Undergraduate Students' Online Health Information-Seeking Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Information and health literacy policies during pandemics: A narrative review

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled governments globally to formulate policies addressing the unique needs of their populations. These policies are critical in disseminating accurate information and enhancing health literacy during crises.

OBJECTIVE

This narrative review aims to identify and assess effective information and health literacy policies implemented during pandemics.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed across five electronic information sources (PubMed, Science Direct, ProQuest, Emerald Insight, Scopus), supplemented by Google Scholar. The analysis employed Walt and Gilson's health policy triangle framework to categorize and evaluate the findings.

RESULTS

The review revealed that the policies could be grouped into several key categories: educational programs, laws and regulations, knowledge sharing, national programs, and different information sources. The development of these policies involved multifaceted processes influenced by political, scientific, economic, cultural and social factors, as well as the involvement of multiple stakeholders.

CONCLUSIONS

This review offers significant insights and actionable recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders. By understanding the dimensions and components of effective information and health literacy policies, stakeholders can better prepare for and respond to future pandemics and similar health crises.

The Mediating Role of Students' Health Information Literacy Skills: Exploring the Relationship Between Web Resource Utilization and Health Information Evaluation Proficiency

BACKGROUND

In an increasingly digital age, students rely heavily on web resources to access health information. However, evaluating the reliability and relevance of such information is crucial for informed decision-making. This study examines the importance of students' health information literacy skills (HILS) as mediators, particularly their ability to utilize web resources and successfully evaluate health information.

OBJECTIVES

This research investigates the mediating role of students' HILS in the relationship between their utilization of web resources and their proficiency in evaluating health information.

METHOD

An online survey was distributed to current students at a public university in Bangladesh as part of the data collection process for this study. Using Google Forms, the authors created a structured questionnaire. The survey was distributed through Messenger groups, Facebook pages and email invitations to reach the target audience effectively. The researchers thoroughly analysed the gathered data using structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques and SmartPLS-4 software to look for correlations between the variables.

RESULT

The study revealed that among the 122 participants, a significant number (N = 47) accessed internet health information on an occasional basis, whereas 30 individuals reported using it infrequently. The data revealed that 58 individuals, accounting for 47.5% of the sample, possessed the necessary abilities to access and assess online health information. Additionally, 57 participants, representing 46.7% of the sample, demonstrated proficiency in conducting online health information searches. The measurement model demonstrated good convergent validity, as evidenced by composite reliability (CR) scores and Cronbach's ⍺ values over 0.700 and an average extracted variance (AVE) of 0.500. The structural model demonstrated R2 values exceeding 0.1, thus validating its dependable forecasting capability. Notable effects were seen, with f2 values of 0.335 and 0.317 for the challenges in accessing and evaluating health information (CAEHI) to health information evaluation (HIE) and CAEHI to HILS relationships, respectively. The mediation analysis found that HILS act as a mediator between types of web resources (TWRs) and HIE, with TWR having an indirect impact on HIE through HILS.

DISCUSSION

The result supports all hypotheses. Therefore, it is evident that students' HILS mediate the relationship between utilization of web resources and their proficiency in evaluating health information.

CONCLUSION

This study's findings could significantly impact instructional practices meant to raise students' health information literacy. This initiative seeks to enable students to make informed decisions about their health by providing them with the necessary tools to analyse and evaluate health-related information.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Research on health information literacy can assist patients and the general public by instructing them on how to assess trustworthy online health resources. Students gave insightful feedback that assisted in shaping the study and guaranteeing its relevancy. If they better comprehend health information literacy, patients and the general public can use web-based resources and critically evaluate health information more accurately.

Effective use of online COVID-19 information and eHealth information literacy among US university students

Objective: This study aimed to understand students' ability to search the Internet for COVID-19 information and apply it to evaluate the veracity of specific statements. Participants: Undergraduate students (N = 239) at a US university completed a Web-based questionnaire in September-October 2020. Methods: The questionnaire included self-reported measures of online health information literacy, COVID-19 knowledge, and anxiety along with exercises on searching and evaluating COVID information online. Results: Students reported moderate levels of information literacy (76%, 3.8 out of 5), but did not perform as well while searching the Internet for COVID-19 information (average accuracy: 65%, 10.5 out of 16 points). Students with higher Internet exercise scores reported higher GPA, higher household income, and liberal political views, and were more likely to follow public health measures [ie, social distancing, mask wearing, and not self-medicating with (hydroxy)chloroquine]. Conclusions: University students may overestimate their information literacy while struggling with searching the Internet for accurate COVID-19 information.

