Understanding the impact of information sources on COVID-19 related preventive measures in Finland

Offense and defense between streamers and customers in live commerce marketing: Protection motivation and information overload

While live commerce provides consumers with a new shopping experience, it also leads them to experience shopping failures and to develop a self-protection mechanism to prevent wrong purchases. To address this issue, merchants have attempted to explore new marketing methods for live commerce, giving rise to an offense and defense game between streamers and consumers. In this study, we sought to confirm the effectiveness of consumer protection mechanisms and the impact of streamers' information overload marketing strategy in live commerce. Accordingly, we constructed a hypothetical model based on protection motive theory and information overload theory. In addition, we analyzed the data from the simulated live streaming marketing on seven hundred people through partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results indicate that product utilitarian value uncertainty, consumers' experiential efficacy, and response costs, which are the main factors in the formation of consumer protection mechanisms, influence consumers' intention to stop their purchases. Streamers can circumvent consumer self-protection mechanisms through information overload marketing by reducing utilitarian value uncertainty and consumers' experiential efficacy and increasing consumers' response costs. However, consumers would be able to rebuild their self-protection mechanism through consumer resilience, which moderates the effects of information overload. This study's results provide important theoretical perspectives and new ideas for formulating marketing strategies for live commerce.

Barriers to vaccine acceptance in the adult population of mainland Finland, 2021

There has been a lack of information on vaccine acceptance for Finnish adults. We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected through the Finnish Medicines Agency Medicine Barometer 2021 survey (response rate: 20.6%). We described and explained vaccine acceptance by investigating the associations between socio-demographic factors and statements using logistic regression and conducted a factor analysis. The majority of respondents (n = 2081) considered vaccines to be safe (93%), effective (97%), and important (95%). However, 20% and 14% felt they did not have enough information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), respectively. Respondents aged 18-39 were 2.8 times more likely to disagree that they had enough information about VPDs compared to respondents aged 60-79 (p < 0.001), while respondents with poorer self-perceived health were 1.8 times more likely to declare not having enough information about vaccines (p < 0.001). We generated three-factor dimensions from the eight statements. They were related to 'Confidence and attitudes towards vaccines', 'Access to information on vaccines and VPDs', and 'Debate on vaccine issues', which may reflect the underlying thinking patterns. Access to and understanding of information about vaccines and VPDs need to be improved for Finnish adults to increase vaccine acceptance and uptake, thus preventing the spread of VPDs.

COVID-19 information seeking and individuals' protective behaviors: examining the role of information sources and information content

BACKGROUND

Seeking COVID-19 information promotes individuals to adopt preventive behaviors, including wearing a mask, social distancing, staying away from risky places, and washing hands. This study aims to investigate which information and sources individuals relied on in seeking COVID-19 information and further examine their roles in individuals' adoption of preventive behaviors.

METHODS

Through a statistical analysis of 1027 valid responses from citizens in different Chinese cities in 2022 to the self-designed items in an online survey, this study identified individuals' preferred information sources and content on COVID-19. Regarding the information sources and content, the study used multiple regression analysis to examine their associations with individuals' preventive behaviors, and further applied fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore their configurations that increase the likelihood of individuals adopting preventive behaviors.

RESULTS

Individuals preferred information about the newest prevention and control policies, precautions and treatment, and symptoms from the sources of workplace and community, social media, and social live streaming services. Additionally, individuals' preventive behaviors were positively related to the workplace and community (β = 0.202, p <.001), social live streaming services (β = 0.089, p <.01), government department websites (β = 0.079, p <.05), television (β = 0.073, p <.05), and online news media (β = 0.069, p <.05), but were negatively associated with newspapers (β=-0.087, p <.05). Regarding information content, precautions and treatments (β = 0.211, p <.001), the newest prevention and control policies (β = 0.173, p <.001), symptoms (β = 0.152, p <.001), and official rumor-dispelling information (β = 0.082, p <.05) had a positive relationship with individuals' preventive behaviors. In addition, fsQCA results presented eight configurations that promote individuals to adopt preventive behaviors. The total coverage and solution consistency values were 0.869 and 0.987, respectively. Furthermore, COVID-19 information content, the sources of social media and interpersonal sources, and official news media played an essential role in increasing the likelihood of individuals adopting preventive behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrated that individuals seek various COVID-19 information from multiple sources. The direct and degree of association of information sources and content with individuals' preventive behaviors vary from source to source and from content to content. Information sources and content could combinatorially promote individuals to adopt preventive behaviors through several configurations.

