Health-related fake news during the COVID-19 pandemic: perceived trust and information search

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Zheng ◽  
Jon D. Elhai ◽  
Miao Miao ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Yiwen Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Control ◽  
Search Behavior ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Time Lagged ◽  
Pandemic Severity

PurposeHealth-related online fake news (HOFN) has become a major social problem. HOFN can lead to the spread of ineffective and even harmful remedies. The study aims to understand Internet users' responses to HOFN during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic using the protective action decision model (PADM).Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected pandemic severity data (regional number of confirmed cases) from government websites of the USA and China (Studies 1 and 2), search behavior from Google and Baidu search engines (Studies 1 and 2) and data regarding trust in two online fake news stories from two national surveys (Studies 2 and 3). All data were analyzed using a multi-level linear model.FindingsThe research detected negative time-lagged relationships between pandemic severity and regional HOFN search behavior by three actual fake news stories from the USA and China (Study 1). Importantly, trust in HOFN served as a mediator in the time-lagged relationship between pandemic severity and search behavior (Study 2). Additionally, the relationship between pandemic severity and trust in HOFN varied according to individuals' perceived control (Study 3).Originality/valueThe authors' results underscore the important role of PADM in understanding Internet users' trust in and search for HOFN. When people trust HOFN, they may seek more information to implement further protective actions. Importantly, it appears that trust in HOFN varies with environmental cues (regional pandemic severity) and with individuals' perceived control, providing insight into developing coping strategies during a pandemic.

Social media and the spread of COVID-19 infodemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clement Ola Adekoya ◽  
Joseph Kehinde Fasae
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Descriptive Survey

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social media application and the spread of COVID-19 infodemic in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive survey research design was used for this study. A total of 1,200 social media users, regardless of their professions, were randomly selected for the study betweenmid-June and July 2020. Stratified and purposive sampling techniques were used for this study. The questionnaire was designed using Google form and administered using WhatsApp and Telegram to social media users above 18 years old in Nigeria. The data generated was analyzed using descriptive (frequency count) and inferential (mean) statistics, and was presented in tables. Findings It was found that people make use of social media during COVID-19 pandemic for diverse reasons such as listening to announcement to be informed, knowing the necessary measures to take by those infected and spreading up-to-date information on the pandemic. Social media tools were highly used during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially WhatsApp and Zoom. Findings reflected that misinformation was spread on social media. This study also showed that the infodemic associated with COVID-19 is managed by confirming the source of the information before sharing it and trusting information from reliable sources. Research limitations/implications The result of this research will contribute to the body of knowledge on social media application, fake news and the spread of COVID-19 infodemic in Nigeria and beyond. Practical implications Infodemic is a disaster in the health sector. The spread of infodemic is capable of misleading people, losing trust in government, health providers and health regulatory authorities. This study will help social media users to know how to properly manage social media infodemic during a pandemic or any health-related situations. Originality/value This study is novel as it approaches fake news from a COVID-19 perspective. Very few articles emanate from the developing countries in this area. This was because most of the narrative around fake news previously centered around the Western occurrences such as the Iraqi invasion by the USA, the US presidential elections and BREXIT. COVID-19 has demonstrated that the developing world is not immune from fake news as well. This study, therefore, assessed the management of infodemic associated with COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Privacy helplessness on social media: its constituents, antecedents and consequences

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hichang Cho
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences

PurposeMany internet users exhibit signs of privacy helplessness and entirely give up online privacy management. However, we know little about what privacy helplessness is, when users are likely to experience it and its implications for privacy behavior. The objectives of this study were twofold: (a) the conceptual explication of privacy helplessness as a novel construct in privacy research and (b) the development of a theoretical model that specifies the antecedents and consequences of privacy helplessness.Design/methodology/approachA research model of privacy helplessness that contains three subcomponents of privacy helplessness, five antecedents and one outcome was developed. The model was empirically examined based on survey data collected from 589 Facebook users in the USA.FindingsThe results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that privacy helplessness is adequately assessed by a three-factor model with affective, cognitive and motivational components. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that these three aspects of privacy helplessness are uniquely predicted by five theoretical factors: (a) prior experience of privacy risks, (b) personal mastery, (c) perceived costs of adaptive privacy actions, (d) perceived rewards of privacy inactions and (e) perceived vulnerability. Furthermore, it was found that helplessness as motivational deficits (and cognitive helplessness via this) impedes adaptive privacy actions, while cognitive helplessness promotes adaptive privacy actions when they do not result in motivational deficits.Originality/valueThis study pioneers investigation in understanding key constituents, attributes and processes underlying privacy helplessness. First, the present study developed the first theory-derived, successively validated measurement model of privacy helplessness. Second, this research proposed a theoretical model of privacy helplessness, specifying antecedents and consequences of privacy helplessness.

