251
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Purnat TD, Vacca P, Czerniak C, Ball S, Burzo S, Zecchin T, Wright A, Bezbaruah S, Tanggol F, Dubé È, Labbé F, Dionne M, Lamichhane J, Mahajan A, Briand S, Nguyen T. Infodemic Signal Detection During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Development of a Methodology for Identifying Potential Information Voids in Online Conversations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 1:e30971. [PMID: 34447926 PMCID: PMC8330887 DOI: 10.2196/30971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by an infodemic: excess information, including false or misleading information, in digital and physical environments during an acute public health event. This infodemic is leading to confusion and risk-taking behaviors that can be harmful to health, as well as to mistrust in health authorities and public health responses. The World Health Organization (WHO) is working to develop tools to provide an evidence-based response to the infodemic, enabling prioritization of health response activities. Objective In this work, we aimed to develop a practical, structured approach to identify narratives in public online conversations on social media platforms where concerns or confusion exist or where narratives are gaining traction, thus providing actionable data to help the WHO prioritize its response efforts to address the COVID-19 infodemic. Methods We developed a taxonomy to filter global public conversations in English and French related to COVID-19 on social media into 5 categories with 35 subcategories. The taxonomy and its implementation were validated for retrieval precision and recall, and they were reviewed and adapted as language about the pandemic in online conversations changed over time. The aggregated data for each subcategory were analyzed on a weekly basis by volume, velocity, and presence of questions to detect signals of information voids with potential for confusion or where mis- or disinformation may thrive. A human analyst reviewed and identified potential information voids and sources of confusion, and quantitative data were used to provide insights on emerging narratives, influencers, and public reactions to COVID-19-related topics. Results A COVID-19 public health social listening taxonomy was developed, validated, and applied to filter relevant content for more focused analysis. A weekly analysis of public online conversations since March 23, 2020, enabled quantification of shifting interests in public health-related topics concerning the pandemic, and the analysis demonstrated recurring voids of verified health information. This approach therefore focuses on the detection of infodemic signals to generate actionable insights to rapidly inform decision-making for a more targeted and adaptive response, including risk communication. Conclusions This approach has been successfully applied to identify and analyze infodemic signals, particularly information voids, to inform the COVID-19 pandemic response. More broadly, the results have demonstrated the importance of ongoing monitoring and analysis of public online conversations, as information voids frequently recur and narratives shift over time. The approach is being piloted in individual countries and WHO regions to generate localized insights and actions; meanwhile, a pilot of an artificial intelligence-based social listening platform is using this taxonomy to aggregate and compare online conversations across 20 countries. Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, the taxonomy and methodology may be adapted for fast deployment in future public health events, and they could form the basis of a routine social listening program for health preparedness and response planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina D Purnat
- Digital Health and Innovation Science Division World Health Organization Geneva Switzerland
| | | | | | - Sarah Ball
- Media Measurement Ltd London United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Burzo
- Department of Political Science University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC Canada
| | | | - Amy Wright
- Media Measurement Ltd London United Kingdom
| | - Supriya Bezbaruah
- Health Emergencies Programme World Health Organization Regional Office for South East Asia New Delhi India
| | - Faizza Tanggol
- World Health Organization Country Office Malaysia Brunei Darussalam and Singapore Putrajaya Malaysia
| | - Ève Dubé
- Institut national de santé publique du Québec Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Fabienne Labbé
- Institut national de santé publique du Québec Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Maude Dionne
- Institut national de santé publique du Québec Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Jaya Lamichhane
- Emergency Preparedness World Health Organization Geneva Switzerland
| | - Avichal Mahajan
- Emergency Preparedness World Health Organization Geneva Switzerland
| | - Sylvie Briand
- Emergency Preparedness World Health Organization Geneva Switzerland
| | - Tim Nguyen
- Emergency Preparedness World Health Organization Geneva Switzerland
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252
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Boucher JC, Cornelson K, Benham JL, Fullerton MM, Tang T, Constantinescu C, Mourali M, Oxoby RJ, Marshall DA, Hemmati H, Badami A, Hu J, Lang R. Analyzing Social Media to Explore the Attitudes and Behaviors Following the Announcement of Successful COVID-19 Vaccine Trials: Infodemiology Study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 1:e28800. [PMID: 34447924 PMCID: PMC8363124 DOI: 10.2196/28800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Background The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has brought vaccine hesitancy to the forefront in managing this pandemic. