Preventive Behaviors Research Articles

The Relationship Between The Role of Cadres and The Behavior of Mothers in Stunting Prevention at Posyandu Toddler Mancar Village Jombang Regency

Stunting is short or very short of its age caused by inadequate chronic nutritional intake. The low role of cadres is one of the causes that affects maternal behavior in the prevention that will be carried out. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the role of cadres and maternal behavior in stunting prevention in the posyandu toddler. This research design used a cross sectional approach. The population was toddlers Posyandu in Mancar village, jombang regency with a sample size of 68 respondents and using a total sampling technique. Data collection tools in the form of questionnaires on the role of cadres and maternal behavior in stunting prevention, as well as tests data analysis using the spearman rank test significant rate 0.05. The results of the study showed that 51 respondents (75.0%) and mothers under five had less behavior in stunting prevention as many as 59 respondents (86.8%). The results of the Spearman Rank statistical test obtained a significant value of ρ < α (α = 0.05), which is 0.000 < 0.05, meaning that H1 is accepted, so there is a relationship between the role of cadres and maternal behavior in stunting prevention at the Toddler Posyandu in Mancar Village, Jombang Regency. The role of a good cadre can create the behavior of mothers under five in good prevention. The role of health workers or posyandu cadres is very important in realizing good stunting prevention knowledge and behavior so that stunting events can be reduced.

Experiences of Racism in Health Care and Medical Mistrust Shape Cancer Prevention and Control Behaviors Among Black Residents of Black Hawk County, Iowa: A Qualitative Study.

Non-Hispanic Black Iowans have substantially higher incidence of and mortality from cancer than their non-Hispanic White (NHW) counterparts in all but the oldest age groups; rates are particularly high in Black Hawk County, which contains the city of Waterloo, a highly segregated city with a documented history of redlining and distinct racial differences in the social drivers of health. To gather perspectives on race, racism, healthcare, and engagement with cancer prevention and control behaviors, among Black individuals living in Black Hawk County, Iowa. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 individuals (10 male, 10 female), questions included experiences in healthcare and feelings towards the healthcare system, trust of the healthcare system, experiences of racism or other perceived biases within healthcare, and how experiences of racism/bias and/or feelings towards the healthcare system impact desire or ability to participate in cancer prevention and control activities. Almost all interviewees reported both positive and negative experiences in healthcare. Nine themes emerged from analysis of the interviews: everyday racism and racism in healthcare, medical mistrust, need for more Black healthcare professionals, communication with healthcare professionals, need to break down cultural stigma around cancer, need and desire for community education around health and cancer, ability to choose, self-advocacy, and social support. There are substantial barriers for Black individuals engaging with cancer prevention and control behaviors in Iowa. Multi-level interventions are needed to address structural, healthcare facility, and individual-level barriers to care; interventions may build on existing resiliencies within the community.

Preventive health-care behavior: a serial multiple mediation analysis

Purpose Preventive health-care behavior (PHB) adoption as a primordial prevention to stay healthy and avoid lifestyle disease risk is a global trend. This paper aims to use the PHB model and stimulus-organism-response theory to empirically examine the role of individual and technological factors in influencing primordial PHB. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mixed-method was adopted to identify the primordial PHB adoption and propose a conceptual framework. The identified determinants and the hypothesized relationships were empirically tested using a convenience sample of 406 urban Indians. Partial least square structural equation modeling is used for data analysis. Findings The derived conceptual framework was empirically tested to assess the role of health literacy (HL), health value (HV) and digital health information seeking (DHIS) on primordial PHB. Findings confirmed the significant influence of DHIS on HL, HL on HV and PHB and HV on PHB. The direct effects of DHIS on PHB and HV were insignificant. HL solely mediated the indirect effect of DHIS on PHB, while the mediation of HV was insignificant. HL and HV fully mediated the relationship between DHIS and PHB. Research limitations/implications The impact of DHIS on PHB adoption and the serial multiple mediating roles of HL and HV are significant in understanding primordial PHB adoption for both academic theory and practice. However, the cross-sectional study on urban Indians needs further validation across geographies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this pioneering study is among the first to propose and validate a comprehensive model of primordial PHB adoption.

