Research on older people's health information search behavior based on risk perception in social networks-A case study in China during COVID-19.

Objective: COVID-19 has caused great loss of human life and livelihoods. The dissemination of health information in online social networks increased during the pandemic's quarantine. Older people are the most vulnerable group in sudden public health emergencies, and they have the disadvantage of infection rates and online search for health information. This study explores the relationship between the health risk perception and health information search behavior of older people in social networks, to help them make better use of the positive role of social networks in public health emergencies. Method: Based on the Risk Information Search and Processing model, and in the specific context of COVID-19, this study redefines health risk perception as a second-order construct of four first-order factors (perceived probability, perceived severity, perceived controllability, and perceived familiarity), and constructs a research model of the health risk perception and health information search behavior of older people. An online survey of people over 55 years old was conducted through convenience sampling in China from February 2020 to March 2020. Results: A total of 646 older adults completed the survey. The structural equation model showed that health risk perception is a second-order factor (H1), that health risk perception has significant positive effects on health information search behavior (H2: ß = 0.470, T = 11.577, P < 0.001), and that health risk perception has significant positive effects on affective response (H3: ß = 0.536, T = 17.356, P < 0.001). In addition, affective response has a significant positive mediating effect on information sufficiency (H4: ß = 0.435, T = 12.231, P < 0.001), and information sufficiency has a significant positive mediating effect on health information search behavior (H5: ß = 0.136, T = 3.081, P = 0.002). Conclusion: The study results indicate that the health risk perception of older people during the COVID-19 outbreak not only directly affected their health information search behavior, but also had an indirect impact on their health information search behavior by affecting affective response and information sufficiency.

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake, Acceptance, and Hesitancy Among Persons With Mental Disorders During the Second Stage of China's Nationwide Vaccine Rollout.

Persons with mental disorders (PwMDs) are a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination, but empirical data on PwMDs' vaccine uptake and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines are lacking. This study examined the uptake, acceptance, and hesitancy associated with COVID-19 vaccines among Chinese PwMDs during China's nationwide vaccine rollout. In total, 906 adult PwMDs were consecutively recruited from a large psychiatric hospital in Wuhan, China, and administered a self-report questionnaire, which comprised standardized questions regarding sociodemographics, COVID-19 vaccination status, attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines, and psychopathology. Vaccine-recipients were additionally asked to report adverse events that occurred following vaccination. PwMDs had a much lower rate of vaccination than Wuhan residents (10.8 vs. 40.0%). The rates of vaccine acceptance and hesitancy were 58.1 and 31.1%, respectively. Factors associated with vaccine uptake included having other mental disorders [odds ratio (OR) = 3.63], believing that ≥50% of vaccine-recipients would be immune to COVID-19 (OR = 3.27), being not worried about the side effects (OR = 2.59), and being an outpatient (OR = 2.24). Factors associated with vaccine acceptance included perceiving a good preventive effect of vaccines (OR = 12.92), believing that vaccines are safe (OR = 4.08), believing that ≥50% of vaccine-recipients would be immune to COVID-19 (OR = 2.20), and good insight into the mental illness (OR = 1.71). Adverse events occurred in 21.4% of vaccine-recipients and exacerbated pre-existing psychiatric symptoms in 2.0% of vaccine-recipients. Nevertheless, 95.2% of vaccine-recipients rated adverse events as acceptable. Compared to the 58.1% vaccine acceptance rate and the 40.0% vaccination rate in the general population, the 10.8% vaccine coverage rate suggested a large unmet need for COVID-19 vaccination in Chinese PwMDs. Strategies to increase vaccination coverage among PwMDs may include provision of reliable sources of information on vaccines, health education to foster positive attitudes toward vaccines, a practical guideline to facilitate clinical decision-making for vaccination, and the involvement of psychiatrists in vaccine consultation and post-vaccination follow-up services.