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is fundamentally different from that of other vaccines due to the new technologies being used, rapid development, and widespread global distribution. Attitudes on vaccines are largely driven by online information, particularly information on social media. The first step toward influencing attitudes about immunization is understanding the current patterns of communication that characterize the immunization debate on social media platforms. Objective We aimed to evaluate societal attitudes, communication trends, and barriers to COVID-19 vaccine uptake through social media content analysis to inform communication strategies promoting vaccine acceptance. Methods Social network analysis (SNA) and unsupervised machine learning were used to characterize COVID-19 vaccine content on Twitter globally. Tweets published in English and French were collected through the Twitter application programming interface between November 19 and 26, 2020, just following the announcement of initial COVID-19 vaccine trials. SNA was used to identify social media clusters expressing mistrustful opinions on COVID-19 vaccination. Based on the SNA results, an unsupervised machine learning approach to natural language processing using a sentence-level algorithm transfer function to detect semantic textual similarity was performed in order to identify the main themes of vaccine hesitancy. Results The tweets (n=636,516) identified that the main themes driving the vaccine hesitancy conversation were concerns of safety, efficacy, and freedom, and mistrust in institutions (either the government or multinational corporations). A main theme was the safety and efficacy of mRNA technology and side effects. The conversation around efficacy was that vaccines were unlikely to completely rid the population of COVID-19, polymerase chain reaction testing is flawed, and there is no indication of long-term T-cell immunity for COVID-19. Nearly one-third (45,628/146,191, 31.2%) of the conversations on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy clusters expressed concerns for freedom or mistrust of institutions (either the government or multinational corporations) and nearly a quarter (34,756/146,191, 23.8%) expressed criticism toward the government’s handling of the pandemic. Conclusions Social media content analysis combined with social network analysis provides insights into the themes of the vaccination conversation on Twitter. The themes of safety, efficacy, and trust in institutions will need to be considered, as targeted outreach programs and intervention strategies are deployed on Twitter to improve the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Boucher
- School of Public Policy and Department of Political Science University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Kirsten Cornelson
- Department of Economics University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN United States
| | - Jamie L Benham
- Department of Medicine Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada.,Department of Community Health Sciences Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Madison M Fullerton
- Department of Community Health Sciences Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Theresa Tang
- Department of Community Health Sciences Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | | | - Mehdi Mourali
- Haskayne School of Business University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Robert J Oxoby
- Department of Economics Faculty of Arts University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Deborah A Marshall
- Department of Medicine Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada.,Department of Community Health Sciences Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Hadi Hemmati
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Schulich Faculty of Engineering University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Abbas Badami
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Schulich Faculty of Engineering University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Jia Hu
- Department of Community Health Sciences Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Raynell Lang
- Department of Medicine Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, AB Canada
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253
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Chum A, Nielsen A, Bellows Z, Farrell E, Durette PN, Banda JM, Cupchik G. Changes in Public Response Associated With Various COVID-19 Restrictions in Ontario, Canada: Observational Infoveillance Study Using Social Media Time Series Data. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e28716. [PMID: 34227996 PMCID: PMC8396548 DOI: 10.2196/28716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND News media coverage of antimask protests, COVID-19 conspiracies, and pandemic politicization has overemphasized extreme views but has done little to represent views of the general public. Investigating the public's response to various pandemic restrictions can provide a more balanced assessment of current views, allowing policy makers to craft better public health messages in anticipation of poor reactions to controversial restrictions. OBJECTIVE Using data from social media, this infoveillance study aims to understand the changes in public opinion associated with the implementation of COVID-19 restrictions (eg, business and school closures, regional lockdown differences, and additional public health restrictions, such as social distancing and masking). METHODS COVID-19-related tweets in Ontario (n=1,150,362) were collected based on keywords between March 12 and October 31, 2020. Sentiment scores were calculated using the VADER (Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner) algorithm for each tweet to represent its negative to positive emotion. Public health restrictions were identified using government and news media websites. Dynamic regression models with autoregressive integrated moving average errors were used to examine the association between public health restrictions and changes in public opinion over time (ie, collective attention, aggregate positive sentiment, and level of disagreement), controlling for the effects of confounders (ie, daily COVID-19 case counts, holidays, and COVID-19-related official updates). RESULTS In addition to expected direct effects (eg, business closures led to decreased positive sentiment and increased disagreements), the impact of restrictions on public opinion was contextually driven. For example, the negative sentiment associated with business closures was reduced with higher COVID-19 case counts. While school closures and other restrictions (eg, masking, social distancing, and travel restrictions) generated increased collective attention, they did not have an effect on aggregate sentiment or the level of disagreement (ie, sentiment polarization). Partial (ie, region-targeted) lockdowns were associated with better public response (ie, higher number of tweets with net positive sentiment and lower levels of disagreement) compared to province-wide lockdowns. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the feasibility of a rapid and flexible method of evaluating the public response to pandemic restrictions using near real-time social media data. This information can help public health practitioners and policy makers anticipate public response to future pandemic restrictions and ensure adequate resources are dedicated to addressing increases in negative sentiment and levels of disagreement in the face of scientifically informed, but controversial, restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antony Chum
