Social Media; its role in the infodemic of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. e188
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Akbar ◽  
Zubia Zaman ◽  
Muhammad Ahsan Abbasi ◽  
Imran Mansoor Raza ◽  
Muneeza Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Linear Correlation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
English Language ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Source Of Information

Introduction: A pandemic is defined as an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the global population.Objective: This study aims to observe the discrepancies that social media provides users in terms of information regarding COVID-19 and how that information can affect practices for prevention against the virus.Methods: A cross-sectional study, with a non-probability convenience sampling technique, was conducted during April 2020. An online survey was created on Google Forms in the English language, and participants were invited to complete and submit the form. A total of 402 responses were received in one month. Citizens of age 18-60 partook in the study, and respondents tested positive for Covid-19 were excluded from the study as it could lead to bias.Results: A total of 375 responses were selected out of the 402 responses received. Six responses were excluded who tested positive for Covid-19, and 21 responses were rejected as they were filled incompletely. The mean age of respondents was 27.53 years (S.D 8.188), and there were more females, 52.53% (n=197) than male, 46.67%(175) participants. A Pearson correlation (r) of 0.383 between knowledge and practices of people who use social media as their primary source of information suggests a moderate linear correlation. People who did not use social media as their primary source of information had a stronger linear correlation (r=0.640) between knowledge and practices.Conclusion: According to the study, social media provided people with correct knowledge as well as encouraged efficient practices while also contributing to the spread of false news and malpractices.

scholarly journals Social Media Usage and Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol VI (I) ◽  
pp. 242-253
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ramzan Pahore ◽  
Malik Adnan ◽  
Muhammad Basharat Hameed
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Media Usage

Excessive social media usage can be harmful to the mental health of individuals. The core objective of the study was to inspect the effects of social media usage on mental health. Secondly, to find out the mean differences of gender, social media and mental health. A cross-sectional research design was utilized to fulfil the study objectives. n=1067 students from six different universities in Punjab, Pakistan, were selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Data was collected through an adapted questionnaire comprised of three distinct parts, i.e. socio-demographic profile, social media integration scale by Maree (2017) and Goldberg depression scale (1993), to check the social media effects on mental health among youth. Attained replies were analyzed by using SPSS analysis software version 21. Furthermore, to check the direction and consistency of the relationship among these variables, Pearson correlation was applied, which demonstrated a negative relationship between social media usage and mental health problems at p<.000. This study concluded a negative influence of excessive social media usage on mental health among youth in public universities of Punjab, Pakistan.

scholarly journals Social Distancing, Lockdown Obligatory, and Response Satisfaction During COVID-19 Pandemic: Perception of Nigerian Social Media Users

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-53
Author(s):  
Olalekan Seun Olagunju ◽  
Obasanjo Afolabi Bolarinwa ◽  
Tesleem Kayode Babalola
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
General Acceptance

Background: Pandemics are challenging for clinical and public health agencies and policymakers because of the scientific and medical uncertainty that accompanies novel viruses like COVID-19 makes an increase of morbidity and mortality prominent. Consequently, there is a need to evaluate the public perception of social distancing, lockdown obligatory, and response satisfactory during the pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional survey used an anonymous online google based questionnaire to collect data from respondents via social media platforms. The online survey was conducted among social media users from 1st to 30th April 2020. A snowball sampling technique was employed to recruit respondents for the survey. A total of 1,131 respondents responded across the country. Results: Nine out of every ten respondents believed that social distancing is an effective measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Also, 8 out of every ten respondents agreed with the lockdown measures. However, just 36.8% think their government is doing enough to stop the outbreak, and only 25% of the respondents were satisfied with the country’s response to the worldwide epidemic. The age of respondents was found to be significantly associated with satisfaction with emergency response during pandemics. Conclusion: It could be concluded that Nigerian public accepted social distancing as an effective way of curbing the spread of COVID-19 and general acceptance on lockdown obligatory; however, more than half of respondents expressed non-satisfactory with government and other agencies responses during the pandemics.