Examining the influence of information overload on consumers' purchase in live streaming: A heuristic-systematic model perspective

In recent years, the number of live streaming platforms and the number of viewers have exploded. For example, in China, there are already more than 100 live streaming platforms as well as more than 300 million consumers. In live commerce, streamers use 'information overload' to affect purchase decisions, by making it difficult for consumers to think systematically; however, the mechanism of impact in this way has not been confirmed. In order to clarify how information overload affects users' purchasing decisions in live commerce, this study introduces information overload from the perspective of "Heuristic-systematic model" to develop a research model. And 400 respondents were randomly recruited through various SNS platforms in Guangdong Province, China from July 1 to July 20, 2022 using a random survey method, and finally 297 valid sample data were obtained. To verify the validity of the model and to illustrate the impact of information overload marketing on consumer purchase decisions in live commerce this study conducted an empirical analysis using Smart PLS 3.0. The findings show that perceived product quality and fit, and streamer influence and expertise, positively affect consumers' purchase intentions. The information overload strategy can significantly reduce consumers' perceptions of merchandise fit and enhance their perceptions of streamer influence and expertise. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for marketing strategies in live commerce, and enrich literature in the field of marketing.

Meta-analysis on application of Protection Motivation Theory in preventive behaviors against COVID-19

The present study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on quantitative conclusion and appraisal of findings from Protection Motivation Theory to predict protective behaviors against COVID-19. This meta-analysis covered the period between 2019 and 2022. Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Emerald, PubMed, Springer, Sage, Online Wiley Library, Taylor & Francis and ProQuest were searched to find related articles to the study topic. Using Effect Size of Random model, the quality of each study, homogeneous of studies and Publication bias of data were analyzed and assessed by CMA2 software. The results indicate that perceived severity (β=0.197), perceived vulnerability (β=0.160), response efficacy (β=0.251) and self-efficacy (β=0.270) are positively associated with COVID-19 disease. In addition, the results show that Response cost (β=-0.074) is a negative and weak predictor of motivation to protect against COVID-19. The results of this study regarding Protection Motivation Theory (PMT)- as a very strong and flexible theory during outbreak of COVID-19- may suggest that despite positive protection, the mean of Effect Size of total PMT elements is less than average size. Meta-analysis of studies shows that coping appraisal variables provide the strongest predictors of behavior and intention. Furthermore, self-efficacy was identified as the most important determinant in protective behaviors against COVID-19.

Frequent hospital presenters' use of health information during COVID-19: results of a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

High-frequency hospital users often present with chronic and complex health conditions and are at increased risk of serious morbidity and mortality if they contract COVID-19. Understanding where high-frequency hospital users are sourcing their information, whether they understand what they find, and how they apply the information to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is essential for health authorities to be able to target communication approaches.

METHODS

Cross-sectional survey of 200 frequent hospital users (115 with limited English proficiency) informed by the WHO's "Rapid, simple, flexible behavioral insights on COVID-19". Outcome measures were source of, and trust in information, and knowledge of symptoms, preventive strategies, restrictions, and identification of misinformation.

RESULTS

The most frequently cited source of information was television (n = 144, 72%) followed by the internet (n = 84, 42%). One in four television users sought their information from overseas news outlets from their country of origin, while for those using the internet, 56% relied on Facebook and other forms of social media including YouTube and WeChat. Overall, 41.2% of those surveyed had inadequate knowledge about symptoms, 35.8% had inadequate knowledge about preventative strategies, 30.2% had inadequate knowledge about government-imposed restrictions, and 69% believed in misinformation. Half of the respondents (50%) trusted all information, and only one in five (20%) were uncertain or untrusting. English-speaking participants were almost three times more likely to have adequate knowledge about symptoms (OR 2.69, 95%CI 1.47;4.91) and imposed restrictions (OR 2.10 95%CI 1.06; 4.19), and 11 times more likely to recognize misinformation (OR 11.52 95%CI 5.39; 24.60) than those with limited English.

CONCLUSION

Within this population of high-frequency hospital users with complex and chronic conditions, many were sourcing their information from less trustworthy or locally relevant sources, including social media and overseas news outlets. Despite this, at least half were trusting all the information that they found. Speaking a language other than English was a much greater risk factor for having inadequate knowledge about COVID-19 and believing in misinformation. Health authorities must look for methods to engage diverse communities, and tailor health messaging and education in order to reduce disparities in health outcomes.

