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Li J, Chen J. Media exposure, trustworthiness of sources and the health information literacy knowledge gap: a study in China. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:daad129. [PMID: 37837409 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Health information literacy (HIL), as an essential part of the wellbeing of citizens, is a crucial indicator used to measure a country's primary public health level. The present study collected 1051 samples in southern China to examine the factors predicting HIL. The results showed that males, those less educated, and older adults had lower HIL. Television exposure, unofficial Internet exposure, trust in government and trust in doctors and medical institutions were positively associated with HIL. In contrast, newspapers, radio exposure and trust in web celebrities were negatively associated with HIL. Official Internet media exposure helps to bridge the HIL knowledge gap generated by differences in education level, while trust in celebrities-especially web celebrities-could widen the HIL knowledge gap. This study extends the knowledge gap theory in health communication in the Chinese context and provides pathways for future health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxu Li
- Department of Communication and Journalism, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Juan Chen
- School of Journalism and Communication, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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2
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Mathews CJ. New directions in ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness development: Contextual considerations in the aftermath of COVID-19. Curr Opin Psychol 2023; 52:101649. [PMID: 37487413 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Though ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness have often been studied in isolation, numerous racialized and sociopolitical events that occurred during COVID-19 offer a unique opportunity to study how youth of color's understandings of ethnicity and race overlap with their understandings of racial inequality. This review article examines how families, schools, and digital sociopolitical contexts facilitated youth of color's understandings of their own racial self-concept while simultaneously shaping the experiences with and resistance to racial inequality. I conclude with a call to scholars to consider the role of context in the integrated study of these two salient developmental processes in the lives of youth of color.
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Juvalta S, Speranza C, Robin D, El Maohub Y, Krasselt J, Dreesen P, Dratva J, Suggs LS. Young people's media use and adherence to preventive measures in the "infodemic": Is it masked by political ideology? Soc Sci Med 2023; 317:115596. [PMID: 36535229 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Navigating in the COVID-19 "infodemic" and adhering to preventive measures is especially challenging for young people. The use of information sources and political ideology are empirically important factors for adherence behavior. How these two are interconnected and if political ideology on its own contributes to adherence is not yet well established in young people. OBJECTIVE This study investigates what role political ideology and political extremism, use of information sources, trust and risk perception play for adhering to preventive measures in young people. METHODS Cross-sectional online survey in a representative random sample of young people aged 15-34 in two German-speaking and one Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. The hypotheses were tested with logistic regression and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS The odds for using the following information sources decreases for young people positioning themselves towards the right pole of the ideology scale: health-based sources 0.90 (CI: 0.84-0.97), news sources 0.93 (CI 0.87-0.997) and other websites 0.83 (CI: 0.75-0.92). In contrast, the odds of using broadcasting sources increases for young people positioning themselves towards the right pole of the ideology scale (OR: 1.08, CI 1.01-1.15). The odds of using social media decreases with higher political extremism (OR 0.88, CI 0.78-0.99). Political extremism was related with lower adherence to preventive measures in young people with low trust in the government, scientists, and journalists. CONCLUSION Young peoples' use of information sources is associated with their political ideology and political extremism needs to be taken in account in conjunction with low trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibylle Juvalta
- School of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Katharina-Sulzer-Platz 9, Postfach, 8401, Winterthur, Switzerland.
| | - Camilla Speranza
- BeChange Research Group, Institute of Communication and Public Policy and Institue of Public Health, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Via Guiseppe Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Dominik Robin
- School of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Katharina-Sulzer-Platz 9, Postfach, 8401, Winterthur, Switzerland.
| | - Yassmeen El Maohub
- BeChange Research Group, Institute of Communication and Public Policy and Institue of Public Health, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Via Guiseppe Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Julia Krasselt
- Institute of Language Competence, ZHAW School of Applied Linguistics, Theaterstrasse 17, Postfach, 8401, Winterthur, Switzerland.
| | - Philipp Dreesen
- Institute of Language Competence, ZHAW School of Applied Linguistics, Theaterstrasse 17, Postfach, 8401, Winterthur, Switzerland.
| | - Julia Dratva
- School of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Katharina-Sulzer-Platz 9, Postfach, 8401, Winterthur, Switzerland; Medical Faculty, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 61, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - L Suzanne Suggs
- BeChange Research Group, Institute of Communication and Public Policy and Institue of Public Health, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Via Guiseppe Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.