Influence of Health Insurance Financing on Economic Growth In Kenya

Economic growth positively impacts population health, providing access to quality healthcare, environmental protection, clean water, and better preventative behavior. However, Kenya's declining growth rate affects health financing, causing many citizens to struggle with access to care due to rising medical costs. This study sought to analyse the influence of health insurance financing on economic growth in kenya. The study was guided by the Solow-Swan Exogenous Growth Model. The study was conducted in Kenya. Data used in study was longitudinal data for twenty two years. The study period was from 2000 to 2022. A descriptive and inferential analysis performed where Auto-Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) model was used. Analyzed data were presented in the form of tables and discussions. The health insurance financing indicated a positive and statistically significant (b=0.2935; p = 0.0280.05), implying that one unit increase in health insurance financing could result in 0.2935 units in economic growth in Kenya. The study showed that adjusted R-squared was 0.9271, implying that the model explains approximately 92.71% of the variation in the economic growth in Kenya. The study concluded that, health insurance financing, is positively related to economic growth in the long run in Kenya. The study recommends that there is need for enhancing health insurance financing sources and gradually shifting towards sustainable domestic financing sources.

Effect of an educational intervention based on health belief model on preventive behaviors against malaria in over 18-year-old Afghan immigrants living in Parsian

BackgroundMalaria disease is one of the most dangerous protozoan parasitic infections with a high mortality rate in developing countries. Malaria is a public health issue, especially in Hormozgan province, and is highly affected by foreign immigrants (Pakistani and Afghani); thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of an intervention based on the health belief model (HBM) on the promotion of malaria prevention behaviors in Afghani immigrants over the age of 18. The participants resided in Persian city in Hormozgan province.MethodsThe present quasi-experimental study was conducted on 200 Afghans immigrants over 18 years of age who visited four comprehensive health service centers in Parsian city, south of Iran in June until December 2023. Sampling was by cluster method. In this way, the health centers were considered as clusters, and then 4 centers were randomly selected from among them (two centers of the control group and two centers of the intervention group) and participants were selected by a systematic random method by list of records in the National Integrated Health Record System (called SIB) (100participants control group, 100 participants intervention group). The data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire based on the HBM before and after the educational intervention An educational program was designed and implemented to promote preventive behaviors against malaria in five sessions using different strategies and based on the HBM for the intervention group. The data were analyzed using independent-samples T-test, paired-samples T-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, analysis of covariance and linear regression. All statistical analyses and hypothesis testing were done in IBM SPSS version 25, at a significance level of 0.05.ResultsIn the intervention group, there was a significant difference in the mean scores of knowledge (6.48, 95% CI: 5.9,7.05), perceived susceptibility (10.57, 95% CI: 10.03, 11.1), perceived severity (16.61, 95% CI: 15.83, 16.83), perceived self-efficacy (18.26, 95% CI: 17.55, 18.96), perceived benefits (15.43, 95% CI: 14.68, 16.17), perceived barriers (-22.49, 95% CI: -23.63, -21.30), cues to action (15.06, 95% CI: 14.36, 15.75), and preventive behaviors (20.05, 95% CI: 19.44, 20.65), before and after the educational intervention. P-value < 0.001. The regression analysis showed that the constructs of perceived susceptibility (T = 4.72, P < 0.001), cues to action (T = 5.30, P < 0.001)and perceived self-efficacy (T = 4.93, P < 0.001) led to the greatest change in malaria prevention behaviors(R-Square = 0.549).ConclusionThe present findings showed that the HBM -based intervention was effective in preventive behaviors against malaria in Afghans. It is recommended to design suitable educational interventions in order to increase the perceived susceptibility, cues to action and self-efficacy in order to improve preventive behaviors against malaria in Afghans.

Relationship Factors of Prevention of Leptospirosis Disease Prevention of Rat Rate in Tandang Village, Semarang City

Based on data from the Semarang City Health Office, the highest rat population in Tembalang District in 2019 was in Tandang Village, with 164 rats caught. In addition, in 2018 there were 4 cases of Leptospirosis in Tandang Village and Leptospirosis was the highest infectious disease in Tandang Village, Tembalang District, Semarang City. This study aims to determine the relationship between the behavioral factors of leptospirosis disease prevention on rat density in Tandang Village, Semarang City. This study is a cross sectional study with a total sample of 64 respondents (RW 03 Tandang Village, Semarang City). The results of the analysis showed that the relative density of rats (trap success) in Tandang village was 28.1% and it was categorized as dense (&gt; 7%) and showed that there was no relationship between knowledge of rat density (α = 0.05. P = 0.068), community attitudes. In the prevention of leptospirosis on rat density (α = 0.05. p = 0.07), there was a relationship between leptospirosis prevention behavior and rat density (α = p = 0.00). Conclusion: There is no relationship between knowledge and attitude in the prevention of leptospirosis on rat density. There is a relationship between leptospirosis prevention practices and rat density in Tandang Village, Semarang City.