Canadian public perceptions and experiences with information during the COVID-19 pandemic: strategies to optimize future risk communications

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the spread of misinformation worldwide. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of misinformation and preferred sources of obtaining COVID-19 information from those living in Canada. In particular, we sought to explore the perceptions of East Asian individuals in Canada, who experienced stigma related to COVID-19 messaging.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis study. Interviews were offered in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Interviewers probed for domains related to knowledge about COVID-19, preferred sources of information, perceived barriers and facilitators of misinformation, and preferences for communication during a health emergency. Interviews were recorded, translated, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a framework approach. Transcripts were independently double-coded until > 60% agreement was reached. This study received research ethics approval.

RESULTS

Fifty-five interviews were conducted. The majority of participants were women (67%); median age was 52 years. 55% of participants were of East-Asian descent. Participants obtained information about COVID-19 from diverse English and non-English sources including news media, government agencies or representatives, social media, and personal networks. Challenges to seeking and understanding information included: encountering misinformation, making sense of evolving or conflicting public health guidance, and limited information on topics of interest. 65% of participants reported encountering COVID-19  misinformation. East Asian participants called on government officials to champion messaging to reduce stigmatizing and racist rhetoric and highlighted the importance of having accessible, non-English language information sources. Participants provided recommendations for future public health communications guidance during health emergencies, including preferences for message content, information messengers, dissemination platforms and format of messages. Almost all participants preferred receiving information from the Canadian government and found it helpful to utilize various mediums and platforms such as social media and news media for future risk communication, urging for consistency across all platforms.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide insights on Canadian experiences navigating COVID-19 information, where more than half perceived encountering misinformation on platforms when seeking COVID-19 information . We provide recommendations to inform public health communications during future health emergencies.

Understanding individual psychological and behavioral responses during COVID-19: Application of stimulus-organism-response model

To comprehend the nature, implications, risks and consequences of the events of the COVID-19 crisis, individuals largely relied on various online information sources. The features of online information exchange (e.g., conducted on a massive scale, with an abundance of information and unverified sources) led to various behavioral and psychological responses that are not fully understood. This study therefore investigated the relationship between exposure to online information sources and how individuals sought, forwarded, and provided COVID-19 related information. Anchored in the stimulus-organism-response model, cognitive load theory, and the theory of fear appeal, this study examined the link between the online consumption of COVID-19-related information and psychological and behavioral responses. In the theory development process, we hypothesized the moderating role of levels of fear. The research model included six hypotheses and was empirically verified on self-reported data (N = 425), which was collected in early 2021. The results indicate that continuous exposure to online information sources led to perceived information overload, which further heightened the psychological state of cyberchondria. Moreover, the act of seeking and providing COVID-19 information was significantly predicted by perceived cyberchondria. The results also suggest that higher levels of fear led to increased levels of seeking and providing COVID-19-related information. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are presented, along with promising areas for future research.

[COVID-19 risk groups and their strategies for navigating information overload during the first year of the pandemic in Chile]

As a part of the EIS-COVID project on the access and use of information during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, the objective of this paper was to ascertain how people's informational environment was constructed during the first stage of the pandemic. It discusses the results of a qualitative study of people belonging to risk groups for COVID-19: people over 18 and under 65 with chronic diseases (hypertension and diabetes) and people 65 and over. Ninety semi-structured interviews were conducted in the Metropolitan and Valparaíso regions between September 2020 and January 2021. The results reveal the problematic nature of the information overload encountered by these groups and the strategies they used to navigate it: a) information avoidance; b) content corroboration and active search for reliable sources; and c) differentiated media use.

The invisible burden of managing COVID-19 for Australian women: Cognitive labor and public health information

Providing accurate and timely public health information is an ongoing challenge for public health officials. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated such challenges and presented unique difficulties in providing public health information, through the parallel rise of an "infodemic" of mis/dis-information. Understanding why individuals select, use and change their public health information seeking behaviors around COVID-19, and the relationship of these decisions relative to participant characteristics, is therefore an important step in understanding and responding to infodemics. This study used a qualitative survey (n = 255) and free-text qualitative questions to ask (1) Why participants use an information source, (2) How participants used an information source, and (3) How information seeking behavior has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were primarily women, born in Australia, with de-facto/married relationships, without children at home, with university/college qualifications, and employed full-time or unemployed/retired. Most participants identified "easiness" and "immediacy" as reasons why they chose and used information, with sources primarily used for planning, communication, and decision making. A minority of participants changed their information seeking behavior since the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who did change, desired more immediate and accurate information. Emergent themes of care and anxiety were also noted, raising questions around the impact of mental load and cognitive labor in some female populations. Women may be suffering from increased cognitive labor and a gendering of public health information seeking behavior in the context of COVID-19. The impact of these attributes on women requires greater empirical research and consideration amongst front line practitioners and public health professionals.