- Department of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew Nielsen
- Department of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - Zachary Bellows
- Department of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - Eddie Farrell
- Department of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | | | - Juan M Banda
- Department of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Gerald Cupchik
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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254
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Characterizing COVID-19 Content Posted to TikTok: Public Sentiment and Response During the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Adolesc Health 2021; 69:234-241. [PMID: 34167883 PMCID: PMC8217440 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to characterize COVID-19 content posted by users and disseminated via TikTok, a social media platform that has become known largely as an entertainment platform for viral video-sharing. We sought to capture how TikTok videos posted during the initial months of the COVID pandemic changed over time as cases accelerated. METHODS This study is an observational analysis of sequential TikTok videos with #coronavirus from January to March 2020. Videos were independently coded to assess content (e.g., health relatedness, humor, fear, empathy), misinformation, and public sentiment. To assess engagement, we also codified how often videos were shared relative to their content. RESULTS We coded 750 videos and approximately one in four videos tagged with #coronavirus featured health-related content such as featuring objects such as face masks, hand sanitizer, and other cleaning products. Most videos evoked "humor/parody," whereas 15% and 6% evoked "fear" and "empathy", respectively. TikTok videos posted in March 2020 had the largest number of shares and comments compared with January and February 2020. The proportion of shares and comments for "misleading and incorrect information" featured in videos was lower in March than in January and February 2020. There was no statistical difference between the share and comment counts of videos coded as "incorrect/incomplete" and "correct" over the entire time period. CONCLUSIONS Analyzing readily available social media platforms, such as TikTok provides real-time insights into public views, frequency and types of misinformation, and norms toward COVID-19. Analyzing TikTok videos has the potential to be used to inform public health messaging and public health mitigation strategies.
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255
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Grantham JL, Verishagen CL, Whiting SJ, Henry CJ, Lieffers JRL. Evaluation of a Social Media Campaign in Saskatchewan to Promote Healthy Eating During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Media Analysis and Qualitative Interview Study. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e27448. [PMID: 34133314 PMCID: PMC8297600 DOI: 10.2196/27448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic presented many sudden challenges regarding food, including grocery shopping changes (eg, reduced store hours, capacity restrictions, and empty store shelves due to food hoarding), restaurant closures, the need to cook more at home, and closures of food access programs. Eat Well Saskatchewan (EWS) implemented a 16-week social media campaign, #eatwellcovid19, led by a dietitian and nutrition student that focused on sharing stories submitted by the Saskatchewan public about how they were eating healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to describe the implementation of the #eatwellcovid19 social media campaign and the results from the evaluation of the campaign, which included campaign performance using social media metrics and experiences and perspectives of campaign followers. METHODS Residents of Saskatchewan, Canada, were invited to submit personal stories and experiences to EWS about how they were eating healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic from April to August 2020. Each week, one to three stories were featured on EWS social media platforms-Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter-along with evidence-based nutrition information to help residents become more resilient to challenges related to food and nutrition experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals who submitted stories were entered into a weekly draw for a Can $100 grocery gift card. Social media metrics and semistructured qualitative interviews of campaign followers were used to evaluate the #eatwellcovid19 campaign. RESULTS In total, 75 stories were submitted by 74 individuals on a variety of topics (eg, grocery shopping, traditional skills, and gardening), and 42 stories were featured on social media. EWS shared 194 #eatwellcovid19 posts across social media platforms (Facebook: n=100; Instagram: n=55; and Twitter: n=39). On Facebook, #eatawellcovid19 reached 100,571 followers and left 128,818 impressions, resulting in 9575 engagements. On Instagram, the campaign reached 11,310 followers, made 14,145 impressions, and received 823 likes and 15 comments. On Twitter, #eatwellcovid19 made 15,199 impressions and received 424 engagements. Featured story submission posts had the best engagement on Facebook and the most likes and comments on Instagram. The EWS social media pages reported increases in their following during the campaign (Instagram: +30%; Facebook: +14%; and Twitter: +12%). Results from the interviews revealed that there were two types of campaign followers: those who appreciated hearing the stories submitted by followers, as it helped them to feel connected to the community during social isolation, and those who appreciated the evidence-based information. CONCLUSIONS Numerous stories were submitted to the #eatwellcovid19 social media campaign on various topics. On Instagram and Facebook, posts that featured these stories had the highest engagement. During this campaign, EWS's social media following increased by more than 10% on each platform. The approach used for the #eatwellcovid19 campaign could be considered by others looking to develop health promotion campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordyn L Grantham
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Carrie L Verishagen
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Susan J Whiting
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Carol J Henry
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Jessica R L Lieffers
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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256