Comparison of knowledge, attitude, practice and predictors of self-medication with antibiotics among medical and non-medical students in Tanzania

Introduction: Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) is a widespread problem in developing nations, including Tanzania. Methods: This study compared knowledge, attitudes, practices, and factors influencing antibiotic SMA among medical and non-medical students. Results: The prevalence of SMA among medical students was 49.1% and 59.2% among non-medical students, respectively. The mean knowledge score of medical students (6.4) was significantly higher (p-value <0.001) than that of non-medical students (5.6). The main factors influencing SMA practices were the availability of antibiotics without a prescription, easy access to pharmacies, and a lack of knowledge about the risks of SMA. This experience was pivotal in influencing medical students to take antibiotics, with a substantial proportion of 67.5% as opposed to 59.4% of non-medical students. Medical students were 1.6 times more likely to self-medicate with antibiotics than non-medical students (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.6; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.2-2.3, p-value = 0.004). Age was also associated with self-medication, with an AOR of 1.1 (95% CI: 1.04-1.2, p-value = 0.006) per year increase in age. Additionally, attitude was associated with self-medication, with an AOR of 1.05 (95% CI: 1.04-1.1, p-value = 0.001) per unit increase in attitude score. Discussion: No significant associations were found between sex, marital status, having children, year of study, knowledge score, and self-medication with antibiotics. This study emphasizes the importance of educational interventions and public awareness campaigns to promote antimicrobial stewardship, appropriate antibiotic use, and preventing pharmacies from dispensing antibiotics without a prescription.

A 10-year follow-up survey of US academic libraries highlights the COVID-19 experience and greater interest in health information outreach

BACKGROUND

As follow-up to their previous survey on health information outreach (HIO) in 2010, the authors became interested in the evolving nature of HIO activities at academic libraries within the past decade.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to understand how HIO activities at academic libraries have evolved since 2010, especially considering the current COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

An online survey, designed to collect quantitative data on general HIO activities and qualitative data specifically on COVID-19 information outreach, was distributed to over 1700 librarians at US general academic and academic health science libraries.

RESULTS

Two hundred and fifty-five respondents completed the survey. Quantitative findings generally paralleled the 2010 results, except in a few areas. Most notably, a greater percentage of librarians in 2020 were participating in HIO (44%) than in 2010 (37%). Qualitative findings revealed that librarians are leveraging traditional information services and implementing innovative partnerships to promote reputable health information resources on COVID-19.

DISCUSSION

Evidence suggests that further engagement and campus partnerships can enhance libraries' supportive roles as trustworthy purveyors of quality health information.

CONCLUSION

US academic librarians are increasingly engaging in HIO to support the health information needs of campus communities and should consider aligning outreach activities with national health goals.

Factors Influencing the Purchase Intention for Online Health Popular Science Information Based on the Health Belief Model

There is a growing demand for health popular science information from the public. Online paid health popular science information provides a new channel for the public to obtain health popular science information and can meet users' demands for high-quality health popular science information. In order to improve the popularity of online paid health popular science information, it is urgent to investigate the factors influencing users' intention to pay for online health popular science information. Paid online health popular science information can provide users with higher-quality health knowledge, while monetary compensation can incentivize publishers to create and promote the sustainability of social media platforms. Therefore, paid online health popular science information is important for readers, creators, and platforms. Therefore, this study investigates the factors influencing users' intentions to purchase online health popular science information based on the health belief model (HBM). Our research data were obtained by a questionnaire and empirically analyzed by SmartPLS structural equation modeling. The results of this study indicate that the greater the perceived susceptibility, severity, and irreplaceability of health problems, the greater the intention of users to purchase health information when they read the summary portion of paid online health popular science information. And the higher the perceived risk and the more unreasonable the price of the online health popular science information, the lower the intention to purchase. Moreover, both the perceived susceptibility and perceived severity significantly attenuated the negative impacts of perceived health popular science information risk and perceived price unreasonableness on users' intentions to purchase online health popular science information. This study not only enriches and extends the application of the health belief model, but also has important positive implications for the development of online paid health popular science information.

People behavioral during health information searching in COVID-19 era: a review

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in health information-seeking behavior (HISB) on the Internet.

Objective

This review aims to identify and synthesize the available evidence on health information-seeking behavior on the Internet during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Electronic search of databases was conducted on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Taylor and Francis Online to identify relevant articles. Studies that examined health information-seeking behavior on the Internet during or after the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Data from the included studies were subjected to a thematic analysis.

Results

A total of 355 articles were identified in the initial database search. After screening, 15 articles were included in this review paper, with a population of 33,326. Search engines, social media, and news portals were the most commonly used information sources. The primary motivators for seeking health information online were curiosity, catching up with updated information, and paying attention to the COVID-19 transmission. Participants' satisfaction with the information obtained online was positive in most studies. The online query for all items related to COVID-19 and health increased during the pandemic. The most searched topics were symptoms of COVID-19, restrictions, current prevalence/spread of COVID-19, and preventive measures. Higher scores in digital health literacy (DHL) were associated with a well-established and effective health information-seeking behavior.

Conclusion

The findings of this review provide insight into the patterns and trends of health information-seeking behavior on the Internet during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that search engines, social media, and news portals remain key sources of information during the pandemic. It also assessed the relationship between the DHL and the HISB and found that having a good DHL generally meant a good HISB.

Student information use during the COVID-19 pandemic

Since early 2020, life for students has changed tremendously. It has been a time of stress, turmoil, and trauma for students. Researchers from a large Midwestern university wanted to determine how student information use has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines the results of a mixed-methods study undertaken in 2021 using surveys and follow-up focus groups to determine if and how student information use has changed. To answer this, we explored student use of news sources, social media sources, political affiliations, and information responses, coupled with to what extent these factors demonstrate or impact potential changes in information use. We also addressed changes in the frequency of use, as well as the types of resources consulted, pertaining to information use of traditional and social media sources.