Social Media Overload and Anxiety Among University Students During the COVID-19 Omicron Wave Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Study in Shanghai, China, 2022

Objectives: The increase in the intensity of social media use during the COVID-19 lockdown has affected mental health. Therefore, it is of practical implications to explore the association between social media overload and anxiety and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Using data from 644 university students during the COVID-19 blockade in Shanghai from March to April 2022, the chain mediation model of information strain and risk perception of omicron between social media overload and anxiety was then tested using the macro PROCESS4.0 tool. Results: The findings showed that social media overload (including information overload and social overload) was positively associated with anxiety. This relationship was mediated by information strain and risk perception of Omicron. A chain mediating role of information strain and risk perception of Omicron has also been proved in this study. Conclusion: Social media overload has a positive effect on anxiety by increasing information strain and risk perception of Omicron. This study provides some implications for future interventions on how to use social media properly for mental health during the pandemic and health management of urban governance.

Public information needs during the COVID-19 outbreak: a qualitative study in mainland China

Purpose

The impact of COVID-19 has led to a surge in the public’s reliance on the Internet for pandemic information, and the policy of home isolation has exacerbated this. This study aimed to investigate public information needs and ways of accessing and disseminating information during COVID-19 in mainland China.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a qualitative research approach to conduct semi-structured interviews with 15 participants from 9 cities in mainland China about information needs and access behaviors during the COVID-19 outbreak. All interview recordings were converted into text and proofread, then coded and summarised in correspondence with the research questions using the grounded theory.

Findings

This study summarized the dynamics of public information needs during the 2.5-year pandemic and identified the difficulties in accessing certain information.

Originality/value

Although information needs of public health emergencies have been a hot topic during COVID-19, scant studies focus on information needs in specific countries in Asia, especially in mainland China, the first country with a major outbreak and stringent lockdown mandates. Therefore, the current study is well enriched by focusing on information demand behavior in the context of COVID-19. Possible measures for improvement were also given to existing and potential problems, taking into account the participants’ views.

Influencing factors of users' shift to buying expensive virtual gifts in live streaming: Empirical evidence from China

The market size of live streaming on the Internet, in which the streamer earns profit by prompting users to give virtual gifts through emotional labor, is getting bigger and bigger. However, most users will only buy cheap virtual gifts in live streaming, therefore exploring how to promote users to buy expensive virtual gifts is a valuable topic in live commerce research. Based on social presence theory and information overload theory, this study used the PLS-SEM method to investigate the factors influencing live streaming users to shift from buying cheap virtual gifts to buying expensive virtual gifts, and analyzed the moderating role of information overload in these relationships. The results show that immediate interaction anxiety, verbal intimacy, and virtual physical intimacy positively influence users' shift to purchasing expensive virtual gifts, and that perceived network size and perceived financial risk are negative factors in users' shift to purchasing expensive virtual gifts. Information overload has a moderating role in the relationship between immediate interaction anxiety and switch intention, and it also plays a moderating role in the relationship between perceived network size and perceived financial risk on users' switch intention.

The effect of information overload and perceived risk on tourists' intention to travel in the post-COVID-19 pandemic

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism economy has been seriously affected. China has implemented a direct traveling management mechanism and recovered from the pandemic faster than the rest of the world. However, the COVID-19 situation is complicated and uncontrollable because of the available unclear information including difficult medical terminologies. This study attempts to find the determinants of the travel intention of China's tourists in the post-COVID-19 epidemic. Along with information overload and perception risk, an expanded research model of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was employed to propose the theoretical framework of this study. A survey was conducted among 518 tourists who spend their holiday in Hainan, which is a popular tourist destination in China. The empirical results show that information overload positively and significantly impacted perceived risk. Furthermore, perceived risk negatively affects the intention to travel. Perceived risk also negatively affected the attitude toward traveling. However, response self-efficacy did not have a significant effect on the intention to travel. Finally, based on the analysis results, this study proposes relevant research contributions and practical recommendations with management implications for the travel industries.

