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Yu J, Meng S. Impacts of the Internet on Health Inequality and Healthcare Access: A Cross-Country Study. Front Public Health 2022; 10:935608. [PMID: 35757602 PMCID: PMC9218541 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.935608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Access to information and resources through the Internet has become an increasingly critical aspect of contemporary life. Based on the WHO Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) and cross-country panel data, this paper investigates the effect of Internet access on health inequality across different income groups. The results indicate that access to the Internet significantly improves the average health condition and alleviates health inequality. In addition, employing cross-country data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, this paper further examines the social and economic determinants of access to healthcare. Specifically, it is found that Internet access significantly facilitates healthcare access and mitigates the negative impact of income inequality on healthcare access. Considered together, these findings shed light on the importance of the Internet in reducing health inequality and improving healthcare access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Yu
- Business School, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang Meng
- School of International Trade and Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China
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152
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Weisman A, Yona T, Gottlieb U, Masharawi Y. Attitudinal responses to current concepts and opinions from pain neuroscience education on social media. Musculoskelet Sci Pract 2022; 59:102551. [PMID: 35287028 DOI: 10.1016/j.msksp.2022.102551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pain neuroscience education (PNE) programs have become popular among clinicians and are widely promoted through social and mainstream media. PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that people with persistent pain are likely to express negative attitudes to PNE statements and compare their responses to other social media user groups. METHODS A total of 1319 respondents completed an online survey and were directed into four groups: persistent pain, healthcare professionals with persistent pain, pain-free healthcare professionals, and pain-free controls. The survey included ten statements of popular PNE concepts. Feedback was invited by offering seven attitudinal response categories (three positives, three negatives, and one neutral). A two-step hierarchical regression model was used to assess the likelihood of reporting negatively. RESULTS Compared to controls, respondents from the persistent pain group were more likely to report negatively towards all statements (OR 1.6-2.16), except for two statements (#3 and #5). Healthcare professionals were less likely to report negative attitudes for 4 out of 10 statement (OR 0.35-0.58). Health care professionals living with persistent responded to most statements like the pain-free controls (besides statement #2, OR 0.59). CONCLUSION People living with persistent pain are more likely to express negative attitudes to PNE statements on social media, unlike healthcare professionals who were less likely to express negativity. Healthcare professionals living with persistent pain responded to most PNE statements like the pain-free control group. The study's main weaknesses include the lack of psychometric information of the questionnaire used, selection bias, small samples of the healthcare professionals and the overrepresentation of young social media users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asaf Weisman
- Spinal Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
| | - Tomer Yona
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Uri Gottlieb
- Neuromuscular and Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Physiotherapy, Ariel University, Israel
| | - Youssef Masharawi
- Spinal Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
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Neylan JH, Patel SS, Erickson TB. Strategies to Counter Disinformation for Healthcare Practitioners and Policymakers. WORLD MEDICAL & HEALTH POLICY 2022; 14:423-431. [PMID: 35755311 PMCID: PMC9216217 DOI: 10.1002/wmh3.487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Medical disinformation has interfered with healthcare workers' ability to communicate with the general population in a wide variety of public health contexts globally. This has limited the effectiveness of evidence-based medicine and healthcare capacity. Disinformation campaigns often try to integrate or co-opt healthcare workers in their practices which hinders effective health communication. We describe a critical overview of issues health practitioners and communicators have experienced when dealing with medical disinformation online and offline as well as best practices to overcome these issues when disseminating health information. This article lists disinformation techniques that have yet to be used against the medical community but need to be considered in future communication planning as they may be highly effective. We also present broad policy recommendations and considerations designed to mitigate the effectiveness of medical disinformation campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian H. Neylan
- Harvard Humanitarian InitiativeT.H. Chan Harvard School of Public HealthCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Sonny S. Patel
- Harvard Humanitarian InitiativeT.H. Chan Harvard School of Public HealthCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health SciencesThe University of SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Timothy B. Erickson
- Harvard Humanitarian InitiativeT.H. Chan Harvard School of Public HealthCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency MedicineMass General Brigham, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Heightening interest in labiaplasty has driven potential patients to online fora, permitting the dissemination of material by potentially unqualified or inexperienced individuals. The discourse surrounding this procedure has been injected with strong opinions that are not entirely consistent with medical best-practice or evidence-based knowledge. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to explore the rationale for ongoing public opposition to labiaplasty and to investigate if awareness of the similarities between labiaplasty and breast reduction can alter an individual's perception. METHODS Four hundred and forty-eight adult women were surveyed concerning their opinion of a surgical procedure to reduce the size of an unspecified organ related to a woman's sexuality, breast reduction, and labia reduction. RESULTS Reduction of an unspecified organ and breasts was met with significantly greater acceptance than labia reduction (P < 0.0001). Presenting responders with an educational tool comparing each procedure's indications, risks, and potential benefits did not alter respondent opinions, indicating notions about sexual surgery are relatively fixed. The most common reason respondents persisted in their relative opposition to labia reduction was a perceived deficiency in social acceptance (27.1%), followed by a perceived similarity to female genital mutilation (14.8%). CONCLUSIONS Attitudes towards labiaplasty seem firmly based on emotion or correlation to other unacceptable practices. Informational resources do not sway these biases; thus, there is a limited role for surgeon-led education in the normalization of labiaplasty because it requires a societal shift in acceptance. Labiaplasty is a procedure whose time for popular acceptance has not yet come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Sasson
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Otto J Placik
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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155
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König L, Marbach-Breitrück E, Engler A, Suhr R. The Development and Evaluation of an e-Learning Course That Promotes Digital Health Literacy in School-age Children: Pre-Post Measurement Study. J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e37523. [PMID: 35576572 PMCID: PMC9152727 DOI: 10.2196/37523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Experts agree that the promotion of (digital) health literacy should be an integral part of the school curriculum. However, promoting (digital) health literacy within the German school system is difficult because (digital) health education is not a mandatory school subject in all the German states. Therefore, experts suggest that (digital) health literacy could be addressed as part of the mandatory framework for digital education and digital literacy in schools developed by the German Conference on Education Ministries and Cultural Affairs (Kultusministerkonferenz). Objective The goal of this study was to evaluate a newly developed e-learning course that was designed to improve (digital) health literacy in school-age children and concurrently to teach skills specified in the mandatory framework for digital education and digital literacy in schools. It was hypothesized that participants’ health literacy and digital health literacy levels would be higher after completing the e-learning course than they were before doing the course. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that after completing the e-learning course, participants’ subjective and objective knowledge in the domain of (digital) health literacy would be higher than it was before doing the course. Methods The pre-post measurement study was conducted online. After participants (N=323) gave their informed consent to participate in the study, they provided demographic information and answered all measures (premeasurement). Following this, participants had 7 days to complete the e-learning course. After finishing the e-learning course, participants answered all the measures again (postmeasurement). Results To test the hypotheses, Bayesian paired samples t tests (1-sided) were conducted. After completing the e-learning course, participants showed higher health literacy levels. Specifically, they showed higher competency levels in the domains of theoretical knowledge (Bayes factor [BF]–0=676,000; δ=–0.316), practical knowledge (BF–0=92,300; δ=–0.294), critical thinking (BF–0=7.42e+13; δ=–0.482), self-awareness (BF–0=11,500,000; δ=–0.345), and citizenship (BF–0=266,000; δ=–0.306). Furthermore, participants achieved higher digital health literacy levels. Specifically, they achieved higher competency levels in the domains of information searching (BF–0=2.339; δ=–0.135), evaluating reliability (BF–0=2.03e+11; δ=–0.434), and determining relevance (BF–0=316,000; δ=–0.308). Moreover, participants demonstrated higher subjective (BF–0=3.58e+82; δ=–1.515) and objective knowledge (BF–0=3.82e+97; δ=–1.758) in the domain of (digital) health literacy. Conclusions The newly designed e-learning course provides an easy way for schools and teachers from all German states to integrate (digital) health literacy education into their school curriculums and lessons. The evaluated course is especially attractive because it was designed to improve (digital) health literacy and at the same time to teach skills specified in the mandatory framework for digital education and digital literacy in schools developed by the German Conference on Education Ministries and Cultural Affairs (Kultusministerkonferenz).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars König
- Stiftung Gesundheitswissen, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Ralf Suhr
- Stiftung Gesundheitswissen, Berlin, Germany
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156
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Desai AN, Ruidera D, Steinbrink JM, Granwehr B, Lee DH. Misinformation and Disinformation: The Potential Disadvantages of Social Media in Infectious Disease and How to Combat Them. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 74:e34-e39. [PMID: 35568471 PMCID: PMC9384020 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the use of social media to spread misinformation and disinformation is not a new concept, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has further highlighted the dangers that misinformation can pose to public health. More than two-thirds of Americans receive their news from at least 1 social media outlet, most of which do not undergo the same review process as academic journals and some professional news organizations. Unfortunately, this can lead to inaccurate health information being conveyed as truth. The purpose of this article is to inform the infectious diseases community of the history and dangers of health misinformation and disinformation in social media, present tools for identifying and responding to misinformation, and propose other ethical considerations for social media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel N Desai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Diandra Ruidera
- Department of Pharmacy, Tri-City Medical Center, Oceanside, California, USA
| | - Julie M Steinbrink
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Bruno Granwehr
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USAand
