COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs among Romanian university students

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oana Lup ◽  
◽  
Elena Cristina Mitrea ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Analytical Skills ◽  
Media Regulation ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs

This article explores factors that affect the strength of beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy theories drawing on data collected in an online survey of undergraduate and graduate students from Romanian universities. The results indicate that students with lower socio-economic status, lower levels of news consumption in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, who rely primarily on information from television and discussions to their peers, as well as those with lower levels of education/analytical skills are more susceptible to endorsing conspiracy theories regarding the origin and the nature of COVID-19. Education, analytical skills, and exposure to high quality media information appear to equip students with the necessary tools to critically assess COVID-19-related conspiracies. Given the link between conspiracy belief and health behaviors in the context of the pandemic, these results point to the importance of analytical skills and media regulation for curbing misinformation in societal contexts of heightened uncertainty, confusion, and existential threat.

scholarly journals COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, health behaviors, and policy support

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 850-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie A Earnshaw ◽  
Lisa A Eaton ◽  
Seth C Kalichman ◽  
Natalie M Brousseau ◽  
E Carly Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Multivariable Regression

Abstract Conspiracy theories have been proliferating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence suggests that belief in conspiracy theories undermines engagement in pro-health behaviors and support for public health policies. Moreover, previous work suggests that inoculating messages from opinion leaders that expose conspiracy theories as false before people are exposed to them can help to prevent belief in new conspiracies. Goals of this study were to: (a) explore associations between COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine intentions, cooperation with public health recommendations, and support for public health policies among U.S. adults and (b) investigate trusted sources of COVID-19 information to inform strategies to address conspiracy beliefs. A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted with 845 U.S. adults in April 2020. Data were analyzed using analyses of variance and multivariable regressions. One-third (33%) of participants believed one or more conspiracies about COVID-19. Participants who believed conspiracies reported that their intentions to vaccinate were 3.9 times lower and indicated less support for COVID-19 public health policies than participants who disbelieved conspiracies. There were no differences in cooperation with public health recommendations by conspiracy belief endorsement in the multivariable regression analysis. Although there were some key differences in trusted sources of COVID-19 information, doctor(s) were the most trusted source of information about COVID-19 overall with 90% of participants trusting doctor(s). Doctor(s) may play a role in addressing COVID-19 conspiracy theories before people are exposed to them to promote COVID-19 prevention efforts.

scholarly journals Is It All a Conspiracy? Conspiracy Theories and People’s Attitude to COVID-19 Vaccination

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Yang ◽  
Xi Luo ◽  
Hepeng Jia
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Pharmaceutical Companies ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Quota Sampling ◽  
To Receive ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Vaccination Hesitancy

A large body of research has found that people’s beliefs in conspiracy theories about infectious diseases negatively impacts their health behaviors concerning vaccination. Conspiracy belief-based vaccination hesitancy has become more rampant after the global outbreak of COVID-19. However, some important questions remain unanswered. For instance, do different versions of conspiracy theories—particularly conspiracy theories about the origin of the epidemic (e.g., that the SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a Wuhan virology laboratory or that the virus was of foreign origin) and the general theories about vaccine conspiracies (e.g., pharmaceutical companies covered up the danger of vaccines or people are being deceived about the effectiveness of vaccines)—have the same effect on vaccination intentions? Through a national survey adopting quota sampling in China, the current study tested the relationship between people’s conspiracy beliefs and their intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. The findings show that people’s embrace of conspiracy theories did indeed affect their intention to take COVID-19 shots. However, only conspiracy theories related to vaccines had a significant impact, while belief in more general theories about COVID-19 did not significantly affect vaccination intentions. People’s knowledge of vaccines (vaccine literacy) played an important role in this relationship. People with lower beliefs in vaccines conspiracy theories and higher levels of vaccine literacy were more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

Socio-economic and cultural disparities in diet among adolescents and young adults: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 843-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucille Desbouys ◽  
Caroline Méjean ◽  
Stefaan De Henauw ◽  
Katia Castetbon
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Sweetened Beverages