Do students look for information differently? Information-seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the COVID-19 information-seeking behavior of the students in a developing country. This study also explores how the use of information sources changes over time by the students of a public university in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

An e-mail was sent along with an online questionnaire to 350 students in a public university in Bangladesh. After sending a couple of follow-up e-mails in May and June 2022, we got limited responses. Later in July, we distributed the same questionnaire in the printed form to the students in the seminar library, computer laboratory and in the classroom. Finally, we got back 270 responses, and the response rate was 77.14%. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (effect size) and nonparametric test (Mann–Whitney U test) were used to see the differences in using information sources over times and overall understanding of choosing the COVID-19 information sources by the demographic variables.

Findings

This study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has made an increased demand for a variety of information, and the sources of information changes over time before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the students faced challenges while seeking COVID-19 information which mostly falls under the availability of mis–disinformation. Students used more social media tools during the COVID-19 than the pre-COVID-19 time, and there are some significant relationships found between the students’ demographic variables and students’ understanding of choosing the COVID-19 information sources.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to analyze changes in information behavior patterns of students in a developing country and understand the challenges faced by the students during the pandemic.

Exploring the health information seeking behavior of social media users under the background of COVID-19 pandemic: An empirical study based on social cognitive theory

With the outbreak of COVID-19 in late 2019, people's awareness of actively searching for health information has been growing. Coupled with the promotion of "Internet + medical and health," social media, as an important platform for health information dissemination, has become one of the important information sources for users to obtain health information. However, health information seeking behavior in public health emergencies are quite different from those in daily life. Therefore, the research question of this paper is to explore the influencing factors of health information seeking behavior of social media users in the context of COVID-19. To this end, based on the research framework of social cognition theory, this paper selects six variables to construct a structural equation modeling, including information and platform quality, experience, social support, emotional arousal, self-efficacy, and social media users' health information seeking behavior. The empirical study is carried out by collecting 219 valid questionnaires. The research results show that: (1) Information and platform quality, and use experience have a significant positive effect on emotional arousal; (2) Experience, social support, and emotional arousal have a significant positive effect on self-efficacy; (3) Emotional arousal and self-efficacy have a significant positive effect on social media users' health information seeking behavior. The research provides an important theoretical reference for social media users and operators to cope with the huge demand for health information in the post-COVID-19 era.

Influence of Certain Social Aspects on Most Likely Internet Usage Scenarios

This paper aims to analyze the influence that certain social factors (education and area of residence) have on the most likely scenarios people encounter in their online activities. Among the possible scenarios of using the internet, based on everyday individuals’ activities, we selected seeking information about health, goods, and services, taking online courses, internet banking, and participating in social networks. Using data acquired from international databases over the 2002–2020 period, we proposed five hypotheses and applied a multilinear regression model to the data collected for four European countries, namely, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Slovenia. We have analyzed the degree of confirmation for all five hypotheses. The results provided a better understanding of the influence of the above-mentioned factors on the considered scenarios, allowing stakeholders to define and propose specific development policies.

Assessing COVID-19 Health Literacy (CoHL) and its relationships with sociodemographic features, locus of control and compliance with social distancing rules during the first lockdown in France

Health literacy (HL) is critical to find, understand and use health information for adopting appropriate health behavior, especially during a pandemic crisis in which people can be exposed to an overwhelming amount of information from different media. To this end, we conducted an online study to first validate the measure of COronaVIrus Disease appeared in 2019 (COVID-19) health literacy (CoHL) and then investigated its relationships with locus of control (LoC), news information search and the adoption of protective behaviors (PBs) during the first lockdown in France. We first showed the good structural and psychometric qualities of the CoHL scale on a 3-dimensional structure: the Critical dimension, the Extraction/Communicative and the Application/Communicative dimension. We then found that CoHL was associated with the adoption of PBs suggesting that people with higher CoHL tended to adopt more PBs during the first lockdown, regardless of their LoC. However, people with low CoHL would be more likely to adopt PBs if they believe that they may get COVID-19 due to the behavior and health conditions of others (high external LoC). The study has implications for the design of public health campaigns for people with inadequate HL and with a different LoC.

A Comprehensive Instrument to Measure Teachers' Attitude towards Quality Management in the Context of Online Education

The purpose of this study is to elaborate and validate a scale for the evaluation of the teachers’ attitude towards quality management, by integrating elements of online education. Nine hundred and forty-two teachers from Romania have participated in the study. The exploratory factor analysis has led to the identification of three main dimensions of the scale: (1) communication and alignment; (2) needs and opportunities; and (3) training and support. Teachers participating in managing positions or in quality assurance boards indicated a more positive attitude towards the three components. Furthermore, teachers of a higher teaching experience reported higher values in the needs and opportunities component. The results are useful to educational institutions, program designers and policy makers to evaluate the teachers’ attitude towards quality management.