| | - Dong Heun Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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157
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Behera NS, Bunzli S. Towards a Communication Framework for Empowerment in Osteoarthritis Care. Clin Geriatr Med 2022; 38:323-343. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cger.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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158
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Alraqiq HM, Kim J, Edelstein BL. Analysis of YouTube videos related to a child's first dental visit. Int J Paediatr Dent 2022; 32:409-417. [PMID: 34558748 DOI: 10.1111/ipd.12920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As parents increasingly turn to online videos for paediatric dental information, it is important to assess the content of those videos and determine whether parents are receiving accurate information. AIM To describe and assess the video characteristics, viewer engagement, and content of the most-viewed YouTube videos about a child's first dental visit. DESIGN The 100 most popular YouTube videos related to a child's first dental visit were assessed for consistency with current professional guidelines, which included a first visit by age 1, tooth cleaning or prophylaxis, fluoride application, caries risk assessment, dietary counseling, oral hygiene instruction, frequency of dental visits, and anticipatory guidance. Differences in video characteristics (length, age, and viewer engagement) were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the post hoc Mann-Whitney U test, and differences in content and characteristics by video upload source (healthcare professionals, parents/caregivers, and independent media outlets) were examined using the chi-square test and the Fisher's exact test. RESULTS The predominant upload source was parents/caregivers (40%) followed by independent media outlets (32%) and healthcare professionals (28%). Median video length was 2 min, 24 s (IQR = 2:05-3:49), and median video age was 4 years (IQR = 3-4 years). Most videos were filmed in a paediatric dental office (73%) and focused on motivational vs. educational content (77% vs. 23%, respectively). With regard to viewer engagement, videos uploaded by media outlets generated higher viewing rates than those uploaded by parents/caregivers (mean rank [MR] = 44.7 vs. 24.8, respectively) and healthcare professionals (MR = 34.8 vs. 31.5) and higher interaction rates than those uploaded by parents/caregivers (MR = 50.8 vs. 25.0) and healthcare professionals (MR = 39.1 vs. 20.6). Videos uploaded by healthcare professionals were more likely to provide educational content consistent with professional recommendations, particularly regarding caries risk assessment (32.1%), dietary counseling (21.4%), and frequency of dental visits (10.7%), than videos uploaded by parents/caregivers (5.0%, 5.0%, and 0%, respectively) and media outlets (0%, 3.1%, and 0%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study found that the most popular videos related to a child' first dental visit, as measured by viewer engagement, were uploaded by parents or caregivers, were longer and newer, and featured motivational rather than educational content. The 100 most-viewed videos rarely presented information that was consistent with professional recommendations for children's oral health, particularly regarding caries risk assessment and anticipatory guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hosam M Alraqiq
- Irving Medical Center, College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,National Institute of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joehyun Kim
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Burton L Edelstein
- Irving Medical Center, College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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159
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Yeager S, Abramovitz D, Harvey-Vera AY, Vera CF, Algarin AB, Smith LR, Rangel G, Artamonova I, Patterson TL, Bazzi AR, Brugman EL, Strathdee SA. A cross-sectional study of factors associated with COVID-19 testing among people who inject drugs: missed opportunities for reaching those most at risk. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:842. [PMID: 35473678 PMCID: PMC9042668 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13273-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs (PWID) are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We examined correlates of COVID-19 testing among PWID in the U.S.-Mexico border region and described encounters with services representing potential opportunities (i.e., 'touchpoints') where COVID-19 testing could have been offered. METHODS Between October, 2020 and September, 2021, participants aged ≥18 years from San Diego, California, USA and Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico who injected drugs within the last month completed surveys and SARS-CoV-2, HIV, and HCV serologic testing. Logistic regression identified factors associated with COVID-19 testing including potential touchpoints, comorbidities and COVID-19 related misinformation and disinformation. RESULTS Of 583 PWID, 30.5% previously had a COVID-19 test. Of 172 PWID who tested SARS-CoV-2 seropositive (30.1%), 50.3% encountered at least one touchpoint where COVID-19 testing could have been offered within the prior six months. Factors independently associated with at least two fold higher odds of COVID-19 testing were living in San Diego, recent incarceration, receiving substance use treatment, and experiencing ≥1 chronic health condition. Homelessness, having received ≥1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and having a HIV or HCV test since the COVID-19 epidemic began were also independently associated with having had a prior COVID-19 test. CONCLUSION We identified several factors independently associated with COVID-19 testing and multiple touchpoints where COVID-19 testing could be scaled up for PWID, such as SUD treatment programs and syringe service programs. Integrated health services are needed to improve access to rapid, free COVID-19 testing in this vulnerable population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Yeager
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Alicia Yolanda Harvey-Vera
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
- Universidad Xochicalco, Facultad de Medicina, Campus Tijuana, Rampa Yumalinda 4850, Chapultepec Alamar, 22110, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
- United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Centenario 10851, Obrera, 22320, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
| | - Carlos F Vera
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Angel Blake Algarin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Laramie Rae Smith
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Centenario 10851, Obrera, 22320, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
- Departmento de Estudios de Población, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, 22560, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
| | - Irina Artamonova
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Thomas Leroy Patterson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0960, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0960, USA
| | - Angela Robertson Bazzi
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive Mail Code 0725, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0725, USA
| | - Emma L Brugman
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Steffanie Ann Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA.
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Drapkina OM, Kontsevaya AV, Kalinina AM, Avdeev SM, Agaltsov MV, Alexandrova LM, Antsiferova AA, Aronov DM, Akhmedzhanov NM, Balanova YA, Balakhonova TV, Berns SA, Bochkarev MV, Bochkareva EV, Bubnova MV, Budnevsky AV, Gambaryan MG, Gorbunov VM, Gorny BE, Gorshkov AY, Gumanova NG, Dadaeva VA, Drozdova LY, Egorov VA, Eliashevich SO, Ershova AI, Ivanova ES, Imaeva AE, Ipatov PV, Kaprin AD, Karamnova NS, Kobalava ZD, Konradi AO, Kopylova OV, Korostovtseva LS, Kotova MB, Kulikova MS, Lavrenova EA, Lischenko OV, Lopatina MV, Lukina YV, Lukyanov MM, Mayev IV, Mamedov MN, Markelova SV, Martsevich SY, Metelskaya VA, Meshkov AN, Milushkina OY, Mukaneeva DK, Myrzamatova AO, Nebieridze DV, Orlov DO, Poddubskaya EA, Popovich MV, Popovkina OE, Potievskaya VI, Prozorova GG, Rakovskaya YS, Rotar OP, Rybakov IA, Sviryaev YV, Skripnikova IA, Skoblina NA, Smirnova MI, Starinsky VV, Tolpygina SN, Usova EV, Khailova ZV, Shalnova SA, Shepel RN, Shishkova VN, Yavelov IS. 2022 Prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases in Of the Russian Federation. National guidelines. КАРДИОВАСКУЛЯРНАЯ ТЕРАПИЯ И ПРОФИЛАКТИКА 2022. [DOI: 10.15829/1728-8800-2022-3235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Covolo L, Guana M, Bonaccorsi G, Brunelli L, Castaldi S, De Donno A, Mereu A, Verani M, Gelatti U. Exploring the Online Health Information-Seeking Behavior in a Sample of Italian Women: The "SEI Donna" Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19084745. [PMID: 35457610 PMCID: PMC9024845 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
There is much discussion about the skills of people in understanding and managing online health information. The Italian survey “SEI Donna” aimed to investigate perceptions and use of the web in women regarding health issues considering their health literacy (HL) and healthcare skills. We used an online questionnaire to explore different aspects of online health-related information-seeking behavior. The study participants (n = 7027) were categorized into healthcare workers (HW), healthcare students (HS), and non-healthcare women (non-HW). Half the sample (52%) searched online for a second opinion after the medical examination without statistical difference among HW, HS, and non-HW. Women in the age range of 26−40 years (OR = 1.28, p < 0.001), having chronic illness (OR = 1.48; p < 0.001), and being moderately (OR = 1.58; p < 0.001) or not satisfied (OR = 2.04; p < 0.001) with healthcare professionals were more likely to use the Internet to seek medical insight. Overall, 34% of women had a functional HL, the same being higher in HW (64%) and in HS (43%) than the rest of the women (18%) (p < 0.0001). The suboptimal HL suggests the need to improve HL in the general population to be skilled in surfing the web and, at the same time, to reorganize health training to improve the HL of healthcare professionals, also enriching their communication skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Covolo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, Section of Public Health and Human Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa, 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Miriam Guana
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, School of Midwifery, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy;
| | | | - Laura Brunelli
- Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy;
- Quality and Accreditation Unit, Friuli Centrale Healthcare University Trust, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Silvana Castaldi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy;
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda OMP Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella De Donno
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Mereu
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy;
| | - Marco Verani
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Umberto Gelatti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, Section of Public Health and Human Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa, 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy;
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Jawad D, Cheng H, Wen LM, Rissel C, Baur L, Mihrshahi S, Taki S. Interactivity, Quality, and Content of Websites Promoting Health Behaviours during Infancy: A six-year update of the Systematic Assessment (Preprint). J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e38641. [DOI: 10.2196/38641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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163
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[Social media-Chances and risks for rheumatology]. Z Rheumatol 2022; 81:413-422. [PMID: 35394194 PMCID: PMC8990654 DOI: 10.1007/s00393-022-01201-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Die Nutzung von sozialen Medien (Social Media) und sozialen Netzwerken (Social Networks) hat in den letzten Jahren stark zugenommen. Sie gewinnen als Informationskanäle sowohl im privaten als auch beruflichen Kontext immer mehr an Bedeutung. Auch in der Medizin werden Social Media bereits vielfältig eingesetzt. So sind Fachgesellschaften und Interessenverbände immer stärker in den sozialen Netzwerken vertreten. Durch die breite Nutzung und große Reichweite der Netzwerke ergeben sich neue Möglichkeiten auch für das Fach der Rheumatologie. Dieser Übersichtsartikel gibt einen Überblick über die Charakteristika einiger großer Social-Media-Plattformen und untersucht bisherige Publikationen aus diesem Themengebiet im Rahmen einer systematischen Analyse. Weiterhin werden Vorteile, aber auch potenzielle Risiken, die bei der Nutzung entstehen können, beschrieben.