Knowledge and Communication of the National Core Standards Tool

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Winnie Thembisile Maphumulo ◽  
Busisiwe Bhengu
Keyword(s):  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Professional Nurses

The National Department of Health in South Africa has introduced the National Core Standards (NCS) tool to improve the quality of healthcare delivery in all public healthcare institutions. Knowledge of the NCS tool is essential among healthcare providers. This study investigated the level of knowledge on NCS and how the NCS tool was communicated among professional nurses. This was a cross-sectional survey study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select hospitals that only offered tertiary services in KwaZulu-Natal. Six strata of departments were selected using simple stratified sampling. The population of professional nurses in the selected hospitals was 3 050. Systematic random sampling was used to recruit 543 participants. The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 25. The study showed that only 16 (3.7%) respondents had knowledge about NCS, using McDonald’s standard of learning outcome measured criteria regarding the NCS tool. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the communication and knowledge was r = 0.055. The results revealed that although the communication scores for the respondents were high their knowledge scores remained low. This study concluded that there is a lack of knowledge regarding the NCS tool and therefore healthcare institutions need to commit themselves to the training of professional nurses regarding the NCS tool. The findings suggest that healthcare institutions implement the allocation of incentives for nurses that attend the workshops for NCS.

COVID-19: knowledge, awareness and perceived stress among Jordanian healthcare providers (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emad Aborajooh ◽  
Mohammed Qussay Al-Sabbagh ◽  
Baraa Mafrachi ◽  
Muhammad Yassin ◽  
Rami Dwairi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Source Of Information

UNSTRUCTURED We aimed to measure levels of knowledge, awareness, and stress about COVID-19 among health care providers (HCP) in Jordan. This was a cross-sectional study on 397 HCPs that utilized an internet-based questionnaire to evaluate knowledge about COVID-19, availability of personal protective equipment (PEE), future perception, and psychological distress. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate factors associated with knowledge and psychological stress. Overall, 24.4% and 21.2% of the participants showed excellent knowledge and poor knowledge, respectively. Social media (61.7%) was the most commonly used source of information. Being female (β= 0.521, 95% CI 0.049 to 0.992), physician (β=1.421, 95% CI 0.849 to 1.992), or using literature to gain knowledge (β= 1.161, 95% CI 0.657 to 1.664) were positive predictors of higher knowledge. While having higher stress (β= -0.854, 95% CI -1.488 to -0.221) and using social media (β= -0.434, 95% CI -0.865 to -0.003) or conventional media (β= -0.884, 95% CI -1.358 to -0.409) for information were negative predictors of knowledge levels. HCPs are advised to use the literature as a source of information about the virus, its transmission, and the best practice. PPEs should be secured for HCPs to the psychological stress associated with treating COVID-19 patients.

scholarly journals Survey of young people in one region of the UK on accessing COVID-19 information (SOCIAL)

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e000942
Author(s):  
Oliver G P Lawton ◽  
Sarah A Lawton ◽  
Lisa Dikomitis ◽  
Joanne Protheroe ◽  
Joanne Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Education Gaps ◽  
The Uk

COVID-19 has significantly impacted young people’s lives yet little is known about the COVID-19 related sources of information they access. We performed a cross-sectional survey of pupils (11–16 years) in North Staffordshire, UK. 408 (23%) pupils responded to an online survey emailed to them by their school. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. Social media, accessed by 68%, played a significant role in the provision of information, despite it not being considered trustworthy. 89% felt that COVID-19 had negatively affected their education. Gaps in the provision of information on COVID-19 have been identified.

scholarly journals Young adults’ coping strategies against loneliness during the COVID-19-related quarantine in Greece

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrianos Golemis ◽  
Panteleimon Voitsidis ◽  
Eleni Parlapani ◽  
Vasiliki A Nikopoulou ◽  
Virginia Tsipropoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Cross Sectional

Summary COVID-19 and the related quarantine disrupted young adults’ academic and professional life, daily routine and socio-emotional well-being. This cross-sectional study focused on the emotional and behavioural responses of a young adult population during the COVID-19-related quarantine in April 2020, in Greece. The study was conducted through an online survey. A total of 1559 young adults, aged 18−30 years, completed Steele’s Social Responsibility Motivation Scale and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and answered questions about compliance with instructions, quarantine-related behaviours and coping strategies. According to the results, participants displayed a relatively high sense of social responsibility (M = 16.09, SD = 2.13) and a trend towards moderate feeling of loneliness (M = 2.65, SD = 1.62); young women reported significantly higher levels of loneliness than men. The majority complied with instructions often (46.4%) or always (44.8%). Significantly more women created a new social media account and used the social media longer than 5 h/day, compared with men. Resorting to religion, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted higher levels of social responsibility; humour, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted lower levels of loneliness. Conclusively, COVID-19 is expected to have a significant psychological impact on young adults. Currently, Greece is going through the second quarantine period. This study raises awareness about loneliness in young adults during the COVID-19-related quarantine and highlights the importance of developing online programmes, attractive to younger people, to nurture adaptive coping strategies against loneliness.

scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Qualitative Experiences of Social Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Sample

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Schoultz Mariyana ◽  
Leung Janni ◽  
Bonsaksen Tore ◽  
Ruffolo Mary ◽  
Thygesen Hilde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information ◽  
The Uk