AbstractObjective:To explore dietary differences according to socio-economic and sociocultural characteristics of adolescents and young adults.Design:A systematic review was conducted.Setting:The main search source was MEDLINE, consulted between January 2012 and March 2017. Quality of selected studies was assessed based on dietary measurement method, sample selection, socio-economic indicator choice and statistical modelling.Participants:Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, assessing relationships between socio-economic status and dietary intake (patterns, scores and food groups) in the 10- to 40-year-old general population of high-income countries, were selected.Results:Among the 7250 reports identified, forty were selected, seventeen of which were of high quality; their conclusions, related only to adolescents, were combined and presented. The most favourable dietary patterns, higher dietary scores, greater consumption of fruits, vegetables and dairy products, and lower consumption of sugary sweetened beverages and energy-dense foods, were associated with better parental socio-economic status, particularly in terms of higher education. Migrant status was associated with plant-based patterns, greater consumption of fruits and vegetables and of sugary sweetened beverages and energy-dense foods. For the other food groups, and for young adults, very few high-quality studies were found.Conclusions:The socio-economic gradient in adolescent diets requires confirmation by higher-grade studies of a wider set of food groups and must be extended to young adult populations. Future nutritional interventions should involve the most vulnerable adolescent populations, taking account of socio-economic status and migration.

scholarly journals Secular and religious volunteering among immigrants and natives in Denmark

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Peter Y Qvist
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
The Social

During the last 20–30 years Western societies have witnessed large scale migration from the Global South. This has given rise to important challenges in securing the social, civic and political integration of non-Western immigrants into Western societies. Previous research has suggested that participation in volunteering in civil society can serve as a ‘stepping stone’ towards integration for immigrants. Whilst the previous studies have shown marked gaps in the propensity to participate in volunteering between immigrants and natives, little work has been done to identify the mechanisms that explain these gaps. In this study, high-quality survey data, linked with data from administrative registers, are used, with the application of logistic regression based on the Karlson–Holm–Breen method to conduct mediation analysis. The mediation analysis shows that non-Western immigrants are significantly less likely to participate in secular volunteering compared to natives; however, over half of this gap is explained by an indirect effect via socio-economic status, self-rated health, generalized trust, informal social networks and the intergenerational transmission of volunteering. Moreover, the mediation analysis suggests that non-Western immigrants are more likely to participate in religious volunteering: this is completely explained by a strong indirect effect occurring via religiosity.

scholarly journals Mental, Physical and Socio-Economic Status of Adults Living in Spain during the Late Stages of the State of Emergency Caused by COVID-19

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 854
Author(s):  
Elisabet Sánchez-Rodríguez ◽  
Alexandra Ferreira-Valente ◽  
Filipa Pimenta ◽  
Antonella Ciaramella ◽  
Jordi Miró
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The State ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Late Stages

Research has shown that the confinement measures implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19 can have negative effects on people’s lives at multiple levels. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to better understand the mental, physical, and socio-economic status of adults living in Spain during the late stages of the state of emergency caused by COVID-19. Five hundred and forty-four individuals responded to an online survey between 3 June and 30 July 2020. They were asked to report data about their mental and physical health, financial situation, and satisfaction with the information received about the pandemic. Means, percentages, t-test, ANOVAs, and logistic regressions were computed. A third of the participants reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, and worries about their health and the future. Participants also described mild levels of fatigue and pain during lockdown (66%), and a reduction in household income (39%). Respondents that were female, younger, single, and with lower levels of education reported experiencing a greater impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data showed that the negative effects of lockdown were present in the late stages of the state of emergency. The findings can be used to contribute to the development of programs to prevent or mitigate the negative impact of confinement measures.

scholarly journals Conspiracy Theories in the Classroom: Problems and Potential Solutions