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Ghayoomi M, Mousavian M. Deep transfer learning for COVID-19 fake news detection in Persian. EXPERT SYSTEMS 2022; 39:e13008. [PMID: 35599852 PMCID: PMC9111484 DOI: 10.1111/exsy.13008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The spread of fake news on social media has increased dramatically in recent years. Hence, fake news detection systems have received researchers' attention globally. During the COVID-19 outbreak in 2019 and the worldwide epidemic, the importance of this issue becomes more apparent. Due to the importance of the issue, a large number of researchers have begun to collect English datasets and to study COVID-19 fake news detection. However, there are a large number of low-resource languages, including Persian, that cannot develop accurate tools for automatic COVID-19 fake news detection due to the lack of annotated data for the task. In this article, we aim to develop a corpus for Persian in the domain of COVID-19 where the fake news is annotated and to provide a model for detecting Persian COVID-19 fake news. With the impressive advancement of multilingual pre-trained language models, the idea of cross-lingual transfer learning can be proposed to improve the generalization of models trained with low-resource language datasets. Accordingly, we use the state-of-the-art deep cross-lingual contextualized language model, XLM-RoBERTa, and the parallel convolutional neural networks to detect Persian COVID-19 fake news. Moreover, we use the idea of knowledge transferring across-domains to improve the results by using both the English COVID-19 dataset and the general domain Persian fake news dataset. The combination of both cross-lingual and cross-domain transfer learning has outperformed the models and it has beaten the baseline by 2.39% significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masood Ghayoomi
- Faculty of LinguisticsInstitute for Humanities and Cultural StudiesTehranIran
| | - Maryam Mousavian
- Computer Engineering DepartmentAmirkabir University of TechnologyTehranIran
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165
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Illusion of Truth: Analysing and Classifying COVID-19 Fake News in Brazilian Portuguese Language. BIG DATA AND COGNITIVE COMPUTING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/bdcc6020036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Public health interventions to counter the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated and increased digital adoption and use of the Internet for sourcing health information. Unfortunately, there is evidence to suggest that it has also accelerated and increased the spread of false information relating to COVID-19. The consequences of misinformation, disinformation and misinterpretation of health information can interfere with attempts to curb the virus, delay or result in failure to seek or continue legitimate medical treatment and adherence to vaccination, as well as interfere with sound public health policy and attempts to disseminate public health messages. While there is a significant body of literature, datasets and tools to support countermeasures against the spread of false information online in resource-rich languages such as English and Chinese, there are few such resources to support Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese specifically. In this study, we explore the use of machine learning and deep learning techniques to identify fake news in online communications in the Brazilian Portuguese language relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. We build a dataset of 11,382 items comprising data from January 2020 to February 2021. Exploratory data analysis suggests that fake news about the COVID-19 vaccine was prevalent in Brazil, much of it related to government communications. To mitigate the adverse impact of fake news, we analyse the impact of machine learning to detect fake news based on stop words in communications. The results suggest that stop words improve the performance of the models when keeping them within the message. Random Forest was the machine learning model with the best results, achieving 97.91% of precision, while Bi-GRU was the best deep learning model with an F1 score of 94.03%.
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166
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Teplinsky E, Ponce SB, Drake EK, Garcia AM, Loeb S, van Londen GJ, Teoh D, Thompson M, Schapira L. Online Medical Misinformation in Cancer: Distinguishing Fact From Fiction. JCO Oncol Pract 2022; 18:584-589. [PMID: 35357887 PMCID: PMC9377685 DOI: 10.1200/op.21.00764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
It is without question that the Internet has democratized access to medical information, with estimates that 70% of the American population use it as a resource, particularly for cancer-related information. Such unfettered access to information has led to an increase in health misinformation. Fortunately, the data indicate that health care professionals remain among the most trusted information resources. Therefore, understanding how the Internet has changed engagement with health information and facilitated the spread of misinformation is an important task and challenge for cancer clinicians. In this review, we perform a meta-synthesis of qualitative data and point toward empirical evidence that characterizes misinformation in medicine, specifically in oncology. We present this as a call to action for all clinicians to become more active in ongoing efforts to combat misinformation in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Teplinsky
- Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care; Valley Health System, Paramus, NJ
| | - Sara Beltrán Ponce
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Emily K Drake
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Anna Meredith Garcia
- Section of Medical Oncology, Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital, Dagupan City, Philippines
| | - Stacy Loeb
- Department of Urology and Population Health, New York University and Manhattan Veterans Affairs, New York, NY
| | - G J van Londen
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Deanna Teoh
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | | | - Lidia Schapira
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
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167
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Child AW, Hinds J, Sheneman L, Buerki S. Centralized project-specific metadata platforms: toolkit provides new perspectives on open data management within multi-institution and multidisciplinary research projects. BMC Res Notes 2022; 15:106. [PMID: 35303952 PMCID: PMC8932304 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-022-05996-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Open science and open data within scholarly research programs are growing both in popularity and by requirement from grant funding agencies and journal publishers. A central component of open data management, especially on collaborative, multidisciplinary, and multi-institutional science projects, is documentation of complete and accurate metadata, workflow, and source code in addition to access to raw data and data products to uphold FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. Although best practice in data/metadata management is to use established internationally accepted metadata schemata, many of these standards are discipline-specific making it difficult to catalog multidisciplinary data and data products in a way that is easily findable and accessible. Consequently, scattered and incompatible metadata records create a barrier to scientific innovation, as researchers are burdened to find and link multidisciplinary datasets. One possible solution to increase data findability, accessibility, interoperability, reproducibility, and integrity within multi-institutional and interdisciplinary projects is a centralized and integrated data management platform. Overall, this type of interoperable framework supports reproducible open science and its dissemination to various stakeholders and the public in a FAIR manner by providing direct access to raw data and linking protocols, metadata and supporting workflow materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wright Child
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science, Research Computing and Data Services, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844-2358, USA.
| | - Jennifer Hinds
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science, Research Computing and Data Services, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844-2358, USA
| | - Lucas Sheneman
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science, Research Computing and Data Services, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844-2358, USA
| | - Sven Buerki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725-1515, USA
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168
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Citizens’ Literacy in Genomics: A Delphi Survey of Multidisciplinary Experts in the Field. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13030498. [PMID: 35328052 PMCID: PMC8949598 DOI: 10.3390/genes13030498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Citizens’ literacy in the field of genomics represents one of the cornerstones of proper implementation of genomics in healthcare services. In order to identify the most effective tools by which to elevate citizens’ literacy in genomics, we conducted a survey among the group of multidisciplinary experts within the Italian Network of Genomics in Public Health (GENISAP). Methods. Two rounds of Delphi surveys were carried out in order to identify the main topics, tools, settings, and healthcare professionals’ backgrounds that might usefully be included in citizens’ training initiatives in genomics. To this end, we distributed a questionnaire with 39 items that are scored on a 5-point scale. Results. By the end of the Delphi process, 43 items were selected (19 for the topics, 6 for the tools, 9 for settings, and 9 for the healthcare professionals’ backgrounds). Genomic tests and counseling were among the main topics included, while in terms of tools, face-to-face discussion with healthcare professionals was prioritized by the experts. Among the most appropriate platforms, the group suggested internet/social media and healthcare settings. The healthcare professional considered to have the most relevant role in terms of citizens’ education was a medical doctor with a specialism in clinical genetics. Discussion. Our study attempted to identify the main characteristics that could guide the design of interventions to promote public literacy regarding the field of genomics. Specifically, we have identified the main topics to be included in an educational program for citizens, the tools and settings to consider when providing educational initiatives on genomics, and the healthcare professionals who need to be involved in these initiatives. Therefore, the results of our study provide the necessary basis for the realization of new training initiatives on genomics to be proposed and offered to citizens, these initiatives to be implemented at a national and international level for achieving the transformational change in health systems that is required by the precision health approach.
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169
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Basch CE, Basch CH. Epidemiology, Secondary School Curricula, and Preparing the Next Generation for Global Citizenship. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2022; 8:e36006. [PMID: 35254281 PMCID: PMC8903204 DOI: 10.2196/36006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Because COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases are likely to play an increasingly important role in shaping American and global society in years to come, there is a need to prepare young people to make informed decisions in this changing global context. One way to do so is teaching and learning about basic principles of epidemiology in secondary schools. Improved understanding about the agent of infection, mechanisms of transmission, factors that increase or decrease susceptibility, place variation and environmental factors that facilitate or hinder transmission, reservoirs of infection (where the agent lives and multiplies), and when the disease is more or less likely to occur comprise the main facts about an infectious disease relevant to prevention and control. Improved understanding of these basic concepts could help future generations make informed decisions in a changing global context with emerging infectious diseases and a plethora of widely disseminated misinformation and disinformation. This viewpoint considers why learning about epidemiology in secondary school would benefit population health using COVID-19 as an illustration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles E Basch
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Corey H Basch
- William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, United States
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170
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Swire-Thompson B, Lazer D. Reducing Health Misinformation in Science: A Call to Arms. THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE 2022; 700:124-135. [PMID: 37936790 PMCID: PMC10629927 DOI: 10.1177/00027162221087686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The public often turns to science for accurate health information, which, in an ideal world, would be error free. However, limitations of scientific institutions and scientific processes can sometimes amplify misinformation and disinformation. The current review examines four mechanisms through which this occurs: (1) predatory journals that accept publications for monetary gain but do not engage in rigorous peer review; (2) pseudoscientists who provide scientific-sounding information but whose advice is inaccurate, unfalsifiable, or inconsistent with the scientific method; (3) occasions when legitimate scientists spread misinformation or disinformation; and (4) miscommunication of science by the media and other communicators. We characterize this article as a "call to arms," given the urgent need for the scientific information ecosystem to improve. Improvements are necessary to maintain the public's trust in science, foster robust discourse, and encourage a well-educated citizenry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briony Swire-Thompson
- senior research scientist and director of the Psychology of Misinformation Lab at Northeastern University
| | - David Lazer
- professor of political science and computer sciences at Northeastern University
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171
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Fostering participation in digital contact tracing. INFORMATION ECONOMICS AND POLICY 2022; 58:100938. [PMCID: PMC8214816 DOI: 10.1016/j.infoecopol.2021.100938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Digital contact tracing is a promising digital public health intervention to manage epidemics. However, in order to reach its full potential, the technology has to be widely adopted and used. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, this has not necessarily been the case. We review the literature with a focus on how participation in digital contact tracing could be fostered and provide policy recommendations on how to increase its adoption and usage as well as recommendations for further research.