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Hoffman AJ, McGuire L, Mathews CJ, Joy A, Law F, Drews M, Rutland A, Hartstone-Rose A, Winterbottom M, Mulvey KL. The importance of trust in the relation between COVID-19 information from social media and well-being among adolescents and young adults. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282076. [PMID: 36952559 PMCID: PMC10035839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, young people have been exposed to distressing content about COVID-19 without knowing whether they can trust such content. This indicates a need to examine the effects of social media use on mental health and well-being. Existing research provides an inconsistent impression of such effects. Thus, we examined the relation between exposure to COVID-19 information on social media and well-being and assessed if trust in COVID-19 information on social media moderated this relationship. The sample consisted of 168 adolescents and young adults from the U.K. and U.S. (Mage = 17.4 years). Participants completed measures of exposure to, and trust in, COVID-19 information on social media platforms, and measures of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Results revealed a null to positive relation between exposure to COVID-19 information on social media and well-being across measures. However, when trust was added to the models as a moderator, results indicated that, for adolescents with higher levels of trust in COVID-19 information found on social media, the relation between information encountered on social media and well-being was positive. In contrast, for adolescents with lower levels of trust, the association between information encountered on social media and well-being was null or sometimes negative. Given the lack of consensus about the impact of social media use on well-being, these results point to the importance of trust when assessing the relationship between exposure to COVID-19 information and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Hoffman
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Luke McGuire
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Channing J Mathews
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Angelina Joy
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Fidelia Law
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Drews
- EdVenture, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Adam Rutland
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Hartstone-Rose
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Mark Winterbottom
- Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kelly Lynn Mulvey
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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Hill PW, Diamond J, Spiegel AN, VanWormer E, Leadabrand M, McQuillan J. Accuracy of COVID-19 relevant knowledge among youth: Number of information sources matters. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267871. [PMID: 36574374 PMCID: PMC9794086 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Can comics effectively convey scientific knowledge about COVID-19 to youth? What types and how many sources of information did youth have about COVID-19 during the pandemic? How are sources of information associated with accurate COVID-19 knowledge? To answer these questions, we surveyed youth in grades 5-9 in a Midwestern United States school district in the winter of 2020-2021. The online survey used measures of COVID-19 knowledge and sources, with an embedded experiment on COVID-19 relevant comics. Guided by an integrated science capital and just-in-time health and science information acquisition model, we also measured level of science capital, science identity, and utility of science for health and society. The school district protocol required parental consent for participation; 264 of ~15,000 youth participated. Youth were randomly assigned one of four comic conditions before receiving an online survey. Results indicate that, similar to knowledge gains in comic studies on other science topics, reading the comics was associated with 7 to 29% higher accuracy about COVID-19. We found that youth reported getting information about COVID-19 from between 0-6 sources including media, family, friends, school, and experts. The bivariate positive association of news versus other sources with accuracy of knowledge did not persist in the full model, yet the positive association of a higher number of sources and accuracy did persist in the multivariate models. The degree of valuing the utility of science for their health moderated the number of sources to accuracy association. Those with less value on science for health had a stronger positive association of number of sources and accuracy in COVID-19 knowledge. We conclude that during a pandemic, even with health and science information ubiquitous in the news media, increasing youth access to a variety of accurate sources of information about science and health can increase youth knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Wonch Hill
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Judy Diamond
- University Libraries & State Museum, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Amy N. Spiegel
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth VanWormer
- School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Meghan Leadabrand
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Julia McQuillan
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
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Patte KA, Wade TJ, MacNeil AJ, Bélanger RE, Duncan MJ, Riazi N, Leatherdale ST. Support for mask use as a COVID-19 public health measure among a large sample of Canadian secondary school students. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1598. [PMID: 35996138 PMCID: PMC9395950 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14011-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Youth voice has been largely absent from deliberations regarding public health measures intended to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission, despite being one of the populations most impacted by school-based policies. To inform public health strategies and messages, we examined the level of student support of mask use in public spaces and school mask requirements, as well as factors associated with students' perspectives. METHODS We used cross-sectional survey data from 42,767 adolescents attending 133 Canadian secondary schools that participated in the COMPASS study during the 2020/2021 school year. Multinomial regression models assessed support for i) wearing a mask in indoor public spaces and ii) schools requiring students to wear masks, in association with COVID-19 knowledge, concerns, and perceived risk. RESULTS Wearing masks in indoor public spaces was