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 494
Author(s):  
Asbjørn Dyrendal ◽  
Daniel Jolley
Keyword(s):  
School Setting ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Academic Knowledge ◽  
Analytical Skills ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Contradictory Evidence ◽  
General Topic

Conspiracy narratives and speculative rumors of a conspiracist nature are intermittently popular in youth culture, as well as in political discourse. The general motivations of conspiracy beliefs relate to essential needs (for knowledge, to feel safe and secure, to feel good about oneself and one’s group), but evidence shows these needs are not actually served by conspiracy beliefs. Conspiracy theories tend to be explanations that conflict with best academic knowledge, and belief in them leads to less support for democratic processes and institutions. They play a role in political polarization, and they are used in identity-protective cognition. They may both express and arouse “strong feelings and divide communities and society”. Conspiracy theories as a general topic thus satisfy general criteria for controversial issues. At the same time, they are particularly interesting because they hover between the superficially and the inherently controversial: although in practice often resistant to contradictory evidence, they generally appeal to reason and evidence. While they sometimes are rooted in deep religious and religion-like beliefs, we argue that this makes them good cases for practicing analytical skills that could better serve all the needs above. Since cases and topics can cover the gamut from the subject-related to the cross-curricular and civic behavior, and the skills should be broadly transferable, using conspiracy theories as a topic has a high possible upside. However, conspiracy theories in a school setting have not yet been a topic of much research. This article takes as its starting point interviews with teachers and preliminary investigations of adolescents, before presenting an outline of possible didactic tools for teachers based on the general findings of effective interventions on conspiracy beliefs and related issues.

scholarly journals Conspiracy Theories, Psychological Distress, and Sympathy for Violent Radicalization in Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7846
Author(s):  
Anna Levinsson ◽  
Diana Miconi ◽  
Zhiyin Li ◽  
Rochelle L. Frounfelker ◽  
Cécile Rousseau
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Significant Interaction Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Public Health Challenge

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread uncertainty, promoted psychological distress, and fueled interpersonal conflict. The concomitant upsurge in endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories is worrisome because they are associated with both non-adherence to public health guidelines and intention to commit violence. This study investigates associations between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, support for violent radicalization (VR) and psychological distress among young adults in Canada. We hypothesized that (a) endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories is positively associated with support for VR, and (b) psychological distress modifies the relationship between COVID-19 conspiracy theories and support for VR. A total of 6003 participants aged 18–35 years old residing in four major Canadian cities completed an online survey between 16 October 2020 and 17 November 2020, that included questions about endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, support for VR, psychological distress, and socio-economic status. Endorsement of conspiracy theories was associated with support for VR in multivariate regression (β = 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80–0.96). There is a significant interaction effect between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories and psychological distress (β = 0.49, 95% CI 0.40–0.57). The magnitude of the association was stronger in individuals reporting high psychological distress (β = 1.36, 95% CI 1.26–1.46) compared to those reporting low psychological distress (β = 0.47, 95% CI 0.35–0.59). The association between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories and VR represents a public health challenge requiring immediate attention. The interaction with psychological distress suggests that policy efforts should combine communication and psychological strategies to mitigate the legitimation of violence.

scholarly journals Consequences of Lockdown During COVID-19 Pandemic in Lifestyle and Emotional State of Children in Argentina

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Victoria Fasano ◽  
Marcela Padula ◽  
María Ángeles Azrak ◽  
Ana Julia Avico ◽  
Marisa Sala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Emotional State ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Parental Characteristics ◽  
Important Concern ◽  
Children And Parents ◽  
The Impact