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172
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Scott J, Hockey S, Ospina-Pinillos L, Doraiswamy PM, Alvarez-Jimenez M, Hickie I. Research to Clinical Practice-Youth seeking mental health information online and its impact on the first steps in the patient journey. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2022; 145:301-314. [PMID: 34923619 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Online searches about anxiety and depression are recorded every 3-5 s. As such, information and communication technologies (ICT) have enormous potential to enable or impair help-seeking and patient-professional interactions. Youth studies indicate that ICT searches are undertaken before initial mental health consultations, but no publications have considered how this online activity affects the first steps of the patient journey in youth mental health settings. METHODS State-of-the-art review using an iterative, evidence mapping approach to identify key literature and expert consensus to synthesize and prioritise clinical and research issues. RESULTS Adolescents and young adults are more likely to seek health advice via online search engines or social media platforms than from a health professional. Young people not only search user-generated content and social media to obtain advice and support from online communities but increasingly contribute personal information online. CONCLUSIONS A major clinical challenge is to raise professional awareness of the likely impact of this activity on mental health consultations. Potential strategies range from modifying the structure of clinical consultations to ensure young people are able to disclose ICT activities related to mental health, through to the development and implementation of 'internet prescriptions' and a youth-focused 'toolkit'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Scott
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Samuel Hockey
- Youth & Lived Experience Researcher, Translational Research Collective, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laura Ospina-Pinillos
- Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia
| | - P Murali Doraiswamy
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Ian Hickie
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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173
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Lotto M, Sá Menezes T, Zakir Hussain I, Tsao SF, Ahmad Butt Z, P Morita P, Cruvinel T. Characterization of misleading fluoride information on Instagram: An infodemiology study (Preprint). J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e37519. [PMID: 35588055 PMCID: PMC9164089 DOI: 10.2196/37519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Online false or misleading oral health–related content has been propagated on social media to deceive people against fluoride’s economic and health benefits to prevent dental caries. Objective The aim of this study was to characterize the false or misleading fluoride-related content on Instagram. Methods A total of 3863 posts ranked by users’ total interaction and published between August 2016 and August 2021 were retrieved by CrowdTangle, of which 641 were screened to obtain 500 final posts. Subsequently, two independent investigators analyzed posts qualitatively to define their authors’ interests, profile characteristics, content type, and sentiment. Latent Dirichlet allocation analysis topic modeling was then applied to find salient terms and topics related to false or misleading content, and their similarity was calculated through an intertopic distance map. Data were evaluated by descriptive analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test, the Cramer V test, and multiple logistic regression models. Results Most of the posts were categorized as misinformation and political misinformation. The overperforming score was positively associated with older messages (odds ratio [OR]=3.293, P<.001) and professional/political misinformation (OR=1.944, P=.05). In this context, time from publication, negative/neutral sentiment, author’s profile linked to business/dental office/news agency, and social and political interests were related to the increment of performance of messages. Although political misinformation with negative/neutral sentiments was typically published by regular users, misinformation was linked to positive commercial posts. Overall messages focused on improving oral health habits, side effects, dentifrice containing natural ingredients, and fluoride-free products propaganda. Conclusions False or misleading fluoride-related content found on Instagram was predominantly produced by regular users motivated by social, psychological, and/or financial interests. However, higher engagement and spreading metrics were associated with political misinformation. Most of the posts were related to the toxicity of fluoridated water and products frequently motivated by financial interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Lotto
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Public Health, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Tamires Sá Menezes
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Public Health, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | - Irfhana Zakir Hussain
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Department of Data Science and Business Systems, School of Computing, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India
| | - Shu-Feng Tsao
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Zahid Ahmad Butt
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Plinio P Morita
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Research Institute for Aging, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- eHealth Innovation, Techna Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Thiago Cruvinel
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Public Health, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
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174
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Ma M, Yin S, Zhu M, Fan Y, Wen X, Lin T, Song T. Wikipedia provides better quality medical information on male sexual dysfunctions than Baidu Encyclopedia (Preprint). J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e37339. [PMID: 35943768 PMCID: PMC9399830 DOI: 10.2196/37339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual dysfunction is a private set of disorders that may cause stigma for patients when discussing their private problems with doctors. They might also feel reluctant to initiate a face-to-face consultation. Internet searches are gradually becoming the first choice for people with sexual dysfunction to obtain health information. Globally, Wikipedia is the most popular and consulted validated encyclopedia website in the English-speaking world. Baidu Encyclopedia is becoming the dominant source in Chinese-speaking regions; however, the objectivity and readability of the content are yet to be evaluated. Objective Hence, we aimed to evaluate the reliability, readability, and objectivity of male sexual dysfunction content on Wikipedia and Baidu Encyclopedia. Methods The Chinese Baidu Encyclopedia and English Wikipedia were investigated. All possible synonymous and derivative keywords for the most common male sexual dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and their most common complication, chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, were screened. Two doctors evaluated the articles on Chinese Baidu Encyclopedia and English Wikipedia. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) scoring system, DISCERN instrument, and Global Quality Score (GQS) were used to assess the quality of disease-related articles. Results The total DISCERN scores (P=.002) and JAMA scores (P=.001) for Wikipedia were significantly higher than those of Baidu Encyclopedia; there was no statistical difference between the GQS scores (P=.31) for these websites. Specifically, the DISCERN Section 1 score (P<.001) for Wikipedia was significantly higher than that of Baidu Encyclopedia, while the differences between the DISCERN Section 2 and 3 scores (P=.14 and P=.17, respectively) were minor. Furthermore, Wikipedia had a higher proportion of high total DISCERN scores (P<.001) and DISCERN Section 1 scores (P<.001) than Baidu Encyclopedia. Baidu Encyclopedia and Wikipedia both had low DISCERN Section 2 and 3 scores (P=.49 and P=.99, respectively), and most of these scores were low quality. Conclusions Wikipedia provides more reliable, higher quality, and more objective information than Baidu Encyclopedia. Yet, there are opportunities for both platforms to vastly improve their content quality. Moreover, both sites had similar poor quality content on treatment options. Joint efforts of physicians, physician associations, medical institutions, and internet platforms are needed to provide reliable, readable, and objective knowledge about diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ma
- Department of Urology and Organ Transplantation Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Saifu Yin
- Department of Urology and Organ Transplantation Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Mengli Zhu
- Core Facilities, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yu Fan
- Department of Urology and Organ Transplantation Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xi Wen
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Tao Lin
- Department of Urology and Organ Transplantation Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Turun Song
- Department of Urology and Organ Transplantation Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
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175
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AidIR: An Interactive Dialog System to Aid Disease Information Retrieval. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12041875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
This paper proposes an interactive dialog system, called AidIR, to aid information retrieval. AidIR allows users to retrieve information on diseases resulting from coronaviruses and diseases transmitted by vector mosquitoes with natural language interaction and Line chat media. In a subjective evaluation, we asked 20 users to rate the intuitiveness, usability, and user experience of AidIR with a range between −2 and 2. Moreover, we also asked these users to answer yes–no questions to evaluate AidIR and provide feedback. The average scores of intuitiveness, usability, and user experience are 0.8, 0.8, and 1.05, respectively. The yes–no questions demonstrated that AidIR is better than systems using the graphical user interface in mobile phones and single-turn dialog systems. According to user feedback, AidIR is more convenient for information retrieval. Moreover, we designed a new loss function to jointly train a BERT model for domain classification and sequence label tasks. The accuracy of both tasks is 92%. Finally, we trained the dialog policy network with supervised learning tasks and deployed the reinforcement learning algorithm to allow AidIR to continue learning the dialog policy.
