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PurposeWhile vaccines are an effective preventative measure to defend against the spread and harmful symptoms of COVID-19, information about COVID vaccines can be difficult to find and conflicting in its coverage of vaccines' benefits and risks. This study aims to examine the extent to which Americans are searching for information about the three major vaccine producers (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's Janssen) in relation to the amount of reliable scholarly information that has been produced about each one.Design/methodology/approachData were retrieved from Google Trends for the US Web users alongside scientific research output of the US scientists toward three Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-authorized COVID-19 vaccines in Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed. The authors searched for descriptive statistical analyses to detect coronavirus-seeking behavior versus coronavirus releases in the USA from May 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021.FindingsOf the three COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer has attracted more attention from the US population. However, the greatest number of articles about COVID-19 vaccines published by the US scholars belonged to Moderna (M = 8.17), with Pfizer (M = 7.75) having slightly less, and Janssen (M = 0.83) well behind. A positive association was found between COVID-19 vaccine information-seeking behavior (ISB) on Google and the amount of research produced about that vaccine (P <0.001).Research limitations/implicationsAs the researchers use the single search engine, Google, to retrieve data from the USA, thus, selection bias will be existing as Google only gathers the data of people who chose to get the information by using this search engine.Practical implicationsIf the policymakers in the US Department of Health and Human Services or the US CDC desire to improve the country's health ISB and the scientific publication behavior (SPB) of the US researchers regarding COVID-19 vaccines studies, they should reference the results of such a study.Originality/valueFrom an infodemiological viewpoint, these findings may support the health policymakers, as well as researchers who work on COVID-19 vaccines in the USA.
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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the information-seeking behavior of Egyptian physicians serving in COVID-19 isolation hospitals. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 91 physicians serving in Egyptian isolation hospitals answered the study questionnaire. Findings: Demographically, more than half of respondents were males. Over one-third of them are holding Doctor of Medicine (M.D), followed by one-third holding Master of Medicine (MMed). Respondents' age ranged from 30 to 60 years. Internal medicine is the most common specialty, accounting for nearly half of all physicians, followed by chest medicine and intensive care medicine. The information-seeking behavior of these three groups in their regular work is believed to be different, but since all of the participants are working in COVID-19 isolation hospitals, they should have the same information resources, Internet access and the same needs relevant to COVID-19 in order to make accurate clinical decisions. The physicians used traditional and electronic information sources to fulfill their information needs, the most important of which were to make a specific research, find an answer to a specific case, and deliver a medical lecture. Colleagues, coworkers, nurses and pharmacists were the most important channels pursued by Egyptian physicians to obtain information. Originality/value: This study is the first study that focuses on investigating the information-seeking behavior of Egyptian physicians serving in isolation hospitals. Any findings resulted from this study may serve as a noteworthy reference that may be useful to the Egyptian health sector, experts, researchers, as well as policymakers in establishing strategic decisions for making the understating much better. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-08-2020-0350 [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Online Information Review is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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First advanced in the field of psychology by Martin Seligman, positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living, focusing on both individual and societal well-being (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi 2000). [...]since at least the late 1980s, glimmers of the concept of joy have been found in the LIS literature, though these writings employed varying terminology and diverse conceptualizations over the decades. [...]he is the author of a chapter on "Joy" in The Encyclopedia of Positive Psychology (2009). [...]the paper "Informed by Joy: A Christian Librarian's Reflection on C.S. Lewis" sees David Michels immersing himself in the information world of C. S. Lewis and exploring the role of information in both Lewis's and Michels's own lives of faith.
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PurposeThis study aims to investigate on access and communication of COVID-19 information among Tanzanians.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative methods were applied to identify a total of 636 respondents.FindingsResults show that the majority (86.9%) of respondents seek information on COVID-19. Gender, age, education and marital status did not influence individual's information-seeking behaviour. Respondents largely used social media, particularly WhatsApp, to communicate. Respondents prefer blending professional and traditional information to combat COVID-19. The majority (51%) of respondents indicated that COVID-19 information was not communicated ethically. Employed people are more likely to ethically communicate information on the pandemic in social media.Practical implicationsFindings imply that novelty of the pandemic has enhanced active information-seeking behaviour. Respondents rely on multiple information sources to seek and collaboratively communicate COVID information. Employment status is associated with respondents' information-seeking behaviour. Audio-visual sources are mostly preferred and relied in communicating information on the pandemic. Social media usage has enhanced timely and appropriate decision-making measures to tackle the COVID menace. Level of education has an influence on the use of credible sources and ethical communication of information on the pandemic. Utilization of COVID-19 preventive information was not statistically associated with socio-demographic variables. Availability of information infrastructures, particularly the internet, influences access, use and clear informed decision on prevention and treatment of COVID-19 disease.Originality/valueThe study contributes to knowledge and literature on response and preventive measures on COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries.
