Information Behavior and Emotion Change during a Public Health Emergency of International Concern: A Case Study of Middle-Aged People

Abstract

A Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and information pandemics have a profound impact on people's information behavior and emotion change. In order to explore the trend of the interaction between information behavior and emotion change, and its influencing factors in the context of a PHEIC, we focused on middle-aged people who are regarded as one of the most affected by a PHEIC but are under-represented in research, as an exemplar. In this study, in-depth interviews were conducted among middle-aged people in various regions of China, to obtain data regarding their information behavior and emotions in the COVID-19 PHEIC throughout its different stages. Then the data was analyzed using grounded theory, which included open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. An interaction model was created, integrating demands for health information throughout the PHEIC. The information need for relevant statistics, prevention and control measures, and other information has always been high. At the remission stage of the PHEIC, the demand for information on resumption of work, production, and school received higher attention. The sentiments associated with the PHEIC had an interactive effect on related information behavior. The emotions of middle-aged people included positive, neutral, and negative sides, among which anxiety was dominant at different stages of the PHEIC. This work brings insights into exploring the changes in information behavior and related sentiments, from the perspective of dynamic and different stages of the PHEIC for various stakeholders to optimize health information service.