Association Between Public Knowledge About COVID-19, Trust in Information Sources, and Adherence to Social Distancing: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The success of behavioral interventions and policies designed to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on how well individuals are informed about both the consequences of infection and the steps that should be taken to reduce the impact of the disease. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate associations between public knowledge about COVID-19, adherence to social distancing, and public trust in government information sources (eg, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), private sources (eg, FOX and CNN), and social networks (eg, Facebook and Twitter) to inform future policies related to critical information distribution. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey (N=1243) between April 10 and 14, 2020. Data collection was stratified by US region and other demographics to ensure representativeness of the sample. RESULTS Government information sources were the most trusted among the public. However, we observed trends in the data that suggested variations in trust by age and gender. White and older populations generally expressed higher trust in government sources, while non-White and younger populations expressed higher trust in private sources (eg, CNN) and social networks (eg, Twitter). Trust in government sources was positively associated with accurate knowledge about COVID-19 and adherence to social distancing. However, trust in private sources (eg, FOX and CNN) was negatively associated with knowledge about COVID-19. Similarly, trust in social networks (eg, Facebook and Twitter) was negatively associated with both knowledge and adherence to social distancing. CONCLUSIONS During pandemics such as the COVID-19 outbreak, policy makers should carefully consider the quality of information disseminated through private sources and social networks. Furthermore, when disseminating urgent health information, a variety of information sources should be used to ensure that diverse populations have timely access to critical knowledge.

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Association Between Public Knowledge About COVID-19, Trust in Information Sources, and Adherence to Social Distancing: Cross-Sectional Survey

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance ◽

10.2196/22060 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. e22060 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ilona Fridman ◽

Nicole Lucas ◽

Debra Henke ◽

Christina K Zigler

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Information Sources ◽

Public Knowledge ◽

Trust In Government ◽

Government Information ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Social Distancing ◽

The Impact

Background The success of behavioral interventions and policies designed to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on how well individuals are informed about both the consequences of infection and the steps that should be taken to reduce the impact of the disease. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate associations between public knowledge about COVID-19, adherence to social distancing, and public trust in government information sources (eg, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), private sources (eg, FOX and CNN), and social networks (eg, Facebook and Twitter) to inform future policies related to critical information distribution. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey (N=1243) between April 10 and 14, 2020. Data collection was stratified by US region and other demographics to ensure representativeness of the sample. Results Government information sources were the most trusted among the public. However, we observed trends in the data that suggested variations in trust by age and gender. White and older populations generally expressed higher trust in government sources, while non-White and younger populations expressed higher trust in private sources (eg, CNN) and social networks (eg, Twitter). Trust in government sources was positively associated with accurate knowledge about COVID-19 and adherence to social distancing. However, trust in private sources (eg, FOX and CNN) was negatively associated with knowledge about COVID-19. Similarly, trust in social networks (eg, Facebook and Twitter) was negatively associated with both knowledge and adherence to social distancing. Conclusions During pandemics such as the COVID-19 outbreak, policy makers should carefully consider the quality of information disseminated through private sources and social networks. Furthermore, when disseminating urgent health information, a variety of information sources should be used to ensure that diverse populations have timely access to critical knowledge.

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The impact of COVID-19-related changes in media consumption on public knowledge: results of a cross-sectional survey of Pennsylvania adults

Current Medical Research and Opinion ◽

10.1080/03007995.2021.1901679 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Surav Man Sakya ◽

Lauren Jodi Van Scoy ◽

John C. Garman ◽

Erin L. Miller ◽

Bethany Snyder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Media Consumption ◽

Public Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

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The impact of Saudi lockdown to counter COVID-19

International Journal of ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES ◽

10.21833/ijaas.2021.03.011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 78-87

Author(s):

Khaleel I. Alyahya ◽

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Survey Design ◽

Age Groups ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Almost All ◽

The Impact

The study aimed to assess the impact of awareness of citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia toward the home isolation and social distancing during lockdown that might decrease the outbreak of COVID-19, to measure the importance of social behavior to maintain the constant decline of COVID-19 cases and to determine if there is a difference in the level of awareness and behavior between citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia toward the governmental measures during the pandemic. We have adopted a cross-sectional survey design to investigate the impact of Saudi lockdown on blockade COVID-19 by using an anonymous online questionnaire. The targeted population of the study was Saudi citizens and non-Saudi residents of different ages. The collected data were entered into Microsoft Excel (version 2011) and analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23. The Chi-square test with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to examine significant associations between the socio-demographic characteristic of participants, their awareness, and their behavior towards the COVOD-19 pandemic. AP value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The total number of the current study participants was 1168. The majority (70.50%) were married males with children (73.50%). Three-quarters of the participants were equally distributed between the age groups of 30-39, 40-49, and 50-59 years old. Almost all (90.90%) of the participants have received higher education, 73.60% living in the central region, and in large and crowded cities (75.30%). More than half (58.50%) of the Saudi respondents know about the coronavirus from media sources, while for the non-Saudis, 54.50% are well informed regarding the virus. The results of the current study revealed that the majority of the population in the country believe in home isolation and social distancing for the COVID-19 blockade. Additionally, they also consider non-compliance to these measures as one the main factor for the disease outbreak. Most of the participants were committed to home isolation, social distancing, and personal protective measures including wearing masks, gloves, and avoiding face contact.