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PurposeThe 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/approachAn 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.FindingsThis 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/valueTo 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.
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Harsh realities in pandemic fatigue, burnout, inequities, and isolation are impacting academic pharmacy. Mentoring programs, especially inter-institutional programs such as those provided within the Sections and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), may combat some of these issues. Unfortunately, year after year, Academy members continue to request information from these groups on mentoring, whether it be the opportunity to pair up, for advice on how to be better mentors, or for guidance on how to develop a program on mentoring for the Sections and SIGs without an existing program. The need for authentic mentoring is vital to the success and retention of faculty and staff within the Academy. Therefore, it may be appropriate to take a closer look at why, despite ongoing mentoring programs scattered within AACP Sections and SIGs, these programs are unable to fulfill the needs of participants. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education is the property of American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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PurposeThe Sports Live Streaming Platforms (SLSPs) have taken centre stage in broadcasting sporting events. This study adopts the value creation sphere (VCS) model and the service dominant logic (SDL) to unpack the value co-creation process on SLSPs.Design/methodology/approachA case study with one of the most representative SLSPs in China, involving the netnographic approach and in-depth interviews, was conducted.FindingsThis study redefines the value co-creation spheres in the context of SLSPs and identifies four actors who contribute to viewers' value perceptions. The findings show that viewers' values can be co-created individually and collectively with other actors in both the customer sphere and the joint sphere.Originality/valueThis study extends the theoretical boundary of value co-creation into the context of SLSPs. The study findings help SLSPs managers and decision makers understand the value co-creation process to gain competitive advantages and enhance the sustainability of their services.
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PurposeVirtual communities are useful sources of travel information for tourists. To better promote the sustainable development of virtual communities and provide theoretical guidance, this study aims to explore how the cognitive load generated by tourists in the information-seeking process facilitates the formation of their continuance intention.Design/methodology/approachBuilt on the cognitive load theory and flow theory, this study investigates the formation mechanism of virtual community users' continuance intention to seek travel information. A total of 328 valid questionnaires were collected and used for hypothesis testing.FindingsThe results show that perceived usefulness, perceived information consistency and prior experience positively affect continuance intention. Concentration and time distortion have significant effects on continuance intention. Moreover, concentration and time distortion mediate between prior experience and continuance intention.Originality/valueThis study clarifies the formation mechanism of virtual community users' continuance intention of travel information seeking from a new perspective. The conclusions enrich the research on consumer behavior in the information search field and provide a reference for virtual communities.
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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) -related call data at Metro North Public Health Unit, Brisbane Australia, over the 2020 calendar year to assist surge preparedness. METHODS: Call data were retrieved by call category or reference to "COVID" in summaries from the call management system at a large metropolitan public health service. Under a mixed-methods approach, qualitative data (caller, call purpose, and call outcome) were categorized with categories arising de novo. Resulting variables were numerically analyzed to identify trends by categories and time. RESULTS: Of the 3468 calls retrieved, 160 duplicates and 26 irrelevant calls were excluded. Of 3282 included calls, general practitioners, followed by the public, contributed the greatest call volumes. Health-care-related callers and the public made 84.2% of calls. Calls most frequently related to patient testing (40.7%) and isolation/quarantine (23.2%). Education provision accounted for 29.4% of all outcomes. A total of 11.8% of all call outcomes involved applying relevant case definitions, and 49.1% of calls were identified as potentially preventable through effective emergency risk communication and targeted call-handling. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified key drivers of public health unit phone service use related to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2020. The results highlighted where risk perception influenced call volume and provided important insights for future public health preparedness.