The implications of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown measurements and social isolation in children and their parents are still unknown. The aims of this study were to examine the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on emotional state, feelings and lifestyle of children and their parents, to explore the association between parental characteristics and child well-being and to examine whether the impact of lockdown depends on socio-economic status. Parents completed an online survey including data about socio-demographic information, parent and child feelings and lifestyle during lockdown. Logistic regression and correlation analysis were used to establish associations between variables. In total, 814 parents with children between 4 and 11 were included in the study. According to parents, 69.5% of the children showed changes in their emotional state, 55.3% altered their routine and 62.6% showed sleep disorders. Families with lower socio-economic status were more worried about health, shortage of food and household income (p < 0.01). Parent and children concern about food/essential items were highly associated [OR (CI 95%) 13.0 (6.81, 26.5), p < 0.01]. Adverse children's emotional state was associated with parental feeling of loneliness (r = 0.35) and inversely associated with keeping a routine (r = −0.11). Sleep changes were inversely associated with keeping a routine and having a balcony/garden (r = −0.53 and −0.16). We conclude that lockdown affected emotional state and lifestyle of children and parents, which were strongly related. Routine and positive parental attitude supported children's well-being. Economic issues were an important concern in families with lower socio-economic status. Our findings can help to promote child health during lockdown.

scholarly journals Public Opinions, Preparedness and Perspectives Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic Future in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 41-49
Author(s):  
Monika Singla ◽  
Bhavya Bansal
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Health Economy ◽  
Economic Aspects ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
The People ◽  
Survey Responses

COVID-19 pandemic has globally affected the health, economy, psychology and socio-economic status of the society. This pandemic demands a great deal of preparedness by public at many fronts. To control this pandemic India implemented a complete lockdown in the whole country. Post unlock there are rapidly rising number of cases, therefore we planned to conduct an online survey on general public regarding their thoughts on COVID-19 in the coming times. We planned to ask them few questions regarding their take on pandemic in coming months, their economic status, stigma regarding health of their family and their suggestions regarding control of pandemic, if lockdown should be implemented or not despite fall in business and economy. It was circulated through messages to various groups and people and they were requested to fill it. On analyzing the survey responses, majority of the people mentioned that pandemic is going to increase and most of the people were concerned about their family’s health. More than 50% admitted that they will change their lifestyle and reduce their expenses. Though loss of economy is there, many people favored reimplementation of lockdown to stop spread of the virus. We concluded with this survey that besides effect on physical and mental health of people, there is significant effect on social health and economic aspects of people. With time people are getting clear about their futuristic approaches to handle this pandemic.

scholarly journals Parental health literacy and health behaviors in children: a 2017 cross-sectional survey in Germany

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
E de Buhr ◽  
A Tannen
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Parental Health ◽  
Socio Economic Status

Abstract Background Health literacy (HL) is closely associated with leading health indicators. Parents represent a critical subgroup among the adult population since they are not only responsible for their own health but also for the health of their children. Previous research suggests that parents with low HL are less likely to meet the preventive and health care needs of their children but the relationship between parental HL and child health is not yet well understood. Methods A cross-sectional survey was implemented in 2017 in 28 public schools in Germany. The parent questionnaire was completed by 4217 caregivers and included the short form of the HLS-EU-Q16. The child questionnaire examined health knowledge, behaviors and outcomes. For children under 11 years, the caregiver reported on behalf of their children (N = 1518). In all other cases, the children completed the questionnaires (N = 2776). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out. Results Among the interviewed parents, 45.8% showed a problematic or inadequate HL. Parents with higher HL reported a better subjective health and quality of life, and they judged their children as being healthier. The major determinant of high parental HL was socio-economic status (r=.088***). High parental HL was associated with positive health behaviors in children including higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, fewer sweetened beverages, regular tooth brushing and more physical activity. The relationships between parental HL and smoking, alcohol consumption, sexual activity among children and children’s weight were not significant. Conclusions The results confirm a relationship between low parental HL, SES and some problematic health behaviors in children. Strengthening the HL of vulnerable parents may contribute to improved health outcomes particularly in the areas of children’s nutrition, exercise and dental health, and parents should be integrated in school-based activities of health promotion and prevention. Key messages There is a strong statistical relationship between parental health literacy and socio-economic status. Parental health literacy is associated with child health behaviors (e.g., nutrition, exercise).

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