scholarly journals COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media: A Study of the Understanding, Attitudes and Behaviors of Social Media Users

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 768-788
Author(s):  
Lowai G. Abed
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Educational Backgrounds ◽  
Health Related ◽  
And Behaviors

The dissemination of information via social media is important, particularly during a public health emergency. However, while it is undoubtedly useful in the targeting of genuine health communications, social media may also be used to spread health-related misinformation at times of disease outbreak or pandemic. The study presented here researches the spread of COVID-19 misinformation in Saudi Arabia, by exploring the relevant understanding, attitudes, and behaviors of Saudi Arabian citizens. The current study comprises a survey of 318 adults in Saudi Arabia, of all age groups and educational backgrounds, and from all Saudi Arabian provinces. This study highlights the significance of COVID-19 misinformation and concludes that, despite risks to public health and wellbeing, Saudi Arabian citizens do not consider COVID-19 misinformation to be a significant problem. Participants in this study were relatively aware of such misinformation and its dangers, but it did not greatly concern them, and generally they declined to tackle it proactively. 

scholarly journals The COVID States Project #27: Trajectory of COVID-19-related behaviors in Illinois

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Druckman ◽  
Jennifer Lin ◽  
Roy H. Perlis ◽  
Mauricio Santillana ◽  
David Lazer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Health Related Behaviors ◽  
Health Related ◽  
And Behaviors

The number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois has risen sharply over the last two months, from about 2,000 new cases a day in late September to 10,000 or so currently. In this report we evaluate whether there have been significant changes in the behaviors that facilitate the spread of the disease. The COVID States Project has been conducting a 50-state survey roughly once a month since April about attitudes and behaviors around COVID-19. Here we focus on public-health related behaviors that facilitate/inhibit the spread of the disease. It has become apparent that behaviors of particular importance are (1) those which bring people into indoor proximity; and (2) mask wearing.

scholarly journals The Saudi Experience of Health-Related Social Media Use: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Dalia Yahia M. El Kheir ◽  
Dhuha Nahar Boumarah ◽  
Fatimah Mousa Bukhamseen ◽  
Jumana Husain Masoudi ◽  
Leila A. Boubshait
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Public Health Programs ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Electronic Database Search ◽  
Meta Analyses

<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> Social media (SM) are evolving and dynamic applications which can be used in health-care settings to enhance professional networking and education; patient communication, care, and education; public health programs; organizational promotion; and research. This review aims to analyze, summarize, and describe the current Saudi experience of SM use for health. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A MEDLINE/PubMed electronic database search was performed in July 2020 utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. The initial search has yielded a total of 263 articles, of which 25 met our inclusion criteria. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In Saudi Arabia, the literature reports a high interest in using SM for health-related purposes among the public, with a prevalence of &#x3e;51%. The Saudi population has been found to highly favor the use of WhatsApp and Twitter for gaining and exchanging knowledge. Multiple facilitators and barriers have been identified and further categorized based on the users’ population, such as general public, health-care practitioners, and patients with specific conditions. Overall, the common facilitator and barrier between all users’ population categories were found to be younger age and lack of time, respectively. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> SM use for health-care activities is increasing in Saudi Arabia. Thus, it is important for SM-based health education programs to target specific population and patients’ demographics with programs tailored to their particular interests and needs. This is particularly evident in the current achievements and future plans of the Saudi Ministry of Health.

Trend of Parental Refusal or Delay of Childhood Vaccinations

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meagan Marie Daoust
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Educational Context ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Parental Refusal

The healthcare trend of parental refusal or delay of childhood vaccinations will be investigated through a complex Cynefin Framework component in an economic and educational context, allowing patterns to emerge that suggest recommendations of change for the RN role and healthcare system. As a major contributing factor adding complexity to this trend, social media is heavily used for health related knowledge, making it is difficult to determine which information is most trustworthy. Missed opportunities for immunization can result, leading to economic and health consequences for the healthcare system and population. Through analysis of the powerful impact social media has on this evolving trend and public health, an upstream recommendation for RNs to respond with is to utilize reliable social media to the parents’ advantage within practice. The healthcare system should focus on incorporating vaccine-related education into existing programs and classes offered to parents, and implementing new vaccine classes for the public.

Married Couples’ Perception of the Excessive Use of SocialMedia and its Impact on Marital Problems in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1A) ◽  
pp. 61-94
Author(s):  
Nashmi Alanazi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Marital Relationships ◽  
Marital Problems ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
The Common ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Abstract: This study explores married couples’ perception of the effects of using social media on marital relationships in Saudi Arabian society. The study discusses the growing use of social media, the common applications used, the reasons why married couples use social media, and the potential marital problems caused by the excessive use of social media. These issues are explored through the viewpoints of married couples living in Saudi Arabia. An online-based questionnaire was used to collect data, and the data sample comprised 1,226 married Saudi citizens; 55.7% male and 44.3% female. The data was analyzed using SPSS. The results show that the use of social media is common among married couples in Saudi Arabia, and that the majority use social media excessively. WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are the most common applications used. The study also finds that married couples use social media for a number of different purposes, including communicating with family and friends, keeping up to date with celebrity and social media influencers’ news, as well as sharing photos and videos with others. Finally, spouses think that their partner’s excessive use of social media can cause marital problems, including the feelings of jealousy, the neglect of family responsibilities, the weakening of interpersonal communication, and the feelings of mistrust. Keywords: Social Media, Excessive Use of Social Media, and Marital Problems.

COVIDiots and Cogency

2021 ◽  
pp. 62-85
Author(s):  
Roy Schwartzman ◽  
Jenni M. Simon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Heuristics And Biases ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Broadcast Media ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Public Health Campaigns ◽  
Health Experts

The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States spawns a perplexing polemic. Intransigent coronavirus skeptics who defy public health recommendations often get cast as ideological zealots or as perniciously ignorant. Both characterizations overlook a more fundamental epistemic opposition. The authors recast the conflict between COVID-19 skeptics and public health advocates as the rhetorical incompatibility between the deliberative, scientifically grounded public health experts and the intuitive, emotion-driven mental heuristics of the non-compliant. This study examines the discourse of COVID-19 misinformation purveyors on broadcast media and online. Their main contentions rely on heuristics and biases that collectively not only undermine trust in particular medical experts, but also undercut trust in the institutions and reasoning processes of science itself. The findings suggest ways that public health campaigns can become more effective by leveraging some of the intuitive drivers of attitudes and behaviors that scientists and argumentation theorists routinely dismiss as fallacious.

scholarly journals Health Equity Lens Embedded in the Public Health Policies of Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Document Analysis

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402096277
Author(s):  
Leena Eklund Karlsson ◽  
Anne Leena Ikonen ◽  
Kothar Mohammed Alqahtani ◽  
Pernille Tanggaard Andersen ◽  
Subash Thapa
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Related

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), no studies have been documented to analyze the equity aspects of public health policies. The aims of the study were to identify policy documents in the KSA relevant to public health and to explore whether these include an equity approach. Twenty health-related documents were identified from various ministries’ websites and analyzed through directed content analysis. The results showed that the term “equity” was neither defined nor explained in the documents and suggestions on how to tackle health inequities were lacking. None of the suggested measures communicated an explicit focus on promoting health equity or the social gradient. Several upstream, midstream, and downstream measures were suggested to improve justice and public health for the people. The study reveals that there is a need for an in-depth assessment of the policy measures across sectors and their influence on health equity to inform future health policy development and action in the KSA.

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