Abstract
During a pandemic outbreak, timely and accurate information that matches the information needs of the public is vital to inform the public. In April 2020, 977 individuals completed a questionnaire that measured the Dutch public’s health information needs and media consumption during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. Results show that respondents sought information about prevention of contamination, (the severity of) symptoms, treatment, and vaccination. News outlets, both online and offline, were the most preferred sources for information. Older people were more likely to search for information in traditional media, such as on TV, in newspapers, and on the radio. Younger people more often used news websites to find information. Respondents with lower levels of education obtained information via TV more frequently than respondents with higher levels of education, who in turn used newspapers more frequently. This study, guided by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model, was conducted during the early stages of the pandemic in the Netherlands to provide information that public health officials and governments can use to optimise information provision during pandemics. Presently, news media have the highest degree of coverage and impact and should thus be used first to convey reliable information.
Highlights
During a pandemic outbreak, timely and accurate information that matches the information needs of the public is vital to inform the public
This study is guided by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model to understand how people seek information during a crisis and how the related media consumption may differ between people (Griffin et al, 1999)
When investigating the separate content-related information needs, results revealed that age is significantly positively but weakly associated with the need for information about causes of the virus, symptoms, severity of symptoms, treatment, chance of being admitted to the IC, vaccination, prevention of contamination, and stories of other people infected with the virus, all p
Summary
Timely and accurate information that matches the information needs of the public is vital to inform the public. In April 2020, 977 individuals completed a questionnaire that measured the Dutch public’s health information needs and media consumption during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. This study, guided by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model, was conducted during the early stages of the pandemic in the Netherlands to provide information that public health officials and governments can use to optimise information provision during pandemics. And accurate information tailored to subpopulations is vital to inform the public and persuade people to adhere to prevention measures, and to minimize the spread of infection (Henrich & Holmes, 2011). The goal of the current study is to gain a better understanding of the Dutch public’s information needs and media consumption during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the RISP model, the question arises what information needs people have at the time of an outbreak of an unfamiliar and severe disease and how these needs differ between people
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