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Arillotta D, Guirguis A, Corkery JM, Scherbaum N, Schifano F. COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Substance Misuse: A Social Media Listening, Mixed Method Analysis. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070907. [PMID: 34356142 PMCID: PMC8303488 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The restrictive measures adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic modified some previously consolidated drug use patterns. A focus on social networks allowed drug users to discuss, share opinions and provide advice during a worldwide emergency context. In order to explore COVID-19-related implications on drug trends/behaviour and on most popular psychotropic substances debated, the focus here was on the constantly updated, very popular, Reddit social platform’s posts and comments. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of r/Drugs and related subreddits, using a social media listening netnographic approach, was carried out. The post/comments analysed covered the time-frame December 2019–May 2020. Between December 2019 and May 2020, the number of whole r/Drugs subreddit members increased from 619,563 to 676,581 members, respectively, thus increasing by 9.2% by the end of the data collection. Both the top-level r/Drugs subreddit and 92 related subreddits were quantitatively analysed, with posts/comments related to 12 drug categories. The drugs most frequently commented on included cannabinoids, psychedelics, opiates/opioids, alcohol, stimulants and prescribed medications. The qualitative analysis was carried out focussing on four subreddits, relating to some 1685 posts and 3263 comments. Four main themes of discussion (e.g., lockdown-associated immunity and drug intake issues; drug-related behaviour/after-quarantine plans’ issues; lockdown-related psychopathological issues; and peer-to-peer advice at the time of COVID-19) and four categories of Redditors (e.g., those continuing the use of drugs despite the pandemic; the “couch epidemiologists”; the conspirationists/pseudo-science influencers; and the recovery-focused users) were tentatively identified here. A mixed-methods, social network-based analysis provided a range of valuable information on Redditors’ drug use/behaviour during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies should be carried out focusing on other social networks as well as later phases of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Arillotta
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse, and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK; (D.A.); (A.G.); (J.M.C.); (F.S.)
| | - Amira Guirguis
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse, and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK; (D.A.); (A.G.); (J.M.C.); (F.S.)
- Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - John Martin Corkery
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse, and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK; (D.A.); (A.G.); (J.M.C.); (F.S.)
| | - Norbert Scherbaum
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, LVR-Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstraße 174, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Fabrizio Schifano
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse, and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK; (D.A.); (A.G.); (J.M.C.); (F.S.)
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257
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Bathina KC, ten Thij M, Valdez D, Rutter LA, Bollen J. Declining well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic reveals US social inequities. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254114. [PMID: 34237087 PMCID: PMC8266050 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic led to mental health fallout in the US; yet research about mental health and COVID-19 primarily rely on samples that may overlook variance in regional mental health. Indeed, between-city comparisons of mental health decline in the US may provide further insight into how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting at-risk groups. Purpose This study leverages social media and COVID-19-city infection data to measure the longitudinal (January 22- July 31, 2020) mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 20 metropolitan areas. Methods We used longitudinal VADER sentiment analysis of Twitter timelines (January-July 2020) for cohorts in 20 metropolitan areas to examine mood changes over time. We then conducted simple and multivariate Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions to examine the relationship between COVID-19 infection city data, population, population density, and city demographics on sentiment across those 20 cities. Results Longitudinal sentiment tracking showed mood declines over time. The univariate OLS regression highlighted a negative linear relationship between COVID-19 city data and online sentiment (β = -.017). Residing in predominantly white cities had a protective effect against COVID-19 driven negative mood (β = .0629, p < .001). Discussion Our results reveal that metropolitan areas with larger communities of color experienced a greater subjective well-being decline than predominantly white cities, which we attribute to clinical and socioeconomic correlates that place communities of color at greater risk of COVID-19. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic is a driver of declining US mood in 20 metropolitan cities. Other factors, including social unrest and local demographics, may compound and exacerbate mental health outlook in racially diverse cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna C. Bathina
- Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Marijn ten Thij
- Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
- Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Danny Valdez
- School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Lauren A. Rutter
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Johan Bollen
- Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
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258