Scale development and validation for usage of social networking sites during COVID-19

This research aims to explore the usage of social networking sites in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the objective, this study develops and validates a scale to measure the usage of social networking sites. Data was collected via a google form link through social networking sites in India viz. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and WhatsApp. A total of 204 responses were found accurate and useable for the study. The population of the study includes people residing in India. Data was analyzed applying SPSS 20 and AMOS 22.0. To design and validate the scale, both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used in conjunction with each other. The EFA results indicate a six-factor structure, explaining 73.43% of the cumulative variance, with all the items loading above 0.70. Thus, all the 20 items of six constructs meet this threshold limit. Therefore, this 20-items questionnaire emerges as an effective tool for assessing social networking usage. This study developed and validated the scale of usage of social networking sites to measure the six constructs informativeness, education, entertainment, shopping, socialization and social cause. Social media developers and analysts can use this scale from a technological standpoint to redesign and refine their websites for a better user interface. Since the research is primarily focused on India, extrapolating the results to other countries is difficult.

The use of the Dark Web as a COVID-19 information source: A three-country study

The Dark Web (i.e., the anonymous web or Darknet) contains potentially harmful COVID-19-related information and content such as conspiracy theories and forged certificates. The Dark Web may particularly attract individuals who are suspicious about the pandemic, but there is no research concerning the use of the Dark Web as a COVID-19 information source. In this study, we investigated the role of COVID-19 skepticism, online activities, and loneliness in the use of the Dark Web platforms as a COVID-19 information source. The data (N = 3000) were gathered in April 2021 from 18 to 75-year-old respondents from Finland (n = 1000), Sweden (n = 1000) and the United Kingdom (n = 1000). The respondents were asked how often they had utilized Dark Web platforms (for example via TOR-network) as a COVID-19 information source during the pandemic. Self-reported measures of institutional trust, anti-vaccine stances, restriction obedience, online activities, and loneliness were used as predictors in the logistic regression model. Age, gender, and education were also included in the model. The Dark Web use was more prevalent in the UK and Sweden. There was an association between anti-vaccine stances and active Dark Web use in the UK and Sweden, while low institutional trust predicted use among Finnish respondents. In all countries, restriction disobedience was related to Dark Web use as a COVID-19 information source. Frequent online gambling, increased social media use, and loneliness predicted Dark Web use, and these associations were even stronger among frequent Dark Web users than occasional users. Younger age and male gender were also associated with Dark Web use. The unregulated nature of the Dark Web makes it a risky alternative to COVID-19 information, attracting individuals who are suspicious about the pandemic and overall active online users. Misleading information and availability of forged certificates on the Dark Web challenge official health policies, posing significant risks for both individual and public health.

Risk Perception, Media, and Ordinary People's Intention to Engage in Self-Protective Behaviors in the Early Stage of COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Objective

This study aims to examine how risk perception is associated with engagement in preventative behaviors and testing during the COVID-19 pandemic in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in February 2020, eventually obtaining 1613 participants, participants'risk perceptions, demographics (sex, age, education level, marital status, and employment status), as well as their engagement in self-protective behaviors and testing were assessed.

Results

Risk perception significantly affected intention to engage in self-protective behaviors, the more risk people feel, the more likely they intend to take self-protective actions(β =0.0423; P < 0.01), and simultaneously, people obtaining information on COVID-19 from Official microblogs and public accounts(OMPA) (β =0.189; P < 0.01)and Online websites(OW) (β =0.143; P < 0.1)were more inclined to take self-protective behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also showed that the interaction of risk perception and Online websites negatively affected the intention to engage in self-protective behaviors(β = -0.0374; P < 0.05), and conversely, the interaction of risk perception and Overseas media(OM) positively affected self-protective intention(β = 0.0423; P < 0.1).

Conclusion

There was a close relationship between the risk perception and the intention to engage in self-protective behaviors. At the same time, the use of media not only directly affected the intention to engage in self-protective behaviors but also moderated the impact of risk perception on the self-protection intention. Specifically, official media directly strengthened the intention to engage in self-protective behaviors. Online websites not only directly affected self-protection intention but also moderated the effect of risk perception on it. Although overseas media had no direct effect on self-protection intention, they moderated the effect of risk perception on it. These conclusions have policy implications for governments' response to the COVID-19 epidemic.