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Empowered women, social networks and the contribution of qualitative research: broadening our understanding of underlying causes for food and nutrition insecurity

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1079/phn2003491 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 6 (8) ◽

pp. 759-764 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

S Lemke ◽

HH Vorster ◽

NS Jansen van Rensburg ◽

J Ziche

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Social Networks ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Nutrition Security ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

Underlying Causes ◽

The Impact

AbstractObjective:To investigate underlying causes for food and nutrition insecurity in black South African households and to gain understanding of the factors contributing to better nutrition security, with emphasis on household organisation, gender and intra-household dynamics and social networks.Design, setting and subjects:Within a larger cross-sectional survey that investigated the impact of urbanisation on the health of black South Africans, 166 people, mostly women, were interviewed on household food security. Methods used were structured face-to-face interviews, in-depth interviews, observation, interviews with key informants and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Information was collected from 1998 to 2000 in 15 rural and urban areas of the North West Province, South Africa.Results:Three-quarters of households in this sample are chronically food-insecure. Families are disrupted, due to migrant work, poverty and increasing societal violence, and half of households are female-headed. Certain categories of female-headed households and households based on partnership relationships, despite more limited resources, achieve a better or an equal economic status and better nutrition security than those households led by men, with the latter often being considered an economic liability. The reliance on and fostering of social ties and networks appear to be of central significance.Conclusion:Gender and intra-household relations, as well as social networks and income from informal sector activities, are often not uncovered by conventional statistical methods. Qualitative research can reveal the unexpected and furthermore empowers people, as their voices are heard.

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The Impact of COVID-19 Safety Recommendations on Adults Age 60 and Older: A Qualitative Study

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3506 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 959-959

Author(s):

Kerstin Emerson ◽

Deborah Kim ◽

George Mois ◽

Jenay Beer

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

The United States ◽

Coping Mechanisms ◽

Emotional Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

The Impact

Abstract In March 2020, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began recommending social distancing and sheltering in place, in particular for older adults. This resulted in many older adults staying at home for long periods of time in relative isolation. Because there is little prior evidence of the emotional impact that this has on older adults, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study on how older adults felt during the first three to five weeks of the CDC recommendations. We fielded a web-based cross-sectional survey. Our analytic sample consisted of 673 respondents aged 60 and older who respondent to the prompt: “How are you feeling during this time of social distancing?”. We used a thematic bottom-up qualitative analysis, via MAXQDA, to analyze segments into general affect codes and detailed emotion subcodes, as well as coping mechanisms. Results showed that while many older adults reported neutral (9%) or positive (9%) affect, a larger proportion reported negative affect (42%) or reported mixed affect (35%). The most common negative emotions mentioned were anxiety and loneliness/boredom, while the most common positive emotions mentioned were optimism and feeling grateful. The most common coping mechanisms reported by participants included making life adjustments, keeping busy, prayer/spirituality, and mediation/mindfulness. This study provides an initial understanding into how older adults experienced and coped with the first stages of restricting social interactions. If social distancing continues to be a recommended disease-containment strategy, information about how older adults are coping can be critical for public health interventions. Implications will be discussed.

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Factors impacting social distancing measures for preventing coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]: A systematic review

10.21203/rs.3.rs-37498/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Krishna Regmi ◽

Cho Mar Lwin

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Critical Appraisal ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

The Public ◽

Prisma Statement ◽

Effective Public Health ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Social distancing measures (SDMs) protect the health of the public from coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection. However, the impact of SDMs has been inconsistent and unclear. This study aims to review the factors impacting SDMs (e.g. isolation, quarantine) for reducing the transmission of COVID-19.Methods: A systematic review was conducted. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Allied & Complementary Medicine, COVID-19 Research and WHO database on COVID-19 for primary studies assessing the enablers and barriers associated with SDMs, and reported in accordance with PRISMA statement. We used JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for the cross-sectional survey and Qualitative Research to assess the methodological qualities and synthesised performing thematic analysis. Two reviewers independently screened the papers and extracted data.Results: A total of 1235 citations were identified, of which 16 were found to be relevant. The studies reported in two broad categories, under seven separate themes: positive impact of SDMs, effective public health interventions, positive change in people’s behaviour, worries and concerns about COVID-19, roles of mass media, physical and psychological impacts, and ethnicity/age associated with COVID-19.Conclusion: The identified evidence signals that SDMs are generally effective for preventing or reducing transmission. There is a scope and need to find the best methods and approaches at the primary healthcare level in terms of developing objective measures and interventions to establish the link between different factors and SDMs and reducing transmission of COVID-19 trend effectively, efficiently and equitably.