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Guelmami N, Ben Khalifa M, Chalghaf N, Kong JD, Amayra T, Wu J, Azaiez F, Bragazzi NL. Development of the 12-Item Social Media Disinformation Scale and its Association With Social Media Addiction and Mental Health Related to COVID-19 in Tunisia: Survey-Based Pilot Case Study. JMIR Form Res 2021; 5:e27280. [PMID: 34021742 PMCID: PMC8191730 DOI: 10.2196/27280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, online disinformation has increased. Fake news has been spreading about the COVID-19 pandemic. Since January 2020, the culprits and antidotes to disinformation have been digital media and social media. OBJECTIVE Our study aimed to develop and test the psychometric properties of the 12-item Social Media Disinformation Scale (SMDS-12), which assesses the consumption, confidence, and sharing of information related to COVID-19 by social media users. METHODS A total of 874 subjects were recruited over two phases: the exploratory phase group had a mean age of 28.39 years (SD 9.32) and the confirmatory phase group had a mean age of 32.84 years (SD 12.72). Participants completed the SMDS-12, the Internet Addiction Test, the COVID-19 Fear Scale, and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. The SMDS-12 was initially tested by exploratory factor analysis and was subsequently tested by confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS The test supported the three-factor structure. In addition, no items were removed from the measurement scale, with three factors explaining up to 73.72% of the total variance, and the items had a lambda factor loading ranging from 0.73 to 0.85. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the robustness of the measure by referring to a wide range of goodness-of-fit indices that met the recommended standards. The construct validity of the scale was supported by its convergent and discriminant validity. The reliability of the instrument examined by means of three internal consistency indices, and the corrected item-total correlation, demonstrated that the three dimensions of the instrument were reliable: Cronbach α values were .89, .88, and .88 for the consumption, confidence, and sharing subscales, respectively. The corrected item-total correlation ranged from 0.70 to 0.78. The correlation of the instrument's dimensions with internet addiction and mental health factors showed positive associations. CONCLUSIONS The SMDS-12 can be reliably utilized to measure the credibility of social media disinformation and can be adapted to measure the credibility of disinformation in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noomen Guelmami
- Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia
- Group for the Study of Development and Social Environment (GEDES), Faculty of Human and Social Science of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Postgraduate School of Public Health, Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maher Ben Khalifa
- Research and Applications Unit in Marketing (URAM), Faculty of Economics and Management of Tunis (FSEGT), University of Tunis El Manar (UTM), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Nasr Chalghaf
- Group for the Study of Development and Social Environment (GEDES), Faculty of Human and Social Science of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Postgraduate School of Public Health, Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Jude Dzevela Kong
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tannoubi Amayra
- Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia
| | - Jianhong Wu
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fairouz Azaiez
- Group for the Study of Development and Social Environment (GEDES), Faculty of Human and Social Science of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Postgraduate School of Public Health, Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Nicola Luigi Bragazzi
- Postgraduate School of Public Health, Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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259
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Mat Dawi N, Namazi H, Maresova P. Predictors of COVID-19 Preventive Behavior Adoption Intention in Malaysia. Front Psychol 2021; 12:616749. [PMID: 34093307 PMCID: PMC8172794 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Preventive behavior adoption is the key to reduce the possibility of getting COVID-19 infection. This paper aims to examine the determinants of intention to adopt preventive behavior by incorporating perception of e-government information and services and perception of social media into the theory of reasoned action. A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among Malaysian residents. Four hundred four valid responses were obtained and used for data analysis. A partial least-square-based path analysis revealed direct effects of attitude and subjective norm in predicting intention to adopt preventive behavior. In addition, perception of e-government information and services and perception of social media were found to be significant predictors of attitude toward preventive behavior. The findings highlight the importance of digital platforms in improving people’s attitudes toward preventive behavior and in turn contain the spread of the infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hamidreza Namazi
- Center for Basic and Applied Research, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czechia.,School of Engineering, Monash University, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Petra Maresova
- Department of Economics, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
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Lewicki P, Basourakos SP, Al Awamlh BAH, Wu X, Hu JC, Schlegel PN, Shoag JE. Reply to Tommy Jiang, Sriram V. Eleswarapu, and Vadim Osadchiy's Letter to the Editor re: Patrick Lewicki, Spyridon P. Basourakos, Bashir Al Hussein Al Awamlh, et al. Estimating the Impact of COVID-19 on Urology: Data from a Large Nationwide Cohort. Eur Urol Open Sci 2021;25:52-6. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Kidney Stones: Matching Online Discussions to Real World Data. EUR UROL SUPPL 2021; 29:47-48. [PMID: 34337533 PMCID: PMC8317788 DOI: 10.1016/j.euros.2021.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Lewicki
- Department of Urology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Spyridon P Basourakos
- Department of Urology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Xian Wu
- Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jim C Hu
- Department of Urology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter N Schlegel
- Department of Urology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan E Shoag
- Department of Urology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Urology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
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261
