well as monitoring and correcting misinformation presented by other sources. Independent content review for accuracy in media may be warranted in public health emergencies to improve knowledge.
OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have increasingly relied on internet versus television news. The extent to which this change in health news consumption practice impacts health knowledge is not known. This study investigates the relationship between most trusted information source and COVID-19 knowledge. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was sent to a convenience sample from a list of adults on a central Pennsylvania health system's marketing database 25-31 March 2020. Respondents were grouped by their trusted news sources and comparison of respondent COVID-19 knowledge was made between these groups for 5948 respondents. RESULTS: Those who selected government health websites as their most trusted source were more likely to answer COVID-19 questions correctly than those who selected other internet news sources or television news (OR 1.21, p < .05; 1.08, p > .05; and 0.87, p < .05, respectively). Those who used Facebook as an additional source of news in any way were less likely to answer COVID-19 questions correctly than those who did not (OR 0.93, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS:COVID-19 knowledge correlates with trusted news source. To increase public knowledge of COVID-19 in order to maximize information dissemination and compliance with COVID-19-related public health recommendations, those who provide health information should consider use of the public's most trusted sources of information, as well as monitoring and correcting misinformation presented by other sources. Independent content review for accuracy in media may be warranted in public health emergencies to improve knowledge.
Entities:
Keywords:
COVID-19; Health communication; news; pandemic; social media
Authors: María Teresa Beca-Martínez; María Romay-Barja; María Falcón-Romero; Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez; Agustín Benito-Llanes; María João Forjaz Journal: Transbound Emerg Dis Date: 2021-11-10 Impact factor: 4.521
Authors: Li Ming Wen; Huilan Xu; Danielle Jawad; Limin Buchanan; Chris Rissel; Philayrath Phongsavan; Louise A Baur; Sarah Taki Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-11-25 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Yutang Xiong; Xingran Weng; Bethany Snyder; Lin Ma; Menglong Cong; Erin L Miller; Lauren Jodi Van Scoy; Robert P Lennon Journal: Global Health Date: 2022-08-08 Impact factor: 10.401
Authors: Mong Yung Fung; Yu Hong Lee; Yan Tung Astor Lee; Mei Ling Wong; Joyce Tik Sze Li; Enoch E Nok Ng; Vivian Wing Yan Lee Journal: Pilot Feasibility Stud Date: 2022-10-06