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176
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Manchaiah V, Londero A, Deshpande AK, Revel M, Palacios G, Boyd RL, Ratinaud P. Online Discussions About Tinnitus: What Can We Learn From Natural Language Processing of Reddit Posts? Am J Audiol 2022; 31:993-1002. [PMID: 35130042 DOI: 10.1044/2021_aja-21-00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study was aimed at identifying key topics in online discussions about tinnitus by examining a large data set extracted from Reddit social media using a natural language processing technique. METHOD A corpus of 113,215 posts about tinnitus was extracted from Reddit's application programming interface. After cleaning the data for duplications and posts without any text information, the sample was reduced to 101,905 posts, which was subjected to cluster analysis using the open-source IRaMuTeQ software to identify main topics based on the co-occurrence of texts. These clusters were named by a panel of tinnitus experts (n = 9) by reading typical text segments within each cluster. RESULTS The cluster analysis identified 16 unique clusters that belong to two topics, which were named "tinnitus causes and consequences" and "tinnitus management and coping." Based on their characteristics, the clusters were named: tinnitus timeline (10%), tinnitus perception (9.7%), medical triggers and modulators (8.8%), hearing research (8.8%), attention and silence (8.6%), social media posts about tinnitus (7.4%), hearing protection (7.3%), interaction with hearing health care providers (6.7%), mental health and coping (5.8%), music listening (5.7%), hope for a cure (5.6%), interactions with people without tinnitus (5.4%), dietary supplements and alternative therapies (3.2%), sleep (3.9%), dietary effects (1.7%), and writing about tinnitus and being thankful to online community (1.4%). CONCLUSIONS Despite some limitations, tinnitus posts on Reddit provide rich real-world data to identify various issues and complaints that tinnitus patients and their significant others discuss in online communities. Some of the clusters identified here are novel (e.g., tinnitus timeline, interactions with people without tinnitus) and have not been much discussed in the tinnitus literature. The results suggest that individuals with tinnitus relay on social media for support and highlight the service delivery needs in providing social support through other means (e.g., support groups).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinaya Manchaiah
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora
- UCHealth Hearing and Balance, University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora
- Virtual Hearing Lab, Collaborative Initiative between University of Colorado School of Medicine and University of Pretoria, Aurora, CO
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
- Department of Speech and Hearing, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Alain Londero
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris; Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes – Université de Paris, France
| | - Aniruddha K. Deshpande
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Hofstra University, Long Island, NY
- Long Island Doctor of Audiology Consortium, Garden City, NY
| | - Manon Revel
- Institute for Data, Systems and Society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | | | - Ryan L. Boyd
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, United Kingdom
- Security Lancaster, Lancaster University, United Kingdom
- Data Science Institute, Lancaster University, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Ratinaud
- Laboratory of Applied Studies and Research in Social Sciences, University of Toulouse, France
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177
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Houlden S, Veletsianos G, Hodson J, Reid D, Thompson CP. COVID-19 health misinformation: using design-based research to develop a theoretical framework for intervention. HEALTH EDUCATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/he-05-2021-0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeBecause health misinformation pertaining to COVID-19 is a serious threat to public health, the purpose of this study is to develop a framework to guide an online intervention into some of the drivers of health misinformation online. This framework can be iterated upon through the use of design-based research to continue to develop further interventions as needed.Design/methodology/approachUsing design-based research methods, in this paper, the authors develop a theoretical framework for addressing COVID-19 misinformation. Using a heuristic analysis of research on vaccine misinformation and hesitancy, the authors propose a framework for education interventions that use the narrative effect of transportation as a means to increase knowledge of the drivers of misinformation online.FindingsThis heuristic analysis determined that a key element of narrative transportation includes orientation towards particular audiences. Research indicates that mothers are the most significant household decision-makers with respect to vaccines and family health in general; the authors suggest narrative interventions should be tailored specifically to meet their interests and tastes, and that this may be different for mothers of different backgrounds and cultural communities.Originality/valueWhile there is a significant body of literature on vaccine hesitancy and vaccine misinformation, more research is needed that helps people understand the ways in which misinformation works upon social media users. The framework developed in this research guided the development of an education intervention meant to facilitate this understanding.
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178
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Social Media as a Tool for Patient Education in Neurosurgery: An Overview. World Neurosurg 2022; 161:127-134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.02.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Elbarazi I, Saddik B, Grivna M, Aziz F, Elsori D, Stip E, Bendak E. The Impact of the COVID-19 “Infodemic” on Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Multidiscip Healthc 2022; 15:289-307. [PMID: 35228802 PMCID: PMC8881924 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s346930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Iffat Elbarazi
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence: Iffat Elbarazi, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, Email
| | - Basema Saddik
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Michal Grivna
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Faisal Aziz
- Interdisciplinary Metabolic Medicine Trials Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Deena Elsori
- College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Emmanuel Stip
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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Kua KP. A multifactorial strategy for dengue prevention and control: A public health situation analysis. Trop Doct 2022; 52:367-371. [DOI: 10.1177/00494755221076910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kok Pim Kua
- Puchong Health Clinic, Petaling District Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Puchong, Petaling, Selangor, Malaysia
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181
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Lobo EH, Johnson T, Frølich A, Kensing F, Rasmussen LJ, Hosking SM, Page AT, Livingston PM, Islam SMS, Grundy J, Abdelrazek M. Utilization of social media communities for caregiver information support in stroke recovery: An analysis of content and interactions. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262919. [PMID: 35081150 PMCID: PMC8791510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Caregivers often use the internet to access information related to stroke care to improve preparedness, thereby reducing uncertainty and enhancing the quality of care.
Method
Social media communities used by caregivers of people affected by stroke were identified using popular keywords searched for using Google. Communities were filtered based on their ability to provide support to caregivers. Data from the included communities were extracted and analysed to determine the content and level of interaction.
Results
There was a significant rise in the use of social media by caregivers of people affected by stroke. The most popular social media communities were charitable and governmental organizations with the highest user interaction–this was for topics related to stroke prevention, signs and symptoms, and caregiver self-care delivered through video-based resources.
Conclusion
Findings show the ability of social media to support stroke caregiver needs and practices that should be considered to increase their interaction and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elton H. Lobo
- School of Information Technology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Tara Johnson
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Anne Frølich
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Innovation and Research Centre for Multimorbidity, Slagelse Hospital, Slagelse, Region Zealand, Denmark
| | - Finn Kensing
- Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lene J. Rasmussen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Amy T. Page
- Pharmacy Department, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | - John Grundy
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Mohamed Abdelrazek
- School of Information Technology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
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Dai Minh L, Quang BV, Ngoc Le Mai D, Quyen LL, Gia NH, Hang NT, Giang KB. Health Literacy of Newly-Admitted Cancer Patients in Vietnam: Difficulties Understanding Treatment Options and Processing Health-Related Information. Health Serv Insights 2022; 15:11786329211067325. [PMID: 35035220 PMCID: PMC8753245 DOI: 10.1177/11786329211067325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Having a good understanding of cancer patients' health literacy in the early stage of diagnosis can help to implement strategies to improve the management process and overall health outcomes. The study aims to describe health literacy and its association with socio-demographic characteristics among newly admitted cancer patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 262 newly admitted patients of a cancer hospital in Vietnam using the Vietnamese version of the HLS-SF12 questionnaire. Descriptive analytics and regression analysis were used to describe health literacy and examine associated factors. Older age, lower level of education, and living in rural areas were associated with lower health literacy while there was no significant relationship between gender and health literacy among newly admitted cancer patients. Many newly admitted patients, especially the older patients have difficulties understanding the different treatment options (54%) and evaluating the reliability of health information on the internet (43%). During the early stage of treatment, strategies should be implemented with regards to patients' health literacy, to properly educate patients and their caregivers to improve communication, adherence to medication, lifestyle, and overall better quality of life and treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kim Bao Giang
- School of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam
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183
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Warner EL, Barbati JL, Duncan KL, Yan K, Rains SA. Vaccine misinformation types and properties in Russian troll tweets. Vaccine 2022; 40:953-960. [PMID: 35034832 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify the content of and engagement with vaccine misinformation from Russian trolls on Twitter. METHODS Troll tweets (N = 1959) obtained from Twitter in 2020 were coded for vaccine misinformation (α = 0.77-0.97). Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable negative binomial regressions were applied to estimate robust incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95 %CI) of vaccine misinformation associations with tweet characteristics and engagement (i.e., replies, likes, retweets). RESULTS Misinformation about personal dangers (43.0%), civil liberty violations (20.2%), and vaccine conspiracies (18.6%) were common. More misinformation tweets used anti-vaccination language (97.3% vs. 13.2%) and referenced symptoms (37.4% vs. 0.5%) than non-misinformation tweets. Fewer misinformation tweets referenced credible sources (14.0% vs. 19.5%), were formatted as headlines (39.2% vs. 77.0%), and mentioned specific vaccines (11.3% vs. 36.1%, all p < 0.01) than non-misinformation tweets. Personal dangers misinformation had 83% lower rate of retweets (95 %CI 0.04-0.66). Civil liberties misinformation had significantly higher rate of replies (IRR: 7.65, 95 %CI 1.06-55.46), but lower overall engagement (IRR: 0.38, 95 %CI 0.16-0.88) than non-misinformation tweets. CONCLUSIONS Strategies used to promote vaccine misinformation provide insight into the nature of vaccine misinformation online and public responses. Our findings suggest a need to explore influences on whether users reject or entertain online vaccine misinformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Echo L Warner
- University of Arizona Cancer Center, 1515 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; College of Nursing, University of Arizona, 1350 S Martin Ave. Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Juliana L Barbati
- Department of Communication, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of Arizona, 1103 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Kaylin L Duncan
- Department of Communication, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of Arizona, 1103 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Kun Yan
- Department of Communication, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of Arizona, 1103 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Stephen A Rains