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Rovetta A. Reliability of Google Trends: Analysis of the Limits and Potential of Web Infoveillance During COVID-19 Pandemic and for Future Research. Front Res Metr Anal 2021; 6:670226. [PMID: 34113751 PMCID: PMC8186442 DOI: 10.3389/frma.2021.670226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, government authorities around the world have had to face a growing infodemic capable of causing serious damages to public health and economy. In this context, the use of infoveillance tools has become a primary necessity. Objective: The aim of this study is to test the reliability of a widely used infoveillance tool which is Google Trends. In particular, the paper focuses on the analysis of relative search volumes (RSVs) quantifying their dependence on the day they are collected. Methods: RSVs of the query coronavirus + covid during February 1-December 4, 2020 (period 1), and February 20-May 18, 2020 (period 2), were collected daily by Google Trends from December 8 to 27, 2020. The survey covered Italian regions and cities, and countries and cities worldwide. The search category was set to all categories. Each dataset was analyzed to observe any dependencies of RSVs from the day they were gathered. To do this, by calling i the country, region, or city under investigation and j the day its RSV was collected, a Gaussian distributionX i = X ( σ i , x ¯ i ) was used to represent the trend of daily variations ofx i j = R S V s i j . When a missing value was revealed (anomaly), the affected country, region or city was excluded from the analysis. When the anomalies exceeded 20% of the sample size, the whole sample was excluded from the statistical analysis. Pearson and Spearman correlations between RSVs and the number of COVID-19 cases were calculated day by day thus to highlight any variations related to the day RSVs were collected. Welch's t-test was used to assess the statistical significance of the differences between the average RSVs of the various countries, regions, or cities of a given dataset. Two RSVs were considered statistical confident when t < 1.5 . A dataset was deemed unreliable if the confident data exceeded 20% (confidence threshold). The percentage increase Δ was used to quantify the difference between two values. Results: Google Trends has been subject to an acceptable quantity of anomalies only as regards the RSVs of Italian regions (0% in both periods 1 and 2) and countries worldwide (9.7% during period 1 and 10.9% during period 2). However, the correlations between RSVs and COVID-19 cases underwent significant variations even in these two datasets ( M a x | Δ | = + 625 % for Italian regions, and M a x | Δ | = + 175 % for countries worldwide). Furthermore, only RSVs of countries worldwide did not exceed confidence threshold. Finally, the large amount of anomalies registered in Italian and international cities' RSVs made these datasets unusable for any kind of statistical inference. Conclusion: In the considered timespans, Google Trends has proved to be reliable only for surveys concerning RSVs of countries worldwide. Since RSVs values showed a high dependence on the day they were gathered, it is essential for future research that the authors collect queries' data for several consecutive days and work with their RSVs averages instead of daily RSVs, trying to minimize the standard errors until an established confidence threshold is respected. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Rovetta
- Research and Disclosure Division, Mensana srls, Brescia, Italy
- Technological and Scientific Research, Redeev srl, Napoli, Italy
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262
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Hammer CC, Boender TS, Thomas DR. Social media for field epidemiologists (#SoMe4epi): How to use Twitter during the #COVID19 pandemic. Int J Infect Dis 2021; 110 Suppl 1:S11-S16. [PMID: 34022332 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way that public health professionals work and communicate. Over a very short time span, remote working arrangements have become the norm, and meetings have shifted online. Physical distancing measures have accelerated a trend toward digital communication and social exchange. At the same time, the work of epidemiologists has been held under a magnifying glass by journalists, governments and the general public, in a way not previously seen. With social media becoming an integral part of our society over the last decade, Twitter is now a key communication tool and platform for social networking among epidemiologists (#EpiTwitter). In this article, we reflect on the use of Twitter by field epidemiologists and public health microbiologists for rapid professional exchange, public communication of science and professional development during the pandemic and the associated risks. For those field epidemiologists new to social media, we discuss how Twitter can be used in a variety of ways, both at their home institutions and during field deployment. These include information dissemination, science communication and public health advocacy, professional development, networking and experience exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte C Hammer
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Mannerheimintie 166, 00400 Helsinki, Finland; European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - T Sonia Boender
- European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden; Robert Koch Institute, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Seestrasse 10, 13353 Berlin, Germany; Postgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology (PAE), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany. https://twitter.com/@SoniaBoender
| | - Daniel Rh Thomas
- European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden; Public Health Wales, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Cardiff, United Kingdom. https://twitter.com/@DanielRhysThom1
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263
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Negative Impact of Fear of COVID-19 on Health-Related Quality of Life Was Modified by Health Literacy, eHealth Literacy, and Digital Healthy Diet Literacy: A Multi-Hospital Survey. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18094929. [PMID: 34066312 PMCID: PMC8124355 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been disseminating fear in the community, which has affected people’s quality of life, especially those with health problems. Health literacy (HL), eHealth literacy (eHEAL), and digital healthy diet literacy (DDL) may have potential impacts on containing the pandemic and its consequences. This study aimed to examine the association between the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCoV-19S) and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and to examine the effect modification by HL, eHEAL, and DDL on this association. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 hospitals across Vietnam from 7 April to 31 May 2020. Data were collected on 4348 outpatients, including demographic characteristics, HL, eHEAL, DDL, FCoV-19S, and HRQoL. Multiple linear regression and interaction models were used to explore associations. Results: Patients with higher FCoV-19S scores had lower HRQoL scores (unstandardized coefficient, B = −0.78, p < 0.001). HL (B = 0.20, p < 0.001), eHEAL (B = 0.24, p < 0.001), and DDL (B = 0.20, p < 0.001) were positively associated with higher HRQoL scores. The negative impact of FCoV-19S on HRQoL was significantly attenuated by higher eHEAL score groups (from one standard deviation (SD) below the mean, B = −0.93, p < 0.001; to the mean, B = −0.85, p < 0.001; and one SD above the mean, B = −0.77, p < 0.001); and by higher DDL score groups (from one SD below the mean, B = −0.92, p < 0.001; to the mean, B = −0.82, p < 0.001; and one SD above the mean, B = −0.72, p < 0.001). Conclusions: eHealth literacy and digital healthy diet literacy could help to protect patients’ health-related quality of life from the negative impact of the fear of COVID-19 during the pandemic.
