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Tsai JY, Shih TJ, Tsai TI, Lee SM, Liang CM. Individualism, economic development, and democracy as determinants of COVID-19 risk information on 132 government websites. Prev Med Rep 2023; 34:102242. [PMID: 37214163 PMCID: PMC10181946 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about how governments transparently communicate about COVID-19. This study conducted a content analysis of 132 government COVID-19 websites to identify the salience of health messages (i.e., perceived threat, perceived efficacy, and perceived resilience) and cross-national determinants of information provision. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between country-level predictors (i.e., economic development, democracy scores, and individualism index) and information salience. The numbers of deaths, discharged patients, and daily new cases were prevalent on the main webpages. Subpages provided information about vulnerability statistics, government responses, and vaccination rates. Less than 10% of governments included messages that may instill self-efficacy. Democratic countries had higher chances of providing threat statistics on subpages, including daily new cases (Relative Risk Ratio, RRR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.16-2.37), mortalities (RRR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.23-2.33), hospitalizations (RRR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.12-2.37), and positivity rates (RRR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.07-2.23). On subpages, democratic governments emphasized information about perceived vulnerability (RRR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.50-3.73), perceived response efficacy (RRR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.06-2.06), recovery numbers (RRR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.31-2.60), and vaccinations (RRR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.39-3.30). Developed countries reported the number of daily new cases, perceived response efficacy, and vaccination rates on their COVID-19 main pages. Individualism scores predicted the salience of vaccination rates on main pages and the omission of information related to perceived severity and perceived vulnerability. Democracy levels were more predictive of reporting information about perceived severity, perceived response efficacy, and perceived resilience on subpages of dedicated websites. Improving public health agencies' communication about COVID-19 is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiun-Yi Tsai
- School of Communication, Northern Arizona University, United States
| | - Tsung-Jen Shih
- International Master's Program in International Communication Studies, Taiwan Institute for Governance and Communication Research, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
| | - Tien-I Tsai
- Department of Library and Information Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Man Lee
- Miin Wu School of Computing, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ming Liang
- Graduate Institute of Health and Biotechnology Law, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan
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6
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Wu Z, Tian H, Xu D, Chen J, Hu Y, Wang X, Zhou S. Influencing Factors and Symbiotic Mechanism of the Integration of Medical Care and Disease Prevention during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Public Hospital Employees. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:241. [PMID: 36612563 PMCID: PMC9819979 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 outbreak has accelerated the huge difference between medical care and disease prevention in Chinese medical institutions. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the symbiotic units, environments, models, and effects of the integration of medical care and disease prevention. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 762 employees of public hospitals in 11 cities in Zhejiang Province by random stratified sampling. We analyzed the influence paths of elements in the mechanism of integration of medical care and disease prevention and the mediating effect of symbiotic models among symbiotic units, symbiotic environments, and effects on this integration. Results: The path coefficient of the symbiotic unit on the symbiosis model was 0.46 (p < 0.001), the path coefficient of the symbiotic environment on the symbiosis model was 0.52 (p < 0.001). The path coefficient of the symbiotic unit and the environment was 0.91 (p < 0.001). The symbiotic models exhibited a partial mediation effect between symbiotic units and the effect of this integration. Sobel test = 3.27, β = 0.152, and the mediating effect accounted for 34.6%. Conclusions: It is suggested that health policymakers and public hospital managers should provide sufficient symbiotic units, establish collaborative symbiotic models, and improve the effects of integration of medical care and disease prevention in public hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wu
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang St., Yuhang, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Huiyi Tian
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang St., Yuhang, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Dongjian Xu
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang St., Yuhang, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Jiaying Chen
- School of Public Administration, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang St., Yuhang, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yaqi Hu
- School of Public Administration, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang St., Yuhang, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xiaohe Wang
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang St., Yuhang, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Siyu Zhou
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang St., Yuhang, Hangzhou 311121, China
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Molino AR, Andersen KM, Sawyer SB, Ðoàn LN, Rivera YM, James BD, Fox MP, Murray EJ, D’Agostino McGowan L, Jarrett BA. The Expert Next Door: Interactions With Friends and Family During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Am J Epidemiol 2022; 191:552-556. [PMID: 34618006 PMCID: PMC8513408 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwab245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic thrust the field of public health into the spotlight. For many epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and other public health professionals, this caused the professional aspects of our lives to collide with the personal, as friends and family reached out with concerns and questions. Learning how to navigate this space was new for many and required refining our communication depending on context, setting, and audience. Some of us took to social media, utilizing our existing personal accounts to share information after sorting through and summarizing the rapidly emerging literature to keep loved ones safe. However, those in our lives sometimes asked unanswerable questions, or began distancing themselves when we suggested more stringent guidance than they hoped, causing additional stress during an already traumatic time. We often had to remind ourselves that we are also individuals experiencing this pandemic, and that our time-intensive efforts were meaningful, relevant, and impactful. As this pandemic and other public health crises continue, we encourage our discipline to consider how we can best use shared lessons from this period, and recognize that our professional knowledge, when used in our personal lives, can promote, protect, and bolster confidence in public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea R Molino
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Correspondence to Andrea R. Molino, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205 (e-mail: )
| | - Kathleen M Andersen
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Simone B Sawyer
- Department of Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Lan N Ðoàn
- Department of Population Health Section for Health Equity, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
| | - Yonaira M Rivera
- Department of Communication, Rutgers University School of Communication & Information, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Bryan D James
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center; Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Epidemiology Research, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Matthew P Fox