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Research during previous public health crises has provided some insight on the public's consumption of health information, as well as their preferred channels for information about crisis directives, and their intent to seek information about preventative measures like vaccines. Research is beginning to address the specific context of information consumption and management during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, more comprehensive, theoretically driven scholarship examining predictors of information seeking and preventative behaviors is needed. Guided by the Planned Risk Information Seeking Model (PRISM;Kahlor, 2010) which proposes that intention to seek information is the result of an individual's perceptions of knowledge insufficiency, risk perceptions (severity and susceptibility), attitudes toward information seeking, and perceived seeking control, this study examined information seeking about COVID-19 risk, transmission, and prevention in May of 2020. Given that older age is a risk factor in the context of COVID-19, age was also considered in the model. A cross-sectional, online survey of a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (N=510) was conducted. Results: demonstrate some support for the PRISM. Subjective norms and perceived seeking control were related to perception of knowledge insufficiency. Additionally, attitude toward information seeking and perceived seeking control were related to information seeking intention. Finally, age was found to positively influence risk perception. These results have important theoretical and practical value. Part of devising effective public health messages in future public health crises involves understanding information seeking intentions about COVID-19 risk, transmission, and prevention. These Findings: have implications for how public health messages can be tailored in ways that influence publics to manage health information during public health crises, particularly for those most vulnerable. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Patient Education & Counseling is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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BACKGROUND: A person's opinion about COVID-19 vaccination and their decision for or against the vaccination are determined, among other things, by the information they receive. Therefore, it seems crucial to examine the phenomenon of information sharing in the context of COVID-19 vaccination. The study explores who shares which information about vaccinations with whom, how the sharing of information is related to the seeking of information from various sources, and what the motives are. METHOD: From 19 June to 13 July 2021, we conducted an online survey with 833 people using the German non-representative Social Sciences' (SoSci) panel. The questionnaire assessed information sharing with strangers and the social environment, the content, and the motives as well as the sources of information. The responses of 828 people were evaluated using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Older people, women, and unvaccinated individuals were more likely to share information about COVID-19 vaccination. Information was more often shared in the social environment than with strangers. People shared information about benefits and risks of the vaccination as well as their own experiences with vaccinations. People who research websites of health authorities were more likely to share information about the benefits of vaccinations and their own experiences, while people using YouTube or messenger services were more likely to share information about risks. The motives for sharing information are to help others, social exchange, to raise awareness, to gain status, and the fear of being attacked or judged. CONCLUSION: Information sharing on COVID-19 vaccination is complex in terms of content and motivation. In order to promote vaccination readiness, the range of information offered by public health departments should be expanded and the population's health literacy should be strengthened.
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COVID-19 , Motivation , Humans , Female , Aged , COVID-19 Vaccines/therapeutic use , COVID-19/prevention & control , Germany , Surveys and Questionnaires , VaccinationABSTRACT
Objective: This systematic review aimed to provide a global picture of information-seeking behavior, source information used, and its associated factors. Methods: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses steps. Databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, World Health Organization libraries, and Google Scholar were used to search all published articles. Articles on COVID-19 information-seeking behavior published until November 04, 2021, and the use of the English language was included. Two independent reviewers did the article selection and quality check. Results: For this systematic review, twenty articles were included in the final report. Information-seeking behavior was associated with digital health literacy, online information sources, and socio-demographic factors. The major sources of health information during the COVID-19 pandemic were digital media, television, public health portals like the world health organization, and center for communicable disease and prevention websites. Conclusion: This systematic review provides a valuable overview of available information on information-seeking behavior regarding COVID-19 globally. The studies used a heterogeneous study population, various research techniques, and various research questions. Digital literacy and online information sources play a vital role in information-seeking behavior.
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Purpose: To investigate information-seeking behavior related to urticaria before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods: Search query data for terms related to urticaria were retrieved using Baidu Index database from October 23, 2017 to April 23, 2022, and daily COVID-19 vaccination doses data were obtained from the website of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the 23 eligible urticaria search terms, four urticaria themes were generated as classification, symptom, etiology, and treatment of urticarial, respectively. Baidu Search Index (BSI) value for each term were extracted to analyze and compare the spatial and temporal distribution of online search behavior for urticaria before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and to also explore the correlation between search query and daily COVID-19 vaccination doses. Results: The classification of urticaria accounted for nearly half of the urticaria queries on the internet. Regular seasonal patterns of BSI were observed in urticaria-related online search, by attaining its highest level in spring and summer and lowest level in winter. The BSIs of all urticaria themes significantly increased after the COVID-19 pandemic than that before the pandemic (all P<0.05). Xizang, Qinghai and Ningxia are the most active geographical areas for increased urticaria-searching activities after the COVID-19 pandemic. There was also a significant positive correlation between daily BSIs and daily COVID-19 vaccination doses in each urticaria theme. Cross-correlation analysis found that the search of symptom, etiology, and treatment attained their strongest correlation with daily COVID-19 vaccination doses at 11-27 days before the injection of vaccine, imply vaccination hesitation related to concerns of urticaria. Conclusions: This study used the internet as a proxy to provide evidence of public search interest and spatiotemporal characteristics of urticaria, and revealed that the search behavior of urticaria have increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccination. It is anticipated that the findings about such increase in search behavior, as well as the behavior of urticaria-related vaccine-hesitancy, will help guide public health education and policy regulation.