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264
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Zhou X, Song Y, Jiang H, Wang Q, Qu Z, Zhou X, Jit M, Hou Z, Lin L. Comparison of Public Responses to Containment Measures During the Initial Outbreak and Resurgence of COVID-19 in China: Infodemiology Study. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e26518. [PMID: 33750739 PMCID: PMC8023317 DOI: 10.2196/26518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 cases resurged worldwide in the second half of 2020. Not much is known about the changes in public responses to containment measures from the initial outbreak to resurgence. Monitoring public responses is crucial to inform policy measures to prepare for COVID-19 resurgence. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess and compare public responses to containment measures during the initial outbreak and resurgence of COVID-19 in China. METHODS We curated all COVID-19-related posts from Sina Weibo (China's version of Twitter) during the initial outbreak and resurgence of COVID-19 in Beijing, China. With a Python script, we constructed subsets of Weibo posts focusing on 3 containment measures: lockdown, the test-trace-isolate strategy, and suspension of gatherings. The Baidu open-source sentiment analysis model and latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling, a widely used machine learning algorithm, were used to assess public engagement, sentiments, and frequently discussed topics on each containment measure. RESULTS A total of 8,985,221 Weibo posts were curated. In China, the containment measures evolved from a complete lockdown for the general population during the initial outbreak to a more targeted response strategy for high-risk populations during COVID-19 resurgence. Between the initial outbreak and resurgence, the average daily proportion of Weibo posts with negative sentiments decreased from 57% to 47% for the lockdown, 56% to 51% for the test-trace-isolate strategy, and 55% to 48% for the suspension of gatherings. Among the top 3 frequently discussed topics on lockdown measures, discussions on containment measures accounted for approximately 32% in both periods, but those on the second-most frequently discussed topic shifted from the expression of negative emotions (11%) to its impacts on daily life or work (26%). The public expressed a high level of panic (21%) during the initial outbreak but almost no panic (1%) during resurgence. The more targeted test-trace-isolate measure received the most support (60%) among all 3 containment measures in the initial outbreak, and its support rate approached 90% during resurgence. CONCLUSIONS Compared to the initial outbreak, the public expressed less engagement and less negative sentiments on containment measures and were more supportive toward containment measures during resurgence. Targeted test-trace-isolate strategies were more acceptable to the public. Our results indicate that when COVID-19 resurges, more targeted test-trace-isolate strategies for high-risk populations should be promoted to balance pandemic control and its impact on daily life and the economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhou
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Song
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Jiang
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Wang
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiqiang Qu
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhou
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mark Jit
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zhiyuan Hou
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Leesa Lin
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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265
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Affiliation(s)
- Raj Bhopal
- Edinburgh Migration, Ethnicity and Health Research Group, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alasdair P S Munro
- NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
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266
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Empowering Financial Education by Banks—Social Media as a Modern Channel. JOURNAL OF RISK AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jrfm14030118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Financial literacy is extremely important, both from the perspective of the financial well-being of individuals and the stability of the financial market and the whole economy. The more financially literate a bank’s customers are, the more frequently and consciously they use financial products and services. Thus, banks are potentially significant stakeholders in the financial education process. Considering that social media have become the leading channel for communication and relationship building, especially regarding young clients, this channel should also be used by banks to increase financial literacy. The aim of this paper is to assess banks’ involvement in financial education activities through social media. We assume that banks use social media as a modern and attractive channel for improving financial education among social media users. The empirical analysis was conducted using several data sources, including non-financial statements and a unique self-collected dataset that describes the specifics of the most popular social media platforms (like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, GoldenLine, and LinkedIn) in the activities of commercial and cooperative banks in Poland between 2010 and 2019. Descriptive statistical methods and cluster analysis were used. The results show that educational activities provided by banks in Poland differ for each social media channel. Additionally, although financial education topics have become more popular among content published by banks, there is a huge disproportion between cooperative and commercial banks. Generally, banks that are more active on social media (mostly commercial banks) also pay more attention to the financial education context.