How Official Social Media Affected the Infodemic among Adults during the First Wave of COVID-19 in China

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that social media can impact society both positively (e.g., keeping citizens connected and informed) and negatively (e.g., the deliberate spreading of misinformation). This study aims to examine the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between official social media accounts and the infodemic, experienced during the first wave of COVID-19 in China. A theoretical model is proposed to examine how official social media accounts affected the infodemic during this period. In total, 1398 questionnaire responses were collected via WeChat and Tencent QQ, two leading Chinese social media platforms. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Lease Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), moderation effect analysis, and mediation effect analysis. Results indicate that the Information Quality (IQ) of Official social media accounts (β = −0.294, p < 0.001) has a significant negative effect on the infodemic. Mediation effect analysis revealed that both social support (β = −0.333, 95% Boot CI (−0.388, −0.280)) and information cascades (β = −0.189, 95% Boot CI (−0.227, −0.151)) mediate the relationship between IQ and the infodemic. Moderation effect analysis shows that private social media usage (F = 85.637, p < 0.001) positively moderates the relationship between IQ and the infodemic, while health literacy has a small negative moderation effect on the relationship between IQ and the infodemic. Our findings show that, in the context of Chinese media, official social media accounts act as a major source of information for influencing the infodemic through increasing social support and reducing information cascades for citizens.

How does information overload about COVID-19 vaccines influence individuals' vaccination intentions? The roles of cyberchondria, perceived risk, and vaccine skepticism

This research proposes and tests an integrated model to explain how information overload influence vaccine skepticism and vaccination intention. In addition, this research investigates the effectiveness of using a celebrity endorsement strategy in promoting vaccination and compares its effectiveness with other endorsement types. A survey study (Study 1) was conducted to examine the mechanism underlying the impact of the COVID-19 vaccine information overload on vaccine skepticism that, subsequently, affects vaccination intention. It also examined the moderating role of celebrity endorsement trustworthiness. The results indicate that information overload positively influenced vaccine skepticism through cyberchondria and perceived risk of the vaccine, which subsequently reduces vaccination intention. The negative effect of vaccine skepticism on vaccination intention was weakened by the celebrity endorsement that was considered trustworthy. A follow-up experimental study (Study 2) was performed to compare the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement with other endorsement types (i.e., government official and medical expert endorsements). The results showed that the celebrity endorsement was more effective in mitigating the negative effect of vaccine skepticism on vaccination intention compared to government official and medical expert. The findings provide practical insights into how governments can minimize people's vaccine skeptical views and increase their vaccination intentions.

COVID-19 Anxiety as a Moderator of the Relationship between Organizational Change and Perception of Organizational Politics in Forestry Public Sector

In addition to an outstanding commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) agenda to good governance (goal no. 16), there is an argument that the SDGs can only be achieved through good governance with strong political institutions and processes. In Indonesia, a new era in politics has been marked with the new leadership of Joko Widodo (the current Indonesian President) who has a vision to reform the Indonesian bureaucracy. One of the bureaucratic reform implementations is the merging of the Ministry of Forestry and the Ministry of Environment into the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoE). In this kind of organizational change, employees may have increased perceptions of organizational politics and feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. This effect is suspected to be exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article, therefore, aims to investigate the effects of organizational change in the public sector. Based on a survey of 112 state civil apparatuses in the forestry sector in Indonesia, we found that organizational change is positively related to employees’ perception of organizational politics. Nevertheless, our most intriguing finding is that the COVID pandemic situation has decreased employees’ perception of organizational politics. This is because political behaviors are difficult to perform in virtual working settings due to reduced face-to-face interaction and limited non-verbal cues.

Adverse consequences of emotional support seeking through social network sites in coping with stress from a global pandemic