Exploring organizational aspects that promote health-related preventive behavior: using the example of work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection control measures in Germany, August 2020 to November 2021.

During the communicable coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, organizational infection control measures (oICMs) were introduced in the workplace. The employees' positive attitudes and active participation are relevant for full effectiveness regarding disease prevention. Therefore, we explore changes in employees' attitudes toward oICM at work from August-October 2020 (T0) over January 2021 (T1) to October-November 2021 (T2). We further investigate the role an organization can play in supporting health-related preventive behavior. We considered repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal panel survey data from 5,554 employees of a global supplier of technology and services in Germany. A total of 16 items constitute the attitude scores toward oICM (5-point Likert scale). Via mixed-effect model, aspects associated with employees' attitudes toward oICM were explored. Via 'extreme-group' approach, we compared the 20% of participants with the largest changes into less favorable to the 20% with the largest changes into more favorable attitudes toward oICM over time. The overall positive attitudes toward work-related oICM were more favorable at T1 (mean ± SD: 4.2 ± 0.6, median (IQR): 4.3 (0.8), n = 2,515) compared to T0 (4.1 ± 0.6, 4.1 (0.8), n = 2,417) but less favorable at T2 (3.9 ± 0.7, 4.0 (0.9), n = 2,062). Among others, feeling well-informed about possible work-related risks of infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), perceived psychosocial demands through work environment aspects, and perceived management's commitment to safety and health were associated with long-term positive attitudes toward oICM. Individuals developing more favorable attitudes toward oICM reported feeling well-informed about possible work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection risks and improved COVID-19-specific resilience over time. Individuals developing less favorable attitudes toward oICM reported decreased perceptions of COVID-19-associated risks. oICMs in the workplace were perceived appropriate even after COVID-19 vaccines were widely available although the perceived affective risks about SARS-CoV-2 decreased. Taken together, our findings highlight how organizations can support employees in adopting health-related preventive behavior. Among others, we found that feeling well-informed about possible work-related health risks was positively associated with long-term favorable attitudes toward work-related oICM. We expect that the results contribute to the development of interventions to prepare and adapt to future global public health concerns.

Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Delaware's Underserved Communities: A Longitudinal Study (2021-2022).

The COVID-19 pandemic officially started in March 2020 and ended in May 2023. Preventive behaviors have been proven to be one of the most effective strategies for preventing COVID-19 transmission. Common preventive behaviors against COVID-19 include but are not limited to wearing a face mask, washing and sanitizing one's hands frequently, avoiding crowds, and avoiding traveling. Underserved communities and racial/ethnic minorities across the U.S. have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a three-wave longitudinal survey conducted from early 2021 to late 2022, the present study investigated changes in the adoption of COVID-19-preventive behaviors among residents living in Delaware's most underserved communities. We also examined whether changes in COVID-19-preventive behaviors differed by race. Our results indicated that fewer people adopted preventive behaviors as the pandemic progressed, and this finding is applicable to both Black people and White people. However, Black people had a consistently greater likelihood of adopting preventive behaviors compared to White people from early 2021 to late 2022. Scientific and policy implications are discussed.

Exploring gender as a sociocultural construct among cancer caregivers enrolling in a dyadic resiliency trial.

186 Background: Caregiving relations are essential for navigating cancer care among cancer curvivors (i.e., completed curative-intent treatment) and metavivors (i.e., living with incurable illness). Caregiving is associated with poor health outcomes, but little work explicates gender differences in specific sociocultural constructs that drive caregivers’ health outcomes. This study explores gender differences in caregiving relationship type (e.g., partner, friend) and psychosocial variables theorized to be impacted by caregiving stress, such as preventative health behaviors, self-compassion, depression/anxiety, informational/emotional social support and perceived caregiving relationship quality among caregivers of cancer curvivors and metavivors. Methods: 47 survivor-caregiver dyads (64% metavivors) enrolled in a pilot clinical trial of simultaneous remotely-delivered dyadic stress management groups at a tertiary care academic center. Eligible caregivers were those supporting survivors who had completed initial treatment for cancer with curative intent 3 months- 5 years ago OR were diagnosed with metastatic illness at least 3 months before enrollment. Data were collected via brief self-report baseline surveys measuring depression (PHQ-2), anxiety (GAD-2), self-compassion (SCS-12), informational/emotional support (PROMIS short forms-4a), including assessments of sex-specific cancer screening behavior (i.e., recommended breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal screening) and relationship quality created for this study. Bivariate statistics compared caregivers based on self-reported gender identity (two-tailed p &lt; .05) with Cohen’s D used to characterize strength of between-group differences (0.2 = small, 0.5 = medium, 0.8 = large). Results: Most caregivers ( M age = 56.9) were White (87%) women (64%) caring for men (53%). Women (79% partners, 17% family, 4% friends) and men (64% partners, 36% family) caregivers did not significantly differ in caregiving relationship type ( p = .33). Most caregivers were up-to-date with sex-specific screening recommendations for breast (83%), cervical (80%), and prostate (85%) cancer, though women vs. men were significantly less adherent to colon cancer screening (60% vs. 100%, p = .003). Significant gender differences emerged in (anxiety D = -0.69, p =.03) but not depression (D = -0.47, p = .14 or self-compassion (D = .58, p = .07), such that women experienced great distress. Finally, women reported not significantly greater informational/emotional support (Ds = -0.30 and -0.25, p s &gt; .40) and relationship quality (D = -0.63, p = .05). Conclusions: When comparing the experiences of women and men currently in caregiving roles, gendered traits such as anxious emotional expression, as well as gender norms around self-focused preventative health behaviors may place women at increased risk for poor health outcomes. Clinical trial information: NCT05702723 .