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267
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Purewal S, Ardiles P, Di Ruggiero E, Flores JVL, Mahmood S, Elhagehassan H. Using Social Media as a Survey Recruitment Strategy for Post-Secondary Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic. INQUIRY : A JOURNAL OF MEDICAL CARE ORGANIZATION, PROVISION AND FINANCING 2021; 58:469580211059305. [PMID: 34894834 PMCID: PMC8672376 DOI: 10.1177/00469580211059305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly forced Canadian post-secondary students into remote learning methods, with potential implications on their academic success and health. In recent years, the use of social media to promote research participation and as a strategy for communicating health messages has become increasingly popular. To better understand how the pandemic has impacted this population, we used social media platforms to recruit students to participate in a national bilingual COVID-19 Health Literacy Survey. The purpose of the survey was to assess the health literacy levels and online information-seeking behaviors of post-secondary students in relation to the coronavirus. This paper outlines the social media recruitment strategies used for promoting participation in the survey among Canadian post-secondary students during the pandemic. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts were created to promote the online survey. The objective of this paper is to examine the use of Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter as survey recruitment strategies tailored to students. Data analytics from these platforms were analyzed using descriptive statistics. We found that the most commonly used platform for survey dissemination was Twitter, with 64800 total impressions recorded over 3 months. The use of social media as a survey recruitment strategy showed promise in the current context of COVID-19 where many students are participating in online learning and for a study population that actively uses these platforms to seek out information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simran Purewal
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Paola Ardiles
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Erica Di Ruggiero
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONT, Canada
| | | | - Sana Mahmood
- Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONT, Canada
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268
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Alfatease A, Alqahtani AM, Orayj K, Alshahrani SM. The Impact of Social Media on the Acceptance of the COVID-19 Vaccine: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia. Patient Prefer Adherence 2021; 15:2673-2681. [PMID: 34876809 PMCID: PMC8643218 DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s342535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Social media platforms are used by many people to seek and share health-related information that may influence their decision-making about COVID-19 vaccination. PURPOSE The objective of this study is to understand the influence of social media on the attitudes and willingness of the general public of the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia to receive COVID-19 vaccination. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional self-administrated online survey was conducted in Saudi Arabia Aseer region, where 613 persons willingly took part in the survey in April and May 2021. Residents of Aseer in Saudi Arabia, who are over the age of 18 (eligible for COVID-19 vaccination) and willing to participate in the survey, were included in the study. RESULTS Overall, 74.6% agreed that the COVID-19 vaccine was misrepresented via social media. However, 37% of those respondents strongly agreed that social media had increased their willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, employees reported (21.8%) or strongly agreed (28%) that the quantity and quality of information on social media has a detrimental impact on their psychological well-being. Additionally, participants also agreed (21.8%) or strongly agreed (28%) that social media had a negative effect on their psychological condition. CONCLUSION The study provides that there was a high degree of awareness indicated among Aseer population regarding misleading information about COVID-19 vaccination via social media. Thus, social media that can share up-to-date scientific information about vaccination must be utilized optimally by the government to assist people in making decisions about accepting vaccinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adel Alfatease
- Pharmaceutics Department, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali M Alqahtani
- Pharmacology Department, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Orayj
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sultan M Alshahrani
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: Sultan M Alshahrani Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, 61441, Saudi ArabiaTel +966 508747473 Email
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