This study explores how using social networking sites (SNSs) to cope with stressors induced by a global pandemic (in this case, COVID-19) can have negative consequences. The pandemic has imposed particular stressors on individuals, such as the threats of contracting the virus and of unemployment. Owing to the lockdowns and confinements implemented to limit the spread of the pandemic, SNS use has surged worldwide. Drawing on Lazarus and Folkman's theory of stress and coping, we consider COVID-19 obsession to be an adverse emotional response to the stressors brought about by the pandemic and emotional support seeking through SNS as a coping strategy. Furthermore, we identify SNS exhaustion as an adverse outcome of this form of coping. Finally, we analyze the intention to reduce SNS use as a corrective behavioral outcome to mitigate the negative effect of SNS-mediated coping. The findings indicate that: 1) the threat of the COVID-19 disease and the threat of unemployment drive COVID-19 obsession; 2) COVID-19 obsession contributes to emotional support seeking through SNS; 3) emotional support seeking through SNS exerts a positive effect on SNS exhaustion; 4) SNS exhaustion contributes to the intention to reduce SNS use. Our results advance Information Systems (IS) research by focusing on the use of Information Technology (IT) to cope with stressors that are essentially not IT-related; such research is largely absent from previous literature. Furthermore, our paper contributes to the increasing amount of literature on IT-mediated coping with stressors and reduced social media use.

Remote learning via video conferencing technologies: Implications for research and practice

Following the unprecedented outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), educators and students have shifted from conventional face-to-face lectures to fully virtual sessions that were delivered via video conferencing software. This research investigates the facilitating conditions and the students' perceptions toward using these interactive resources to continue their learning journey. The data was gathered through a structured questionnaire among 777 students in tertiary education. The survey instrument comprised valid measures that are frequently utilized in academia, to evaluate the individuals' acceptance of interactive educational technologies. A partial least squares (PLS) approach revealed that there were very significant factors that were predicting the students' dispositions to utilize synchronous learning programs. The findings underlined the importance of providing appropriate facilitating conditions to improve perceptions and attitudes toward interactive conferencing software. These results reflect the latest developments, as COVID-19 has inevitably accelerated the digital transformation in the realms of education. This contribution implies that students adapted well to a new normal. It confirmed that they are willing to participate and engage in virtual meetings through video conferencing programs.

Predicting Health Care Providers' Acceptance of a Personal Health Record Secure Messaging Feature

BACKGROUND

Personal health records (PHRs) can facilitate patient-centered communication through the secure messaging feature. As health care organizations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia implement PHRs and begin to implement the secure messaging feature, studies are needed to evaluate health care providers' acceptance.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify predictors of health care providers' behavioral intention to support the addition of a secure messaging feature in PHRs using an adapted model of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology as the theoretical framework.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional survey design, data on acceptance of secure messaging features in PHRs were collected from health care providers working at the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs between April and May 2021. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling in SmartPLS.

RESULTS

There were 224 participants: female (66.5%), 40 to 49 years of age (39.9%), nurses (45.1%), and those working more than 10 years in the organization (68.8%). Behavioral intention to support the addition of a secure messaging feature was significantly influenced by performance expectancy (β = 0.21, p = 0.01) and attitude (β = 0.50, p < 0.01), while other predicting factors, such as effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating condition, did not significantly affect the intention. Furthermore, age, years of experience, and professional role did not moderate the relationships.

CONCLUSION

Health care professionals will support introducing a secure messaging feature in the PHRs if they serve the intended purpose. Considering attitude also plays a significant role in acceptance, it is necessary to arrange for training and support, so that caregivers, health care providers, and the patients become familiar with the benefits and expected outcomes of using the feature.

Applied Artificial Intelligence and user satisfaction: Smartwatch usage for healthcare in Bangladesh during COVID-19

The evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized many aspects of human life, including healthcare. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, AI-enabled smartwatches are being used to help users to self-monitor and self-manage their health. Using a framework based on Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, this present study aimed to explore the use of AI-enabled smartwatches for health purposes, in particular the effects of product quality, service quality, perceived convenience, and perceived ease of use on user experience, trust and user satisfaction. Based on a purposive survey sample of 486 smartphone users in Bangladesh, data collected was analyzed using SPSS software for elementary analyses and PLS-SEM for hypotheses testing. The findings showed that the predictors, namely product quality, service quality, perceived convenience, and perceived ease of use, significantly affected user experience and trust. Similarly, user experience and trust were influential on user satisfaction and played partial mediating roles between predictors and user satisfaction. Besides, gender and age moderate the relationships of experience and trust with customer satisfaction. These findings support the S-O-R theoretical framework and have practical implications for brand and marketing managers of smartwatches in developing product features and understanding users' attitudes and behaviours.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on public managers' attitudes toward digital transformation

The COVID-19 pandemic has induced a process of digital acceleration and has likely changed the attitudes of local public managers toward information and communication technology (ICT). While this attitude change has been reasonably argued, it has not been systematically measured. This study narrows this gap by measuring the attitudes of public managers before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, this study finds that the pandemic has led public managers to be more confident in the capacity of ICT to help cities achieve their economic, social, and environmental goals and respond to challenges. Both explicit and implicit measures confirmed attitude changes. The explicit measures also indicated that the change in public managers' attitude toward ICT was similar to their change in attitude toward scientific progress and greater than their change in attitude toward other issues that have played a major role during the pandemic, namely, climate change, citizen participation, and privacy.

