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Effects of information sources on public preventive behaviors in health emergencies: Evidence from a digital epidemiologic study during the COVID-19 pandemic.


ABSTRACT:

Introduction

It has been approved that information sources would affect public behaviors. However, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, this influence was enhanced and showed a distinctive pattern among different populations, which has been less noticed before. We aimed to investigate the potential roles of different information sources in COVID-19 preventive behaviors of different publics.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey with 11,190 participants from 33 province-level regions in China was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 preventive behaviors, and information sources for COVID-19-related information were assessed. A mixed linear model was used to analyze risk factors of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. The effects of different information sources on COVID-19 prevention behaviors of different publics were analyzed.

Results

Generally, the Chinese public had good COVID-19 preventive behaviors, and the top three COVID-19 preventive behaviors with the higher action rate were avoiding eat bushmeat (76.1%), a healthy diet (74.8%), and avoiding contact with people with symptoms of respiratory diseases (73.0%). About information sources, 12320 telephone (National Public Health Hotline) (-0.62, 95% CI: -0.94 to -0.31) and acquaintances consulting (-1.00, 95% CI: -1.31 to -0.69) were negatively associated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors, while internet resources, family doctors, hospitals, and community health centers were positively associated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors (1.00 vs. 0.47 vs. 0.46 vs. 0.33, P < 0.05). For older adults, accessing to COVID-19-related information through family doctors and community health centers were positively associated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors. For the non-educated, family doctors and community health centers had positive effects on their COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Family doctors and internet resources were positively associated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors among those earning 5,000 yuans and above. The effects of family doctors, hospitals, and internet resources were higher for COVID-19 preventive behaviors of urban publics than for rural publics. Finally, the effect of internet resources on COVID-19 preventive behaviors of females was lower than males.

Conclusions

Obtaining COVID-19-related information through internet resources had the most significant effect on COVID-19 preventive behaviors, but was not significant among publics with old age, low education, low income, and living in rural area.

SUBMITTER: Xue B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9615916 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Effects of information sources on public preventive behaviors in health emergencies: Evidence from a digital epidemiologic study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Xue Benli B   Wu Yibo Y   Zheng Xiao X   Xue Yaqing Y   Dong Fang F   Xiao Shujuan S   Yin Mei M   Wang Mingxu M   Liu Yuxi Y   Zhang Chichen C  

Frontiers in public health 20221014


<h4>Introduction</h4>It has been approved that information sources would affect public behaviors. However, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, this influence was enhanced and showed a distinctive pattern among different populations, which has been less noticed before. We aimed to investigate the potential roles of different information sources in COVID-19 preventive behaviors of different publics.<h4>Methods</h4>A cross-sectional online survey with 11,190 participants from 33 province-level regions  ...[more]

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