Age- and Sex-Specific Differences in Lyme Disease Health-Related Behaviors, Ontario, Canada, 2015-2022.

We investigated differences in risk factors and preventive behaviors by age and sex among persons with reported Lyme disease in Ontario, Canada, during 2015-2022. Incidence rates peaked among children 5-9 and adults 50-79 years of age. Median age was higher for female than male case-patients (54 vs. 51 years). Male case-patients reported more activity in wooded and tall grass areas than did female case-patients; fewer male case-patients reported sharing living space with outdoor-exposed companion animals. As age increased, more case-patients reported activity in blacklegged tick habitats, exposure to ticks, and wearing adequate clothing, but fewer reported sharing living space with outdoor-exposed companion animals. Adoption of preventive behaviors was relatively low and did not differ by sex. Male case-patients, children 5-9 years of age and their parents or caregivers, and adults >59 years of age represent populations that would benefit from tailored public health messaging on Lyme disease prevention.

Exertional Heat Illness In Japanese Collegiate Basketball: Knowledge And Prevention Behaviors

Exertional Heat Illness In Japanese Collegiate Basketball: Knowledge And Prevention Behaviors

Investigating the pattern of prostate specific antigen screening among E-cigarette smokers within the behavioral risk factor surveillance system

Introduction and objectivesE-cigarettes use has recently increased, even among older individuals quitting smoking. Though past studies suggest tobacco smokers may avoid cancer screening, the relationship between e-cigarette uses and preventive health behaviors like prostate specific antigen screening is uncertain. We assessed the relationship between self-reported e-cigarette smoking and prostate specific antigen screening utilization among US adults with a history of e-cigarette use. Materials and methodsWe included men aged 50–69 years, who provided responses regarding PSA screening receipt and smoking status, from Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2020 and 2022 surveys. Primary outcome was PSA screening receipt. Multivariable regression model was performed to investigate the association between smoking status (never-smokers, current or former e-cigarette smokers, current or former tobacco smokers) and PSA screening. ResultsWe included a weighted population of 8.1 million men aged 50–69. 2.3 million (28.3%) received PSA screening. 3.9 million (48.2%) were never-smokers. 1.3 million (16.6%) were from e-cigarettes smokers group, and 2.9 million (35.2%) were from tobacco smokers group. E-cigarettes smokers were less likely to receive PSA screening within last 2 years (0.76 [0.66–0.88]) than never-smokers. No significant difference in PSA screening was detected between never-smokers and tobacco smokers (0.91 [0.82–1.02]). E-cigarette smokers were less likely to receive PSA screening within the selected time frame (0.84 [0.72–0.97]) than tobacco smokers. When examining potential mediation by primary care visits, e-cigarette smokers were less likely to have had a check-up visit in past 2 years than tobacco smokers (0.77 [0.65–0.92]). ConclusionsE-cigarette smokers were less likely to undergo PSA screening than never-smokers and tobacco smokers, possibly due to reduced use of primary care services.