Health Care Providers' Acceptance of a Personal Health Record: Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Personal health records (PHRs) are eHealth tools designed to support patient engagement, patient empowerment, and patient- and person-centered care. Endorsement of a PHR by health care providers (HCPs) facilitates patient acceptance. As health care organizations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia begin to adopt PHRs, understanding the perspectives of HCPs is important because it can influence patient adoption. However, no studies evaluated HCPs' acceptance of PHRs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify predictors of HCPs' acceptance of PHRs using behavioral intention to recommend as a proxy for adoption.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among HCPs (physicians, pharmacists, nurses, technicians, others) utilizing a survey based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. The main theory constructs of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and positive attitude were considered independent variables. Behavioral intention was the dependent variable. Age, years of experience, and professional role were tested as moderators between the main theory constructs and behavioral intention using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Of the 291 participants, 246 were included in the final analysis. Behavioral intention to support PHR use among patients was significantly influenced by performance expectancy (β=.17, P=.03) and attitude (β=.61, P<.01). No moderating effects were present.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified performance expectancy and attitude as predictors of HCPs' behavioral intention to recommend PHR to patients. To encourage HCPs to endorse PHRs, health care organizations should involve HCPs in the implementation and provide training on the features available as well as expected benefits. Future studies should be conducted in other contexts and include other potential predictors.

YouTube's growth in use among children 0-5 during COVID19: The Occidental European case

YouTube has become an educational and entertainment tool among Western European families, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study monitored the main channels for children aged 0-5 years by using the social media analysis (SNA) methodology from March 24, 2020 to August 24, 2020. The software used has been FanpageKarma, which allows the collection and interpretation of data. The results indicate not only a growth in the use of such channels during confinement, but also how their expansion is related to the evolution of the COVID-19, reflecting, in turn, the consequences of the government policies adopted. Social distancing generated a greater consumption of recreational content, but not a greater growth in educational content regardless of the country or culture.

Is job performance conditioned by work-from-home demands and resources?

Substantial research has been dedicated to describing remote work, yet the understanding of working from home since the Covid-19 pandemic remains rather limited. While recognising the necessity for exploring employees' perceptions and interaction with technology as the ultimate requirement for a functional work-from-home, this study observes the factors that would determine job performance. Thus, adhering to the Job Demands-Resources theory, we argue that employees' ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) anxiety and smartphone addiction can inhibit their work progress by provoking interruptions in the course and reducing the efficacy, further affecting performance. PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modelling) was employed to analyse the data collected by 363 employees working from home due to Covid-19 restrictive measures. The results reveal that employees' reluctance and apprehensiveness related to the use of ICT and their dependency on smartphone usage act as distractions that impact the efficient achievement of work goals. The ensued findings valuably contribute to the relevant body of knowledge, while the implications offer helpful strategies for improving work-from-home. Finally, companies must simplify the transition to the home office, providing employees with job management and tools to ensure uninterrupted and productive working processes.

Toward street vending in post COVID-19 China: Social networking services information overload and switching intention

With the progress of epidemic containment, the Chinese government has relaxed its regulatory policies on street vending, hoping to help people who have lost their livelihoods and to assist in the restoration of social and economic order. In response, Chinese people poured into the stall economy, especially individual peddlers, with great expectations for street vending. Street vending has become a hot topic on Chinese social network sites (SNSs). Based on the push-pull-mooring framework, SNS information overload theory was introduced and combined with the actual situations of street vending in China, and a structural equation model was established to study factors affecting individual Chinese peddlers' intention to engage in street vending and the effects of SNS information overload on these factors. Results revealed that perceived policy benefits, subjective norms, and switching cost perceptions of individual peddlers were positive factors affecting their intention to engage in street vending. SNS information overload positively affected individual peddlers' dissatisfaction with their original business model, anxieties over their livings, perception of policy benefits, and subjective norms but negatively affected individual peddlers' perception of switching costs.