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COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Pandemics , Information Seeking Behavior , COVID-19 Vaccines , Longitudinal Studies , Retrospective Studies , China/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The study dealt with the relationship between the Yemeni public's seeking of information from traditional and modern means of communication about the Corona pandemic and the achieved cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses, and it monitored the role of some important variables such as demographic variables, fear variables and risk perception. The study concluded that the public's interest in information about Corona was average, and that the communication activity of nearly half of the respondents was low, especially among females, and the most important communication sources about the pandemic were family, friends and doctors, then some social networking applications and websites, especially WhatsApp and then television, and it was the most important The information that the public is seeking about the Corona epidemic is about preventive methods, then about the symptoms, then about the causes, and the motive to protect oneself and the family from the danger of the epidemic is the public's motives in seeking information, then the motive to get rid of the feeling of anxiety and fear, and the respondents showed a good level of knowledge about information about symptoms. And how to prevent, and one of the most important psychological effects caused by the spread of the epidemic: anxiety and fear, and the level of the respondents' behavioural response towards precautionary measures against the Corona epidemic was high, and the study showed a positive and significant correlation between the rate of public seeking information from modern and traditional means of communication and their positive behavioural responses. [ FROM AUTHOR]
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This study aims to understand people's behavior when searching for online health information (and COVID-19 information) and their perception of the trustworthiness and credibility of the searched information, the actors, and sources used to obtain it. A questionnaire addressed to people who permanently live in Italy between ages 19 and 60 has been used to collect data. Data extracted from the analysis are reassuring from the point of view of trust and credibility both in the actors and in the sources used to obtain information on health and COVID-19. A correlation between the analyzed individual features, the online health information-seeking behavior, and perception resulted from the analysis. The study also underlined a positive correlation between the perception of the influence of information on the knowledge of health problems and the ability to identify false online health information, and between the experience in detecting false health online information and the ability to detect it. Finally, a positive correlation also resulted between the experience in finding online health information and the experience in finding false COVID-19 information.
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COVID-19 , Humans , Young Adult , Adult , Middle Aged , COVID-19/epidemiology , Information Seeking Behavior , Italy/epidemiology , Trust , PerceptionABSTRACT
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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COVID-19 , Humans , Adolescent , Cross-Sectional Studies , Trust , Government , SwitzerlandABSTRACT
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.
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Context: Self-protective behavior (SPB) plays a significant role in controlling the spread of infection of a pandemic like coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Little research has been conducted to examine critical factors influencing SPB, especially in a developing country like Bangladesh. Aims: This study aimed to develop and test a theoretical model based on the extended information-motivation-behavior (IMB) skills model to investigate factors associated with SPB among Bangladeshi people. Methods: An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted on Bangladesh citizens (18 years and older) from June 1 and July 31, 2020. A total of 459 responses were used to assess the proposed model's overall fit and test the hypothesized relationships among the model constructs. Statistical Analysis Used: The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling to identify relationships among model variables. Results: Health information-seeking behavior, health motivation, self-efficacy, and health consciousness (HC) (P < 0.05) had a significant impact on SPB among Bangladeshi people. The results identified the consequences of various degrees of HC on SPB in the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusions: This study confirms the IMB model's applicability for analyzing SPB among people in developing countries like Bangladesh. The findings of this study could guide policymakers to develop and implement targeted strategies to ensure timely and transparent information for motivating people to improve SPB during the COVID-19 and in case of a future outbreak of an epidemic.
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COVID-19 , Pandemics , Humans , Pandemics/prevention & control , Cross-Sectional Studies , Bangladesh/epidemiology , MotivationABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges to the health care workforce. A novel infectious disease, COVID-19 uncovered information gaps that were essential for frontline staff, including nurses, to care for patients and themselves. The authors developed a Web-based solution consisting of saved searches from PubMed on clinically relevant topics specific to nurses' information needs. This article discusses the objectives, development, content, and usage of this Internet resource and also provides tips for hospitals of all sizes to implement similar tools to evidence-based practice during infectious disease outbreaks.