- Department of Communication, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of Arizona, 1103 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Harden SM, Murphy A, Ratliff K, Balis LE. Internet Search Results for Older Adult Physical Activity Guidelines: Scoping Review. JMIR Form Res 2022; 6:e29153. [PMID: 35023847 PMCID: PMC8796040 DOI: 10.2196/29153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Older adults seek health-related information through casual internet searches. Yet, researchers focus on peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations as primary dissemination strategies. Representatives of mass media are alerted (passive diffusion) of new studies or recommendations, but the veracity of the information shared is not often analyzed, and when it is, the analysis is often not comprehensive. However, most older adults do not have access to peer-reviewed journal articles or paid subscription services for more reputable media outlets. Objective We aimed to determine what information was readily available (ie, open access) to older adults who may casually search the internet for physical activity recommendations. Methods We performed a 6-part scoping review to determine the research question and available evidence, and extract data within open-access top hits using popular online search engines. Results were categorized by a dissemination model that has categories of sources, channels, audience, and messages. Results After the iterative search process, 92 unique articles were included and coded. Only 5 (5%) cited physical activity guidelines, and most were coded as promoting healthy aging (82/92, 89%) and positive framing (84/92, 91%). Most articles were posed as educational, but the authors’ credentials were rarely reported (ie, 22% of the time). Muscle strengthening and balance components of the physical activity guidelines for older adults were rarely reported (72/92, 78% and 80/92, 87%, respectively) or inaccurately reported (3/92, 3% and 3/92, 3%, respectively). Conclusions Inconsistent messages lead to mistrust of science and public health representatives. This work highlights the lack of evidence within existing open-access resources. Further efforts are needed to ensure evidence-based public health messages are in the sources and channels older adults are using to inform their knowledge and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Harden
- Physical Activity Research and Community Implementation Laboratory, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Anna Murphy
- Physical Activity Research and Community Implementation Laboratory, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Kathryn Ratliff
- Physical Activity Research and Community Implementation Laboratory, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Laura E Balis
- Balis Consulting Group LLC, Little Rock, AR, United States
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185
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Rabb N, Cowen L, de Ruiter JP, Scheutz M. Cognitive cascades: How to model (and potentially counter) the spread of fake news. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261811. [PMID: 34995299 PMCID: PMC8740964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the spread of false or dangerous beliefs-often called misinformation or disinformation-through a population has never seemed so urgent. Network science researchers have often taken a page from epidemiologists, and modeled the spread of false beliefs as similar to how a disease spreads through a social network. However, absent from those disease-inspired models is an internal model of an individual's set of current beliefs, where cognitive science has increasingly documented how the interaction between mental models and incoming messages seems to be crucially important for their adoption or rejection. Some computational social science modelers analyze agent-based models where individuals do have simulated cognition, but they often lack the strengths of network science, namely in empirically-driven network structures. We introduce a cognitive cascade model that combines a network science belief cascade approach with an internal cognitive model of the individual agents as in opinion diffusion models as a public opinion diffusion (POD) model, adding media institutions as agents which begin opinion cascades. We show that the model, even with a very simplistic belief function to capture cognitive effects cited in disinformation study (dissonance and exposure), adds expressive power over existing cascade models. We conduct an analysis of the cognitive cascade model with our simple cognitive function across various graph topologies and institutional messaging patterns. We argue from our results that population-level aggregate outcomes of the model qualitatively match what has been reported in COVID-related public opinion polls, and that the model dynamics lend insights as to how to address the spread of problematic beliefs. The overall model sets up a framework with which social science misinformation researchers and computational opinion diffusion modelers can join forces to understand, and hopefully learn how to best counter, the spread of disinformation and "alternative facts."
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Rabb
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lenore Cowen
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jan P. de Ruiter
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Matthias Scheutz
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
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187
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Xie T, Tang M, Zhang RJ, Liu JH. The Active Role of the Internet and Social Media Use in Nonpharmaceutical and Pharmaceutical Preventive Measures against COVID-19. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:113. [PMID: 35052277 PMCID: PMC8775750 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10010113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, does more internet and social media use lead to taking more- or less-effective preventive measures against the disease? A two-wave longitudinal survey with the general population in mainland China in mid-2020 found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, internet and social media use intensity promoted the adoption of nonpharmaceutical and pharmaceutical antipandemic measures. The first wave of data (n = 1014) showed that the more intensively people used the internet/social media, the more they perceived the threat of the pandemic, and took more nonpharmaceutical preventive measures (e.g., wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and washing hands) as a result. The second wave (n = 220) showed firstly the predicted relationship between internet/social media use intensity and the perceived threat of the pandemic and the adoption of nonpharmaceutical preventive measures by cross-lagged analysis; secondly, the predictive effect of internet/social media use on the adoption of pharmacological measures (i.e., willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19) and the mediating role of perceived pandemic threat were verified. The article concludes with a discussion of the role of the internet and social media use in the fight against COVID-19 in specific macrosocial contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Xie
- Department of Psychology, Philosophy School, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (T.X.); (M.T.)
| | - Meihui Tang
- Department of Psychology, Philosophy School, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (T.X.); (M.T.)
| | - Robert Jiqi Zhang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210024, China;
| | - James H. Liu
- School of Psychology, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
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188
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Jiang Y, Sun P, Chen Z, Guo J, Wang S, Liu F, Li J. Patients' and healthcare providers' perceptions and experiences of telehealth use and online health information use in chronic disease management for older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a qualitative study. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:9. [PMID: 34979967 PMCID: PMC8721473 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02702-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telehealth and online health information provide patients with increased access to healthcare services and health information in chronic disease management of older patients with chronic diseases, addressing the challenge of inadequate health resources and promoting active and informed participation of older patients in chronic disease management. There are few qualitative studies on the application of telehealth and online health information to chronic disease management in older patients. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is one of the most common chronic diseases in older adults. Telehealth is widely used in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of older patients and healthcare providers in the application of telehealth and online health information to chronic disease management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS A qualitative descriptive study with data generated from 52 individual semi-structured interviews with 29 patients [Law of the People's Republic of China on the protection of the rights and interests of older people (2018 Revised Version) = >60 years old] with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 23 healthcare providers. The inductive thematic analysis method was used for data analysis. RESULTS Four themes and 16 sub-themes were identified in this study. Four themes included: faced with a vast amount of online health information, essential competencies and personality traits ensuring older patients' participation and sustained use, user experience with the use of technology, being in a complex social context. CONCLUSION The ability of patients to understand health information should be fully considered while facilitating access to online health information for older patients. The role of health responsibility and user experience in older patients' participation and sustained use of telehealth and online health information needs to be emphasised. In addition, the complex social context is a determining factor to be considered, particularly the complex impact of a reliance on offspring and social prejudice on the behaviour of older adults using telehealth and online health information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyu Jiang
- Research office of chronic disease management and rehabilitation, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, No. 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Pingping Sun
- Research office of chronic disease management and rehabilitation, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, No. 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhongyi Chen
- Research office of chronic disease management and rehabilitation, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, No. 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jianlan Guo
- Research office of chronic disease management and rehabilitation, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, No. 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Department of Nursing, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Fenglan Liu
- School of Medicine, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jinping Li
- Department of Public Health, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu Province, China
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Alzaben AS, Alzaidy KI, Alghamdi MA, Alanzi RA, Aljohari RT, Alahaideb RA, Benajiba N. The use of social media to search for weight reduction information: Assessment of the perception among a sample of Saudi adults. Digit Health 2022; 8:20552076221136939. [DOI: 10.1177/20552076221136939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To assess the patterns, prevalence, and perceptions of the benefits and risks of using social media as a source of weight loss information among Saudi adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study, convenient snowball sampling was used to recruit Saudi adults. A self-report questionnaire containing the following five sections was distributed: sociodemographic information, the pattern of social media use, use of social media to obtain weight loss information, perception of benefits, and perception of risks of using social media. A Chi-square test was used to identify differences according to participants' demographics. Results A total of 420 Saudi adults were included in the study. Most Saudi adults (43.3%) used social media for more than four hours a day, and 88.6% used WhatsApp. The prevalence of social media use for weight loss information was 89.2% among Saudi adults. Significant associations were found between the use of social media for weight loss information and age (<33 years old) and monthly income (<5000 Saudi Arabian Riyal) ( p ≤ 0.012). Of the participants, 71.7% believed that social media is “always” or “frequently” an easily acceptable way to obtain weight loss information. Moreover, 36% of Saudi adults believed that weight loss information on social media could be scientifically inaccurate, and 61% believed that it could be posted solely for marketing and financial purposes. Conclusion The findings of this study show that Saudi adults have a high prevalence of social media use to obtain weight loss information. The benefits and risks of using social media as a source of weight loss information were also perceived to be high among Saudi adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer S Alzaben
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khawlah I Alzaidy
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona A Alghamdi
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raghad A Alanzi
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rawan T Aljohari
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reema A Alahaideb
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nada Benajiba
- Department of Basic Health Sciences, Deanship of Preparatory Year, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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190