- Departments of Epidemiology and Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Eleanor J Murray
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Lucy D’Agostino McGowan
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Brooke A Jarrett
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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11
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Dickinson KL, Roberts JD, Banacos N, Neuberger L, Koebele E, Blanch-Hartigan D, Shanahan EA. Structural Racism and the COVID-19 Experience in the United States. Health Secur 2021; 19:S14-S26. [PMID: 34076499 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2021.0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The long, fallacious history of attributing racial disparities in public health outcomes to biological inferiority or poor decision making persists in contemporary conversations about the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the disproportionate impacts of this pandemic on communities of color, it is essential for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to focus on how structural racism drives these disparate outcomes. In May and June 2020, we conducted a 6-state online survey to examine racial/ethnic differences in exposure to COVID-19, risk mitigation behaviors, risk perceptions, and COVID-19 impacts. Results show that Black and Hispanic individuals were more likely than White respondents to experience factors associated with structural racism (eg, living in larger households, going to work in person, using public transportation) that, by their very nature, increase the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19. Controlling for other demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, non-White respondents were equally or more likely than White respondents to take protective actions against COVID-19, including keeping distance from others and wearing masks. Black and Hispanic respondents also perceived higher risks of dying of the disease and of running out of money due to the pandemic, and 40% of Black respondents reported knowing someone who had died of COVID-19 at a time when the US death toll had just surpassed 100,000 people. To manage the current pandemic and prepare to combat future health crises in an effective, equitable, and antiracist manner, it is imperative to understand the structural factors perpetuating racial inequalities in the COVID-19 experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Dickinson
- Katherine L. Dickinson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Natalie Banacos, MS, is a Professional Research Assistant; both in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO. Jennifer D. Roberts, DrPH, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Lindsay Neuberger, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Nicholson School of Communication and Media, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. Elizabeth Koebele, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV. Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, PhD, MPH, is Associate Professor of Health Studies, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA. Elizabeth A. Shanahan, DA, MPA, MS, is a Professor and Associate Vice President of Research Development, Department of Political Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
| | - Jennifer D Roberts
- Katherine L. Dickinson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Natalie Banacos, MS, is a Professional Research Assistant; both in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO. Jennifer D. Roberts, DrPH, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Lindsay Neuberger, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Nicholson School of Communication and Media, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. Elizabeth Koebele, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV. Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, PhD, MPH, is Associate Professor of Health Studies, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA. Elizabeth A. Shanahan, DA, MPA, MS, is a Professor and Associate Vice President of Research Development, Department of Political Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
| | - Natalie Banacos
- Katherine L. Dickinson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Natalie Banacos, MS, is a Professional Research Assistant; both in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO. Jennifer D. Roberts, DrPH, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Lindsay Neuberger, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Nicholson School of Communication and Media, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. Elizabeth Koebele, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV. Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, PhD, MPH, is Associate Professor of Health Studies, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA. Elizabeth A. Shanahan, DA, MPA, MS, is a Professor and Associate Vice President of Research Development, Department of Political Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
| | - Lindsay Neuberger
- Katherine L. Dickinson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Natalie Banacos, MS, is a Professional Research Assistant; both in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO. Jennifer D. Roberts, DrPH, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Lindsay Neuberger, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Nicholson School of Communication and Media, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. Elizabeth Koebele, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV. Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, PhD, MPH, is Associate Professor of Health Studies, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA. Elizabeth A. Shanahan, DA, MPA, MS, is a Professor and Associate Vice President of Research Development, Department of Political Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
| | - Elizabeth Koebele
- Katherine L. Dickinson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Natalie Banacos, MS, is a Professional Research Assistant; both in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO. Jennifer D. Roberts, DrPH, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Lindsay Neuberger, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Nicholson School of Communication and Media, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. Elizabeth Koebele, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV. Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, PhD, MPH, is Associate Professor of Health Studies, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA. Elizabeth A. Shanahan, DA, MPA, MS, is a Professor and Associate Vice President of Research Development, Department of Political Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
| | - Danielle Blanch-Hartigan
- Katherine L. Dickinson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Natalie Banacos, MS, is a Professional Research Assistant; both in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO. Jennifer D. Roberts, DrPH, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Lindsay Neuberger, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Nicholson School of Communication and Media, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. Elizabeth Koebele, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV. Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, PhD, MPH, is Associate Professor of Health Studies, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA. Elizabeth A. Shanahan, DA, MPA, MS, is a Professor and Associate Vice President of Research Development, Department of Political Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
| | - Elizabeth A Shanahan
- Katherine L. Dickinson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Natalie Banacos, MS, is a Professional Research Assistant; both in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO. Jennifer D. Roberts, DrPH, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Lindsay Neuberger, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Nicholson School of Communication and Media, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. Elizabeth Koebele, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV. Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, PhD, MPH, is Associate Professor of Health Studies, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA. Elizabeth A. Shanahan, DA, MPA, MS, is a Professor and Associate Vice President of Research Development, Department of Political Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
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