Reflections on health information sources in epidemics in synchrony with the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

Abstract

This study aims to scrutinize prevalent sources of health information utilized by individuals for informed decision-making regarding protective and preventive health behaviors amidst an infectious epidemic. The acquisition of comprehensible and reliable information relevant to individual needs is deemed imperative in this context. This scoping review encompasses investigations into the sources of information employed during infectious epidemics, conducted in both Persian and English languages, spanning the timeframe from 2003 to 2019. The search for pertinent studies was executed across diverse databases, including PubMed, Embase, ProQuest, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Scientific Information Database. This review incorporated a total of 13 relevant studies. Findings indicate that traditional media, comprising television, radio, and newspapers, emerged as the predominant information sources during epidemics. Conversely, government resources and official government websites were identified as the least utilized channels. Additionally, the most reliable sources were identified as television, newspapers, and healthcare personnel. Given the historical prevalence of traditional media as a primary information source during past infectious epidemics, health officials and policymakers must consider enhancing public education through these channels during epidemic dissemination. However, due attention should also be directed towards the provision of pertinent and credible content on online social media platforms, particularly catering to the informational needs of young adults and the emerging generation. The identified limitations in the extant studies, namely their contextual dependence on sociocultural factors, the trajectory of lifestyle modifications, technological advancements, and the recent advent of the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the necessity for additional and comprehensive investigations in this domain.