Do altmetrics correlate with citations? A study based on the 1,000 most-cited articles

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 192-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Ouchi ◽  
Mohammad Karim Saberi ◽  
Nasim Ansari ◽  
Leila Hashempour ◽  
Alireza Isfandyari-Moghaddam
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Statistical Correlation ◽  
Microsoft Excel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Editorial Boards ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Highly Cited Articles ◽  
Highly Cited

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the presence of highly cited papers of Nature in social media websites and tools. It also tries to examine the correlation between altmetric and bibliometric indicators. Design/methodology/approach This descriptive study was carried out using altmetric indicators. The research sample consisted of 1,000 most-cited articles in Nature. In February 2019, the bibliographic information of these articles was extracted from the Scopus database. Then, the titles of all articles were manually searched on Google, and by referring to the article in the journal website and altmetric institution, the data related to social media presence and altmetric score of articles were collected. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Findings According to the results of the study, from 1,000 articles, 989 of them (98.9 per cent) were mentioned at least once in different social media websites and tools. The most used altmetric source in highly cited articles was Mendeley (98.9 per cent), followed by Citeulike (79.8 per cent) and Wikipedia (69.4 per cent). Most Tweets, blog posts, Facebook posts, news stories, readers in Mendeley, Citeulike and Connotea and Wikipedia citations belonged to the article titled “Mastering the game of Go with deep neural networks and tree search”. The highest altmetric score was 3,135 which belonged to this paper. Most tweeters and articles’ readers were from the USA. The membership type of the tweeters was public membership. In terms of fields of study, most readers were PhD students in Agricultural and Biological Sciences. Finally, the results of Spearman’s Correlation revealed positive significant statistical correlation between all altmetric indicators and received citations of highly cited articles (p-value = 0.0001). Practical implications The results of this study can help researchers, editors and editorial boards of journals better understand the importance and benefits of using social media and tools to publish articles. Originality/value Altmetrics is a relatively new field, and in particular, there are not many studies related to the presence of articles in various social media until now. Accordingly, in this study, a comprehensive altmetric analysis was carried out on 1000 most-cited articles of one of the world's most reliable journals.

Brand management in the era of fake news: narrative response as a strategy to insulate brand value

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Mills ◽  
Karen Robson
Keyword(s):  
Brand Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Emotional Engagement ◽  
Brand Value ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Narrative Response ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose Brand value is increasingly threatened by fake news stories; the purpose of this paper is to explain how narrative response can be used to mitigate this threat, especially in situations where the crisis is severe and consumers are highly involved. Design/methods This conceptual paper derives recommendations and guidance for the use of narrative response based on storytelling and brand management literature. Findings This paper highlights authenticity and emotional engagement as keys to effective storytelling. Practical implications Current managerial approaches to dealing with misinformation are insufficient, as they presuppose an audience that can be convinced based on facts; this paper can be used to help brand managers respond to fake news stories when rational appeals fail. Originality/value This paper provides insight into brand management strategies in the era of fake news.

Sustainable healthcare design

Facilities ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 264-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rana Sagha Zadeh ◽  
Xiaodong Xuan ◽  
Mardelle M. Shepley
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Energy Information Administration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Design ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Usa

Purpose Healthcare projects face multiple obstacles in achieving sustainability. This paper aims to provide information regarding the energy consumption of healthcare facilities, to identify barriers to sustainability and to suggest methods to improve the effectiveness of these buildings. Design/methodology/approach This study investigates sustainability in healthcare buildings by examining national databases about energy use and energy savings. The authors then initiate a dialogue on this topic by interviewing experts in healthcare planning and design regarding the implications of this data, challenges to sustainability and potential solutions to these challenges. Findings An analysis of data from the Energy Information Administration revealed that healthcare facilities rank second among building types in the USA in energy use per square foot and rank fourth in total energy use. Data from the US Green Building Council showed that only 1 per cent of healthcare buildings are registered with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system, and 0.4 per cent have achieved certification, which is low compared with other building types. Research limitations/implications Research and discussion must continue engaging all stakeholders to interpret the data and identify transformative solutions to facilitate sustainable healthcare design construction and operation. Practical implications It is important to approach sustainability in healthcare from social, economic, environmental and health-related perspectives. The authors identify five major barriers to sustainable healthcare design and construction and discuss 12 practical solutions. Originality/value Given the energy demands of healthcare buildings, facilitating their sustainability has the potential to make a significant difference in national energy use. Empirical research and evidence-based design can potentially help to accelerate sustainability by clarifying impacts and documenting the economic and operational returns on investment.