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Stewart R, Madonsela A, Tshabalala N, Etale L, Theunissen N. The importance of social media users’ responses in tackling digital COVID-19 misinformation in Africa. Digit Health 2022; 8:20552076221085070. [PMID: 35321021 PMCID: PMC8935564 DOI: 10.1177/20552076221085070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Digital technologies present both an opportunity and a threat for advancing public health. At a time of pandemic, social media has become a tool for the rapid spread of misinformation. Mitigating the impacts of misinformation is particularly acute across Africa, where WhatsApp and other forms of social media dominate, and where the dual threats of misinformation and COVID-19 threaten lives and livelihoods. Given the scale of the problem within Africa, we set out to understand (i) the potential harm that misinformation causes, (ii) the available evidence on how to mitigate that misinformation and (iii) how user responses to misinformation shape the potential for those mitigating strategies to reduce the risk of harm. Methods We undertook a multi-method study, combining a rapid review of the research evidence with a survey of WhatsApp users across Africa. Results We identified 87 studies for inclusion in our review and had 286 survey respondents from 17 African countries. Our findings show the considerable harms caused by public health misinformation in Africa and the lack of evidence for or against strategies to mitigate against such harms. Furthermore, they highlight how social media users’ responses to public health misinformation can mitigate and exacerbate potential harms. Understanding the ways in which social media users respond to misinformation sheds light on potential mitigation strategies. Conclusions Public health practitioners who utilise digital health approaches must not underestimate the importance of considering the role of social media in the circulation of misinformation, nor of the responses of social media users in shaping attempts to mitigate against the harms of such misinformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Stewart
- Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Research Village, Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Social Science Research Unit, University College London Institute of Education, London, UK
| | - Andile Madonsela
- Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Research Village, Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
- South Africa Centre for Evidence NPC, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nkululeko Tshabalala
- Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Research Village, Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Linda Etale
- Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Research Village, Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
- International Rice Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
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Abstract
Background: Deaths due to opioid overdose continue to rise in the United States. Despite availability of effective treatment for opioid use disorder, uptake is low among those who misuse opioids. Methods: This paper explores the role of misconception, stigma, and misinformation in influencing decisions to initiate medications for opioid use disorder among patients and providers. Conclusion: Misinformation about opioids has been prevalent among future healthcare providers and first responders as well as pharmaceutical companies, which may have implications for treatment. Among individuals with opioid use disorder, treatment uptake and adherence have been negatively affected by misconceptions about treatment efficacy and side effects, as well as stigma. We discuss the role of social media, education, and the community, in mitigating misinformation and addressing misconceptions about opioids and treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sean D Young
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
- University of California Institute for Prediction Technology, Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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192
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Liu J, Wright C, Elizarova O, Dahne J, Bian J, Williams P, Zulkiewicz B, Tan ASL. Effects of brief exposure to misinformation about e-cigarette harms on Twitter on knowledge and perceptions of e-cigarettes. Digit Health 2022; 8:20552076221116780. [PMID: 35935711 PMCID: PMC9350525 DOI: 10.1177/20552076221116780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study examined whether exposure to misinformation found on Twitter about e-cigarette harms leads to inaccurate knowledge and misperceptions of harms of e-cigarette use among cigarette smokers. Methods We conducted an online randomized controlled experiment in November 2019 among an online sample of 2400 adult US and UK cigarette smokers who did not currently use e-cigarettes. Participants viewed four tweets in one of four conditions: 1) e-cigarettes are as or more harmful than smoking, 2) e-cigarettes are completely harmless, 3) e-cigarette harms are uncertain and 4) control (physical activity). Outcomes were knowledge about e-cigarettes and harm perceptions of e-cigarette use for five diseases. We conducted multiple logistic and linear regressions to analyze the effect of experimental conditions on outcomes, controlling for baseline knowledge and perceived harms. Findings Participants in the ‘as or more harmful’ condition (vs. control group) had higher odds of accurate knowledge about e-cigarettes containing toxic chemicals ( p < 0.001), not containing only water vapor (p < 0.001) and containing formaldehyde ( p < 0.001). However, these participants had lower odds of accurate knowledge that e-cigarettes did not contain tar ( p < 0.001) and contained fewer toxins than cigarettes ( p < 0.001). Exposure to ‘as or more harmful’ tweets also increased harm perceptions for five diseases (all p < 0.001), with the greatest effect observed for lung cancer (β = 0.313, p < 0.001). This effect was greater among UK participants for all diseases. Interpretation Brief exposure to misinformation on Twitter reduced accurate knowledge of the presence of tar and the level of toxins compared with smoking and increased harm perceptions of e-cigarette use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Liu
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline Wright
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Jennifer Dahne
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Hollings Cancer Centre, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jiang Bian
- Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Philippa Williams
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Brittany Zulkiewicz
- Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andy SL Tan
- Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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193
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Quality and Reliability Analysis of Essential Tremor Disease Information on Social Media: The Study of YouTube. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) 2022; 12:32. [PMID: 36415589 PMCID: PMC9650979 DOI: 10.5334/tohm.727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background YouTube has evolved into an important educational tool and information source for patients and their families. YouTube videos have the potential to influence the patients' health-related diagnosis and treatment decision-making. We aimed to evaluate the quality and usefulness of videos on essential tremor available on YouTube using quantitative instruments. Methods Video searches were performed by typing the keywords 'essential tremor', 'postural tremor', 'action tremor', 'essential tremor hand', and 'essential tremor head' into the YouTube search bar. The top 30 videos were reviewed for each search term. The videos were analyzed by two independent raters using the DISCERN and Global Quality Scale (GQS) scoring systems. Qualitative and quantitative data were recorded for each video. Results A total of 83 videos were analyzed. The mean DISCERN score was 41.96 out of 75 possible points, and the mean GQS score was 2.97 out of 5 possible points. Twelve percent of the videos were categorized as very poor, 38.6% as poor, 20.5% as fair, 19.3% as good, and 9.6% as excellent. The videos containing qualitative content features, such as clear information, symptoms, etiology, diagnosis, treatment, treatment response, epidemiology, diagrams, and radiological images had significantly higher DISCERN and GQS scores. Discussion We consider that reliable and useful content is not provided on YouTube for individuals searching for information on essential tremor. We listed the best-quality videos on this topic as a reference for healthcare practitioners and patients. Patients should always verify information provided in such videos through more reliable sources.
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194
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Lim HM, Dunn AG, Lim JR, Abdullah A, Ng CJ. Association between online health information-seeking and medication adherence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Digit Health 2022; 8:20552076221097784. [PMID: 35586836 PMCID: PMC9109497 DOI: 10.1177/20552076221097784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The evidence of the impact of online health information-seeking (OHIS) on
health outcomes has been conflicting. OHIS is increasingly recognised as a
factor influencing health behaviour but the impact of OHIS on medication
adherence remains unclear. Objectives We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the
associations between OHIS and medication adherence. Methods We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and Psychology
and Behavioural Science Collection for studies published up to December
2020. The inclusion criteria were studies that reported the associations of
OHIS and medication adherence, quantitative design, reported primary data
only, related to any health condition where medications are used and
conducted on patients either in clinical or community settings. A
meta-analysis was used to examine the association between OHIS and
medication adherence. Results A total of 17 studies involving 24,890 patients were included in this review.
The study designs and results were mixed. In the meta-analysis, there was no
significant association (n = 7, OR 1.356, 95% CI 0.793-2.322, p = 0.265), or
correlation (n = 4, r = -0.085, 95% CI −0.572-0.446, p = 0.768) between OHIS
and medication adherence. In the sub-group analysis of people living with
HIV/AIDS, OHIS was associated with better medication adherence (OR 1.612,
95% CI 1.266-2.054, p < 0.001). Conclusions The current evidence of an association between OHIS and medication adherence
is inconclusive. This review highlights methodological issues on how to
measure OHIS objectively and calls for in-depth exploration of how OHIS
affects health decisions and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hooi Min Lim
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Adam G Dunn
- Biomedical Informatics and Digital Health, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jing Ran Lim
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Adina Abdullah
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chirk Jenn Ng
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Research, SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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195
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Quinn EK, Fenton S, Ford-Sahibzada CA, Harper A, Marcon AR, Caulfield T, Fazel SS, Peters CE. COVID-19 and Vitamin D Misinformation on YouTube: Content Analysis. JMIR INFODEMIOLOGY 2022; 2:e32452. [PMID: 35310014 PMCID: PMC8924908 DOI: 10.2196/32452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background The “infodemic” accompanying the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic has the potential to increase avoidable spread as well as engagement in risky health behaviors. Although social media platforms, such as YouTube, can be an inexpensive and effective method of sharing accurate health information, inaccurate and misleading information shared on YouTube can be dangerous for viewers. The confusing nature of data and claims surrounding the benefits of vitamin D, particularly in the prevention or cure of COVID-19, influences both viewers and the general “immune boosting” commercial interest. Objective The aim of this study was to ascertain how information on vitamin D and COVID-19 was presented on YouTube in 2020. Methods YouTube video results for the search terms “COVID,” “coronavirus,” and “vitamin D” were collected and analyzed for content themes and deemed useful or misleading based on the accuracy or inaccuracy of the content. Qualitative content analysis and simple statistical analysis were used to determine the prevalence and frequency of concerning content, such as confusing correlation with causation regarding vitamin D benefits. Results In total, 77 videos with a combined 10,225,763 views (at the time of data collection) were included in the analysis, with over three-quarters of them containing misleading content about COVID-19 and vitamin D. In addition, 45 (58%) of the 77 videos confused the relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19, with 46 (85%) of 54 videos stating that vitamin D has preventative or curative abilities. The major contributors to these videos were medical professionals with YouTube accounts. Vitamin D recommendations that do not align with the current literature were frequently suggested, including taking supplementation higher than the recommended safe dosage or seeking intentional solar UV radiation exposure. Conclusions The spread of misinformation is particularly alarming when spread by medical professionals, and existing data suggesting vitamin D has immune-boosting abilities can add to viewer confusion or mistrust in health information. Further, the suggestions made in the videos may increase the risks of other poor health outcomes, such as skin cancer from solar UV radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma K Quinn
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene School of Population and Public Health University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC Canada.,CARcinogen EXposure Canada Faculty of Health Sciences Simon Fraser University Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Shelby Fenton
- CARcinogen EXposure Canada Faculty of Health Sciences Simon Fraser University Vancouver, BC Canada.,Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research Department Cancer Care Alberta Alberta Health Services Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Chelsea A Ford-Sahibzada
- CARcinogen EXposure Canada Faculty of Health Sciences Simon Fraser University Vancouver, BC Canada.,Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research Department Cancer Care Alberta Alberta Health Services Calgary, AB Canada.,Department of Community Health Sciences Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Andrew Harper
- Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research Department Cancer Care Alberta Alberta Health Services Calgary, AB Canada
| | | | - Timothy Caulfield
- Health Law Institute University of Alberta Edmonton, AB Canada.,Faculty of Law University of Alberta Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Sajjad S Fazel
- CARcinogen EXposure Canada Faculty of Health Sciences Simon Fraser University Vancouver, BC Canada.,Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research Department Cancer Care Alberta Alberta Health Services Calgary, AB Canada.,Department of Oncology Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Cheryl E Peters
- CARcinogen EXposure Canada Faculty of Health Sciences Simon Fraser University Vancouver, BC Canada.,Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research Department Cancer Care Alberta Alberta Health Services Calgary, AB Canada.,Department of Community Health Sciences Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada.,Department of Oncology Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
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196
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Wong SS, Lim HM, Chin AJZ, Chang FWS, Yip KC, Teo CH, Abdullah A, Ng CJ. eHealth literacy of patients attending a primary care clinic in Malaysia and its associated factors: A cross-sectional study. Digit Health 2022; 8:20552076221135392. [PMID: 36420318 PMCID: PMC9677303 DOI: 10.1177/20552076221135392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People are overloaded with online health information (OHI) of variable quality. eHealth literacy is important for people to acquire and appraise reliable information to make health-related decisions. While eHealth literacy is widely studied in developed countries, few studies have been conducted among patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). OBJECTIVE We aimed to determine the level of eHealth literacy in patients attending a primary care clinic in Malaysia and its associated factors. METHODS A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in an urban primary care clinic. We used a systematic random sampling method to select patients aged 18 years and above who attended the clinic. The eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS) was used to measure eHealth literacy. RESULTS A total of 381 participants were included. The mean eHEALS was 24.4 ± 7.6. The eHEALS statements related to skills in appraising OHI were scored lower than statements related to looking for online resources. Higher education level of attending upper secondary school (AOR 2.53, 95% CI 1.05-6.11), tertiary education (AOR 4.05, 95% CI 1.60-10.25), higher monthly household income of >US$470 (AOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.07-3.56), and those who had sought OHI in the past month (AOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.13-3.36) were associated with a higher eHealth literacy level. CONCLUSIONS This study found a low eHealth literacy level among primary care patients in Malaysia. While the patients were confident in searching for OHI, they lacked skills in appraising them. Our findings inform the interventions for improving eHealth literacy in LMICs, especially educating the public about OHI appraisal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swee Shiuan Wong
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hooi Min Lim
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Adrian Jian Zhi Chin
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Felicia Wen Si Chang
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kah Chun Yip
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chin Hai Teo
- University of Malaya eHealth Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Adina Abdullah
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chirk Jenn Ng
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Research, SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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197
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Chang A, Schulz PJ, Jiao W, Yu G, Yang Y. Unfolding Media Source Characteristics Regarding Food Fraud Misinformation: A Comparative Study of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) in China. JMIR Form Res 2021; 6:e32302. [PMID: 34939565 PMCID: PMC8968551 DOI: 10.2196/32302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ongoing rumors and fake news regarding food fraud, adulteration, and contamination are highly visible. Health risk information circulating through media and interpersonal communication channels has made health crisis an important research agenda. OBJECTIVE This study explores the issue of food fraud and the effect of rumors, incidents, and misinformation. Further, it studies whether and how these issues have provided evidence-based interventions for food handlers and regulators to mitigate food fraud misinformation. METHODS The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) was adopted for collaborative study in China, after which a cross-sectional survey with door-to-door interviews was performed. Participants from Beijing and Hefei were selected using multistage sampling of adults during May, 2017. Based on four government surveillance reports on food rumors and safety incidents, a descriptive, correlation, and multivariate variance analysis was applied to the data. RESULTS A total of 3,090 results were gathered and analyzed. An average of 83.6% (n = 2,584) respondents heard at least one food rumor. Learning about food fraud is correlated with interpersonal connections (e.g., doctors or health specialists) for accessing food health information. Overall, Chinese citizens with a higher level of interpersonal connection were more likely to be concerned about food incidents with the statistical difference (P< .001). The Interpersonal connection was the highest frequency of communication sources (n = 698, 55.7%), followed by traditional media (n = 325, 25.9%) and Internet portal (n = 144, 11.5%). There was a significant relationship between media use and media category in Beijing (P<.001) and in Hefei (P<.001). Overall, Beijing's responses to the food fraud and incidents risks were lower than in Hefei (P < .01). The respondents in Beijing were confronted more frequently by food rumors (range 346-1253) than those in Hefei (range 155-946). The urban dwellers in Beijing and their rural counterparts in Hefei also differ in terms of perceiving different levels of food risk from different media sources. The food rumor narratives examined the conspiracy belie finds that social media play a more important role in influencing attitude against misinformation for users in Hefei, rather than in Beijing. CONCLUSIONS A media complementarity and food fraud information acquisition examined food fraud rumors and incidents with intent to harm, mainly done for economic gain. The HINTS China reports that around 73.6% out of 2,584 Chinese respondents prefer to go to their physicians for quarrying food health information first; however, when asked where they actually went and got access to food rumors, up to 36.6% of out of 1,462 Beijing respondents and 55.6% out of 1,122 Hefei respondents reported going online first. This study extends beyond local food products to foreign countries that import conspiracy beliefs with fake food. Nonetheless, consumers have to be on guard not just against fake food, but also spreading fake information and rumors about food. The aim of this study is to focus on characterizing media sources, types of food fraud misinformation, and risk perception of food safety, which mixes urgency and suspicions, and to provide evidence-based interventions for risk management guidance, with the hypotheses of the significant correlations between media types and sources and consumers' exposing and perceiving levels of food rumors and risks. CLINICALTRIAL
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Chang
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, CN.,Institute of Communication and Health, Lugano University, Lugano, CH
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Lugano University, Lugano, CH
| | - Wen Jiao
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, CN
| | - Guoming Yu
- School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Normal University, #15 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China, Beijing, CN
| | - Ya Yang
- School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Normal University, #15 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China, Beijing, CN
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198
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Keselman A, Arnott Smith C, Leroy G, Kaufman DR. Factors Influencing Willingness to Share Health Misinformation Videos on the Internet: Web-Based Survey. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e30323. [PMID: 34889750 PMCID: PMC8704117 DOI: 10.2196/30323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The rapidly evolving digital environment of the social media era has increased the reach of both quality health information and misinformation. Platforms such as YouTube enable easy sharing of attractive, if not always evidence-based, videos with large personal networks and the public. Although much research has focused on characterizing health misinformation on the internet, it has not sufficiently focused on describing and measuring individuals’ information competencies that build resilience. Objective This study aims to assess individuals’ willingness to share a non–evidence-based YouTube video about strengthening the immune system; to describe types of evidence that individuals view as supportive of the claim by the video; and to relate information-sharing behavior to several information competencies, namely, information literacy, science literacy, knowledge of the immune system, interpersonal trust, and trust in health authority. Methods A web-based survey methodology with 150 individuals across the United States was used. Participants were asked to watch a YouTube excerpt from a morning TV show featuring a wellness pharmacy representative promoting an immunity-boosting dietary supplement produced by his company; answer questions about the video and report whether they would share it with a cousin who was frequently sick; and complete instruments pertaining to the information competencies outlined in the objectives. Results Most participants (105/150, 70%) said that they would share the video with their cousins. Their confidence in the supplement would be further boosted by a friend’s recommendations, positive reviews on a crowdsourcing website, and statements of uncited effectiveness studies on the producer’s website. Although all information literacy competencies analyzed in this study had a statistically significant relationship with the outcome, each competency was also highly correlated with the others. Information literacy and interpersonal trust independently predicted the largest amount of variance in the intention to share the video (17% and 16%, respectively). Interpersonal trust was negatively related to the willingness to share the video. Science literacy explained 7% of the variance. Conclusions People are vulnerable to web-based misinformation and are likely to propagate it on the internet. Information literacy and science literacy are associated with less vulnerability to misinformation and a lower propensity to spread it. Of the two, information literacy holds a greater promise as an intervention target. Understanding the role of different kinds of trust in information sharing merits further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla Keselman
- Office of Engagement and Training, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | | | - Gondy Leroy
- Management Information Systems, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - David R Kaufman
- Medical Informatics Program, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
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199
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Agusala K. Pumps, Wires and Pipes: Translating Medicine for our Patients. J Patient Exp 2021; 8:23743735211058611. [PMID: 34790865 PMCID: PMC8591637 DOI: 10.1177/23743735211058611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kartik Agusala
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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200
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Wang Y, Gao S, Gao W. Investigating dynamic relations between factual information and misinformation: Empirical studies of tweets related to prevention measures during COVID‐19. JOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT 2021. [PMCID: PMC8652553 DOI: 10.1111/1468-5973.12385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
During COVID‐19, misinformation on social media has affected people's adoption of appropriate prevention behaviors. Although an array of approaches have been proposed to suppress misinformation, few have investigated the role of disseminating factual information during crises. None has examined its effect on suppressing misinformation quantitatively using longitudinal social media data. Therefore, this study investigates the temporal correlations between factual information and misinformation, and intends to answer whether previously predominant factual information can suppress misinformation. It focuses on two prevention measures, that is, wearing masks and social distancing, using tweets collected from April 3 to June 30, 2020, in the United States. We trained support vector machine classifiers to retrieve relevant tweets and classify tweets containing factual information and misinformation for each topic concerning the prevention measures’ effects. Based on cross‐correlation analyses of factual and misinformation time series for both topics, we find that the previously predominant factual information leads the decrease of misinformation (i.e., suppression) with a time lag. The research findings provide empirical understandings of dynamic relations between misinformation and factual information in complex online environments and suggest practical strategies for future misinformation management during crises and emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Shangde Gao
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience, College of Design, Construction and Planning University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Wenyu Gao
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Harvard University Boston Massachusetts 02115 USA
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