supported by 81.9% of students; 8.7% were unsupportive and 9.4% were neutral/undecided. School mask requirements were supported by 67.8%, with 23.1% neutral and 9.1% unsupportive. More females supported mask wearing in public spaces (83.9% vs. 79.1%) and school mask requirements (70.8% vs. 63.5%) than males. Students had increased odds of supporting mask use in public spaces and school mask requirements if they reported concerns about their own or their family's health, had discussions regarding ways to prevent infection, perceived COVID-19 to be a risk to young people, and knew that signs are not always present in COVID-19 cases and that masks prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission if someone coughs. CONCLUSIONS During the year following the beginning of the pandemic, most students supported the required use of masks in schools and wearing masks in indoor public spaces. Improving knowledge around the effectiveness of masks appears likely to have the largest impact on mask support in adolescent populations among the factors studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Patte
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Niagara Region, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Terrance J Wade
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Niagara Region, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Adam J MacNeil
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Niagara Region, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Richard E Bélanger
- Projet COMPASS-Québec, VITAM - Centre de recherche en santé durable de l'Université Laval, 2480 chemin de la Canardière, Quebec City, QC, G1J 2G1, Canada.,Departement of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medecine, Université Laval, Ferdinand Vandry Pavillon, 1050 Avenue de la Médecine, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Markus J Duncan
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Niagara Region, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Negin Riazi
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Niagara Region, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Scott T Leatherdale
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave., Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
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Tolentino M, Millerd S, Bali NZ, Ranido E, Takiguchi J, Balaz HJ, Atan R, Sentell T. Next Gen Hawai'i: Collaborative COVID-19 Social Media Initiative to Engage Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, and Filipino Youth. HAWAI'I JOURNAL OF HEALTH & SOCIAL WELFARE 2022; 81:201-208. [PMID: 35821668 PMCID: PMC9272528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Next Gen Hawai'i social media project was initiated in the fall of 2020 to address ongoing public health concerns and the need for accessible and reliable information across Hawai'i's diverse communities by strategically amplifying the voices of Hawai'i's youth in their Native languages. The collaborative effort arose from conversations within the Hawai'i's Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response, Recovery, and Resilience Team, composed of diverse public and private organizations involved in statewide COVID-19 response efforts for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Next Gen Hawai'i's focus was on Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Filipino, and other populations disproportionately suffering from COVID-19. Five social media platforms were developed to spread messaging to youth and young adults about COVID-19. Public Health Ambassadors (from high school to young adults) were recruited and engaged to create culturally and linguistically rooted messaging to promote public health and prevention-based social norms. This strength-based approach recognized youth as important community leaders and ambassadors for change and empowered them to create content for dissemination on platforms with national and global reach. Messaging was designed to build individual, community, and digital health literacy while integrating core cultural values and strengths of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Filipino communities. Over 250 messages have been delivered across Next Gen Hawai'i social media channels on topics including vaccine information, mask-wearing, staying together over distances, mental health, and in-languages resources in Chuukese, Chamorro, Marshallese, Samoan, Hawaiian, Ilocano, Tagalog, and other Pacific-basin languages. Reach has included more than 75 000 views from various social media channels, media features, successful webinars, and relevant conference presentations. This Public Health Insights article provides an overview of Next Gen Hawai'i's activities and achievements as well as lessons learned for other youth-focused public health social media campaigns and organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Elarie Ranido
- Next Gen Hawai'i Ambassador, Office of Public Health Studies, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI
| | - Jaelyn Takiguchi
- Next Gen Hawai'i Ambassador, Office of Public Health Studies, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI
| | | | | | - Tetine Sentell
- Office of Public Health Studies, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health , University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI
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Do Vaccination Attitudes Mediate the Link between Critical Consciousness and COVID-19 Vaccination Behaviour? A Cross-Sectional Study. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14137623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Critical consciousness development represents a building block in the formation of health-related attitudes and behaviours. One of the most studied health-related behaviours in the previous year is COVID-19 vaccination behaviour. The present study examines critical consciousness, COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and vaccination behaviour in a consistent sample of young adults (N = 1185). Participants were residents of Romania, aged 18 to 41 years. The Critical Consciousness Scale—Short Form (CCS-S) and the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) Scale were used. The results demonstrate the mediating role of two types of vaccination attitude—lack of confidence in the promoted vaccine benefits and worries about unforeseen effects—in the relationship between critical reflection and vaccination behaviour. Communication is fundamental in an initiative aimed at changing behaviour. When shaping a health-related campaign, communication and dialogue must be horizontal and characterised by empathy and mutual recognition to determine favourable health-related behaviour.
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