Exploring the use of internet by university students for seeking health related information

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asad Ahmad ◽  
Mohammed Naved Khan ◽  
Obaidur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Tam Model ◽  
Health Related ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Use Of Internet

Purpose Internet is both a medium and a platform for information exchange. This characteristic of internet is gradually metamorphosing it into an e-learning enabler. A significant percentage of internet users access health-related information through the medium of internet, but little is known about the factors that determine such behaviour. This study aims to explore the factors that determine the behaviour of those seeking health-related information in the virtual world. Design/methodology/approach The present study analyses the role of perceived ease of usefulness (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), self-efficacy (SE) and information quality (IQ) on the intention (IU) of the internet users to seek health-related information. Researcher-controlled sampling was used for data collection from 210 university students. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), t-test and correlation have been used for data analysis. Findings The results of the study demonstrate that except SE, all other factors have a positive relationship with the intention of the users to seek health-related information. The findings suggest that PU and IQ overshadow PEOU in encouraging the users seeking such health-related information over the internet. Originality/value The present study extends the understanding of e-learning adoption associated with seeking health-related information. The researchers propose an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) model to study the factors influencing the use of internet in seeking health-related information by the students enrolled in medical and non-medical courses.

scholarly journals Involuntary wellness programs: the case of a large US company

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Secchi ◽  
Hong T.M. Bui ◽  
Kathleen Gamroth
Keyword(s):  
Survey Methods ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Wellness Programs ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Human Resource Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Usa

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate recent healthcare reform in the USA, which allows insurance companies to proactively intervene in improving the long-term health of employees, by providing wellness programs as part of their benefits package. Design/methodology/approach – The authors present and analyze data on how employees of a large US Midwest “media and education” company (n=154) perceive economic incentives toward well-being. Data are collected using survey methods and analyzed with a logistic regression. Findings – This study suggests that fairness, accessibility, intention to switch to a healthier lifestyle and desire to see more health-related initiatives affect the way employees seek to participate in the new involuntary wellness programs. By contrast, satisfaction, participation, and income to not affect how these new programs are perceived. Research limitations/implications – These findings suggest that human resource managers should pay attention to employees who are not active in existing wellness programs, and provide support during the transition toward the new involuntary programs, to avoid potential frustration, demotivation, disengagement and, ultimately, decreasing performance among employees. Originality/value – The study is among the first to analyze involuntary wellness programs in the USA, and it provides a basis on which to expand further studies. This research contributes to support the idea that employee wellness is unlikely to be enforced by rule or policy.

scholarly journals Assigning Responsibility for Preventing the Spread of Misinformation Online: Some Findings on Gender Differences

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 195-201
Author(s):  
Moncef Belhadjali ◽  
Gary Whaley ◽  
Sami Abbasi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Fake News ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Primary Responsibility ◽  
Additional Control ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government ◽  
Major Attention

“Fake News” gained major attention throughout all types of media such as print media, broadcast news, and the Internet. This paper utilizes data from a survey of Internet users to compare the perceptions of females and males of the responsibility in preventing the spread of fake news. Those held responsible for taking additional control include public, government, and social media sites. Most respondents (91%) think that made up news stories hinder Americans. Also, most Americans agree that all three players should be more responsible -public (76%), government (73%), networking sites (76%). The results of a regression analysis followed by a t-test revealed that there is no statistically significant gender difference among the means. However, females are more likely to attribute the primary responsibility to the social media sites, when males are more likely to perceive the government as the primary responsible.

Tertiary-level internet users’ opinions and perceptions of cyberhate

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 845-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serkan Celik
Keyword(s):  
Technology Use ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Hate Speech ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Freedom Of Speech ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
The Usa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to elaborate the opinions and perceptions of internet users regarding online hate speech, and bring cyberhate to the attention of internet users and policy stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachA sectional research design and survey method was adopted throughout the study to examine the opinions and perceptions of internet users regarding cyberhate by descriptively exploring the existing situation from various perspectives. The participants of the study were determined by purposive sampling methods to attain maximum variety among internet users who are considered as highly literate in technology use. The data were collected through a personal data form and a survey (Cyberhate Perception Scale) from 372 internet users living in Turkey and the USA.FindingsThe findings of the study revealed that the majority of participants do not perceive cyberhate as a part of freedom of speech and they believe that online hate behaviors, which they also consider to be a violation of human rights, should be deemed illegal and be punished accordingly. The findings, which were discussed in line with the existing research, indicated some significant predictors of internet users’ perceptions on cyberhate.Originality/valueAs cyberhate is an understudied area that raises concerns in terms of internet user exposure, the objective of this research is to understand tendencies about the opinions and perceptions of internet users regarding online hate speech, and bring cyberhate to the attention of internet users and policy stakeholders.

Relative Quality of Internet-Derived Oesophageal Cancer Information

2010 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
TD Reid ◽  
C Beaton ◽  
IL Davies ◽  
D Arnold ◽  
JBM Ward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Cancer Information ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk

Worldwide internet access is increasing exponentially. The UK Government Office for National Statistics reported that between 2002 and 2009 the proportion of UK households with internet access increased from 46% to 70%. Between 2007 and 2009 the proportion of UK adults using the internet to access health information rose from 27% to 42%. Similar situations exist in Continental Europe and the USA, where 52% of internet users and 61% of adults respectively search online for medical information. In 2003 it was estimated that 4.5% of all internet searches globally were for health related information. Moreover, patients now frequently choose to seek health information online. Indeed Hesse et al reported that almost one in two patients search the internet before consulting a physician.

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