Stratified Impacts of Infodemic and Information Overload during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Survey of Residents in Six Jurisdictions in Asia (Preprint)

BACKGROUND While timely and accurate information during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential for containing the disease and reducing mental distress, infodemic, which refers to an overabundance of information, may overwhelm people and trigger unpleasant emotions. Prior research has shown the negative consequences of infodemic during the pandemic; however, we know less about what subpopulations are more exposed to infodemic and more vulnerable to its adverse psychological effects. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine how sociodemographic factors and information-seeking behavior affect the perceived information overload during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also investigated the association between perceived information overload and psychological distress and analyzed the socioeconomic differences in such an association. METHODS The data of this study were obtained from a cross-national survey of residents in six jurisdictions in Asia in May 2020, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. The survey targeted residents aged 18 or above. A probability-based quota sampling strategy was adopted to ensure that the selected samples match the population’s geographical and demographic characteristics released by the latest available census in each jurisdiction. The final sample included 10,063 respondents. Information overload about COVID-19 was measured by asking the respondents to what extent they feel overwhelmed by news related to COVID-19. The measure of psychological distress was adapted from the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5. Multilevel linear regression models were employed to account for the nested structure of the data. RESULTS Respondents aged 18-39 and females (b=0.20, CI=[0.14,0.26]) were more likely to perceive information overload. Upper or upper-middle class (b=0.19, CI=[0.09,0.30]) and those with full-time jobs (b=0.11, CI=[0.04,0.17]) tended to perceive higher information overload. Respondents who were more frequently to seek COVID-19 information from newspapers (b=0.10, CI=[0.09,0.12]), television (b=0.07, CI=[0.04,0.09]), and family and friends (b=0.11, CI=[0.08, 0.14]) were more likely to feel overwhelmed. In contrast, obtaining COVID-19 information from online news outlets and social media was not associated with perceived information overload. There was a positive relationship between perceived information overload and psychological distress (b=2.12, CI=[2.03, 2.20]). Such an association was stronger among urban residents, full-time employees, and those living in privately-owned housing. CONCLUSIONS This study is among the first to examine the antecedents and consequences of perceived information overload about COVID-19 among Asian populations. Our findings revealed that respondents who were younger, female, with higher socioeconomic status (SES), and with vulnerable populations in the household were more likely to feel overwhelmed by COVID-19 information. Perceived information overload tended to increase psychological distress, and people with higher SES were more vulnerable to this adverse psychological consequence. Effective policies and interventions should be promoted to target vulnerable populations who are more susceptible to the occurrence and negative psychological influence of perceived information overload.