ABSTRACT
The expansion of information sources and their use has accelerated since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, sometimes provoking significant concern in the daily lives of parents. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between COVID-19 related information sources and the level of concern about COVID-19 among parents of school-aged children. Using factor analysis and hierarchical ascending classification, we constructed groups according to the information sources they used. We performed ANOVA analysis and then binomial logistic regression to compare concern levels among the groups created. Overall, the 3,459 participants were mainly women (79.2%) and 59.5% reported being between 35 and 44 years old. The mean concern score in our sample was 9.5/15 (s.d. = 3.87). The whole sample fell into three groups: (1) Traditional Media (n = 1,610), who mainly used newspapers;(2) Online Social Networks and Entourage (n = 776), who mostly consulted online social media as well as friends and family;and (3) the Unplugged (n = 1,073), who consulted few or no information sources. Compared to the Unplugged, individuals in the other two groups had a higher risk of being concerned (Traditional Media, OR = 2.2;p < 0.001;Social Networks and Entourage, OR = 3.1;p < 0.001). Communication about pandemic risk should be conveyed based on reliable information and at moderate intervals to safeguard the mental health of individuals.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing about far-reaching structural changes on both the economy and public health, and conventional methodologies have to be fine-tuned to assist public health decision making. In this context, behavioural economics, which is situated at the crossroads between economics and social psychology, is an undeniably innovative field. In contrast with conventional models, the economic models of behavioural economics incorporate psychological and social determinants to produce more accurate predictions of individual behaviour. In the last 20 years, the scientific community has been using this approach's quantitative tool, experimental economics, in many areas of health, including prevention, promotion, human resources and social signage. Studies have come up with effective solutions that have improved best public health practices and provided sources of inspiration that should not be overlooked in the fight against COVID-19. They have allowed natural human behaviour to take a central role again, helped us to understand how the social and economic environment influences individuals, and enabled us to anticipate human reactions and so make faster adjustments to public policies.
RéSUMé: L'épidémie de COVID-19 nous impose des changements structurels profonds tant sur les plans économiques que sanitaires et les méthodologies classiques doivent être perfectionnées pour mieux adapter les décisions de santé publique. Dans ce cadre, l'économie comportementale, au croisement des sciences économiques et de la psychologie sociale, est un domaine incontestablement innovant en la matière. En effet, contrairement aux modèles classiques, cette discipline intègre les déterminants psychosociaux dans les modèles économiques pour mieux prédire les comportements des individus. Depuis une vingtaine d'années, la communauté scientifique utilise l'outil quantitatif de cette approche, l'économie expérimentale, dans de nombreux secteurs de la santé tels que la prévention, la promotion, les ressources humaines et la signalisation sociale. Les études menées ont apporté des solutions efficaces pour améliorer les bonnes pratiques sanitaires et sont des inspirations à ne pas négliger pour la lutte contre la COVID-19. Elles ont permis notamment de redonner une place centrale au comportement naturel de l'homme, de comprendre comment l'environnement socio-économique influence les individus et d'anticiper les réactions humaines pour adapter rapidement les politiques publiques.