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and as a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter-in-place during the current pandemic. Methods: This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, the UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free-text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, USA and Australia. A total of 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions which were difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning, which was positive and stressful at the same time. Conclusion: Using social media while in a shelter-in-place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.

scholarly journals Emotional Bonding and Sexual Activity During COVID-19 Lockdown: A Cross-National Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 263183182110274
Author(s):  
Deblina Roy ◽  
Sujita Kumar Kar ◽  
SM Yasir Arafat ◽  
Pawan Sharma ◽  
Russell Kabir
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Sexually Active ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Emotional Bonding ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Study Participants

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have affected the sexuality and emotional bonding among the couple across the world. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on the married people’s emotional bonding and sexual relationships in 3 south Asian counties (Bangladesh, India, and Nepal). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Bangladesh, India, and Nepal residents from April 3 to April 15, 2020. The survey was designed in English. The participants were selected through convenience sampling technique, the link of the online questionnaire was shared with the participants. Only participants older than 18 years and above, married, and living with their spouses were included in the study. Results: A total number of 120 respondents were included finally for analysis from the participating countries (India, Nepal, and Bangladesh). The mean age of the participants was 35.42 (±5.73) years; the majority were males under the age of 40 years and had completed postgraduation as their qualification. Among the study participants, more than half (53.8%) of the women reported being sexually active during the lockdown, whereas 41% of the men reported being sexually active. Among the sexually active participants, most women (57.7%) reported that they perceived positive emotional bonding with their partners. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference observed when compared with men. There are variations in responses. However, no significant association was identified. Conclusion: There are a few insights from the study, that is, there was no significant difference found in almost 3 countries in emotional intimacy. There had been a trend that there is improved emotional bonding with their partners, although no significant difference was observed.

scholarly journals Loneliness and Its Association With Social Media Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512110338
Author(s):  
Tore Bonsaksen ◽  
Mary Ruffolo ◽  
Janni Leung ◽  
Daicia Price ◽  
Hilde Thygesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Social Loneliness

Social distancing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic changed social interaction for many and increased the risk of loneliness in the general population. Social media use has been ambiguously related to loneliness, and associations may differ by age. The study aimed to examine loneliness and its association with social media use within different age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia during April/May 2020, and 3,810 participants aged 18 years or above were recruited. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between social media use and social and emotional loneliness within separate age groups. Emotional loneliness was higher among young adults and among those who used social media several times daily. Adjusting by sociodemographic variables, using more types of social media was associated with lower social loneliness among the oldest participants, and with higher emotional loneliness among the youngest participants. Among middle-aged participants, using social media more frequently was associated with lower social loneliness. We found that the associations between social media use and loneliness varied by age. Older people’s engagement on social media may be a resource to reduce loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. We observed higher levels of loneliness among high-frequent social media users of younger age.

Nutrient supplementation among pregnant women in China: an observational study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Tao Han ◽  
Jingwen Dong ◽  
Jiangtao Zhang ◽  
Chenxiao Zhang ◽  
Yuxuan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Nutrient Supplementation ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Source Of Information

Abstract Objective: To clarify nutrient supplementation usage and primary source of information among pregnant women in China. Design: This cross-sectional study used information on nutrient supplementation and primary source of information collected via face-to-face interviews. Data on the usage of folic acid, calcium/vitamin D, iron, vitamins, docosahexaenoic acid, and other dietary supplements were collected. Primary source of information were categorized as family/relatives, friends/co-workers, the Internet, books/magazines, television/radio, doctors, other people, and oneself. Setting: Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Chengdu, China. Participants: 1081 Chinese pregnant women aged ≥ 20 years with singleton pregnancies. Results: In all three trimesters of pregnancy, usage was highest and most stable for folic acid (81.7%), followed by vitamins (vitamin A, B-group vitamins, vitamin C, and multivitamins; 75.0%), whereas calcium/vitamin D (51.4%) and iron (18.1%) usage was low, potentially indicating a deficiency risk. All supplementation usage percentages increased with pregnancy duration (p < 0.05). Notably, approximately 10% of the pregnant women in our study did not use any nutrient supplementation, and this was especially common in early pregnancy. More than 50% of the women reported getting information on nutrient supplementation from family members, and about 30% reported getting this information from doctors. Conclusions: Among pregnant women in China, awareness about nutrient supplementation increases as the pregnancy progresses, but some types of nutrient supplementation (such as calcium/vitamin D and iron) remain at low levels. It is necessary to pay more attention to the health education of pregnant women in China, and the influence of family members should be emphasized.

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