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Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 During the First Nationwide Lockdown in Vietnam: Web-Based, Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.24776 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong ◽

Tien Nguyen Le Bao ◽

Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen ◽

Thanh Vo Van ◽

Toi Phung Lam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

General Population ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Survey Study ◽

Limited Information ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Event Scale ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND The first nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented in Vietnam from April 1 to 15, 2020. Nevertheless, there has been limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of the public. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues and identify the factors associated with the psychological impact of COVID-19 during the first nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. METHODS We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling. A self-administered, online survey was used to collect data and assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants from April 10 to 15, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were utilized to assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants during social distancing due to COVID-19. Associations across factors were explored using regression analysis. RESULTS A total of 1385 respondents completed the survey. Of this, 35.9% (n=497) experienced psychological distress, as well as depression (n=325, 23.5%), anxiety (n=195, 14.1%), and stress (n=309, 22.3%). Respondents who evaluated their physical health as average had a higher IES-R score (beta coefficient [B]=9.16, 95% CI 6.43 to 11.89), as well as higher depression (B=5.85, 95% CI 4.49 to 7.21), anxiety (B=3.64, 95% CI 2.64 to 4.63), and stress (B=5.19, 95% CI 3.83 to 6.56) scores for DASS-21 than those who rated their health as good or very good. Those who self-reported their health as bad or very bad experienced more severe depression (B=9.57, 95% CI 4.54 to 14.59), anxiety (B=7.24, 95% CI 3.55 to 10.9), and stress (B=10.60, 95% CI 5.56 to 15.65). Unemployment was more likely to be associated with depression (B=3.34, 95% CI 1.68 to 5.01) and stress (B=2.34, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.85). Regarding worries about COVID-19, more than half (n=755, 54.5%) expressed concern for their children aged <18 years, which increased their IES-R score (B=7.81, 95% CI 4.98 to 10.64) and DASS-21 stress score (B=1.75, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.24). The majority of respondents (n=1335, 96.4%) were confident about their doctor’s expertise in terms of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, which was positively associated with less distress caused by the outbreak (B=–7.84, 95% CI –14.58 to –1.11). CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the effect of COVID-19 on mental health during the nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. The study provides useful evidence for policy decision makers to develop and implement interventions to mitigate these impacts. CLINICALTRIAL

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COVID-19 Psychological Impact on Health Care Workers in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18116076 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 6076

Author(s):

Hasan S. Alamri ◽

Wesam F. Mousa ◽

Abdullah Algarni ◽

Shehata F. Megahid ◽

Ali Al Bshabshe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Psychological Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

Objective: Little is known about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the health care workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May till mid-July among 389 health care workers from government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire that measured adverse psychological outcomes, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of depression and anxiety among health care workers. Results: A high level of anxiety was recorded among the health care workers, and 69.3% of health care workers below the age of 40 were found to have depression. There was a significant increase in depression among staff with chronic health problems (72.1% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.048). High anxiety levels were detected among young staff compared to others (68.7% vs. 43.8%; p = 0.001). Moreover, 82.1% of the female staff were anxious, as compared to 55.6% of the males (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found increased prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for proper screening and development of corresponding preventive measures to decrease the adverse psychological outcomes.

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Are e-learning Webinars the future of medical education? An exploratory study of a disruptive innovation in the COVID-19 era

Cardiology in the Young ◽

10.1017/s1047951120004503 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Colin J. McMahon ◽

Justin T. Tretter ◽

Theresa Faulkner ◽

R. Krishna Kumar ◽

Andrew N. Redington ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Deep Learning ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Quantitative Research ◽

Survey Design ◽

Hybrid Approach ◽

Disruptive Innovation ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

E Learning ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the impact of the Webinar on deep human learning of CHD. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional survey design study used an open and closed-ended questionnaire to assess the impact of the Webinar on deep learning of topical areas within the management of the post-operative tetralogy of Fallot patients. This was a quantitative research methodology using descriptive statistical analyses with a sequential explanatory design. Results: One thousand-three-hundred and seventy-four participants from 100 countries on 6 continents joined the Webinar, 557 (40%) of whom completed the questionnaire. Over 70% of participants reported that they “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the Webinar format promoted deep learning for each of the topics compared to other standard learning methods (textbook and journal learning). Two-thirds expressed a preference for attending a Webinar rather than an international conference. Over 80% of participants highlighted significant barriers to attending conferences including cost (79%), distance to travel (49%), time commitment (51%), and family commitments (35%). Strengths of the Webinar included expertise, concise high-quality presentations often discussing contentious issues, and the platform quality. The main weakness was a limited time for questions. Just over 53% expressed a concern for the carbon footprint involved in attending conferences and preferred to attend a Webinar. Conclusion: E-learning Webinars represent a disruptive innovation, which promotes deep learning, greater multidisciplinary participation, and greater attendee satisfaction with fewer barriers to participation. Although Webinars will never fully replace conferences, a hybrid approach may reduce the need for conferencing, reduce carbon footprint. and promote a “sustainable academia”.

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