Analysis of the Effectiveness of a Fall Prevention Program Incorporating an Interprofessional Team Collaboration Model on Reducing Fall Risk in Elderly Living in Long-term Care Facilities

Concurrent with population ageing, falls have become a significantly more challenging public health issue among older adults. Three years of data collected recently from a nursing home in northern Taiwan reveals an increasing trend in fall density that is primarily associated with aging, physiological decline, chronic diseases, polypharmacy, osteoporosis, and lack of exercise. The percentage of nursing home residents at high risk of falls is currently at 12.6%, and the fall rate has been reported as reaching as high as 30% annually. A fall prevention program was implemented to reduce the fall incidence rate to 18%, with secondary goals of improving fall prevention awareness, behavior, self-efficacy, lower limb muscle strength, balance, and gait by 10% on average, respectively, between pre-test and post-test. From September 30, 2023 to February 29, 2024, a health promotion activity and fall prevention exercise course were implemented using an interdisciplinary team collaboration model over a six-week period, providing individualized exercise for the participants. The study included 20 older adults with an average age of 88 years. Most (90%; n = 18) had chronic diseases, 25% (n = 5) were on more than nine medications, 70% (n = 14) had reduced bone mass, and 40% (n = 8) were at high risk of falls, with a fall incidence rate of 30% during the immediately preceding year. Post-intervention, the fall incidence rate dropped to 5%, fall prevention awareness, behavior, and self-efficacy increased by 18.3%, and lower limb muscle strength, balance, and gait improved by 11.7%. The post-test results in fall prevention awareness, behavioral changes, self-efficacy, and lower limb strength, balance, and gait were all significantly better than pre-test results, with all results achieving statistical significance. The project results support the positive effects of the developed intervention effectively on elderly physical fitness and fall risk, providing valuable insights for the implementation of fall prevention strategies in nursing homes.

Barriers to Effective Infection Prevention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study.

Infection prevention (IP) behaviors such as hand hygiene (HH) and mobile device disinfection are important to reduce the risk of infection transmission from both family members and hospital staff to critically ill neonates. To inform the design of educational interventions to improve both patient family and staff IP behaviors, we engaged separate groups of nurses and family members to understand perceptions about the spread of infection and barriers to implementing effective IP strategies. This was a qualitative study using focus groups to gather data from neonatal nurses and patient family members. Data were triangulated with hospital-wide survey data and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Twelve nurses and 4 patient family members participated. Themes related to communication about IP between staff and family members emerged: stakeholders expressed discomfort with the timing and nature of just-in-time HH education. These communication challenges contributed to stress levels within the neonatal intensive care unit. This finding was reflected in the hospital-wide survey. Steps should be taken to improve communication about IP behaviors between patient family members and frontline staff. Reducing nurse burden of providing just-in-time HH reminders to patient family members through increased IP education may decrease stress and facilitate IP behaviors. This has the potential to decrease infection spread and improve patient outcomes. The development of interventions targeting stakeholder communication is therefore warranted, but additional research is needed to understand the timing and process for delivery of the educational material.

The Relationship Between Individual Characteristics, Religius, And Social Support And Infectious Disease Prevention Behaviors In Islamic Boarding School “X”, 2022

Background: Islamic boarding schools are places that have a high risk of spreading infectious diseases. This can be caused because Islamic boarding schools have very dense housing and low cleanliness in the Islamic boarding school environment. Objective: To determine the relationship between individual characteristics, social support and religiosity with infectious disease prevention behavior at the Al-Kahfi Integrated Islamic Boarding School in 2022. Method: This research uses quantitative research methods with a cross-sectional study design , the number of respondents in this study was 116 respondents, and the sampling technique used in this research was simple random sampling. The data analysis carried out was univariate analysis and bivariate analysis using the chi-square test and OR value. Results: It is known that of the total respondents, only 50% of respondents had good behavior. Of all the variables studied, only gender and knowledge variables did not have a significant relationship with infectious disease prevention behavior. In the attitude variable (p=0.015), religiosity (p=0.016), peer support (p=0.09), support from ustadz or uztadzah (p=0.016) have a significant relationship to infectious disease prevention behavior at the Al Al Integrated Islamic Boarding School -Kahfi. Conclusion: There are several research variables that have a significant relationship with infectious disease prevention behavior at the Al-Kahfi Integrated Islamic Boarding School, including attitude, religiosity, peer support, and support from ustadz or ustadzah. Suggestion: Managers at the Al-Kahfi Integrated Islamic Boarding School can maximize the facilities available in an effort to prevent infectious diseases, such as providing nutritious food for students, creating regular joint sports programs, creating award programs and carrying out punishments for students who violate agae motivating students to prevent infectious diseases in the Islamic boarding school environment.

Predictors of health preventive behavior among university students in the post-COVID-19 era in Wuhan via TikTok journeying

TikTok has become increasingly popular among young people in China and there is growing number of young people who start to pay great attention to their health through this platform. Wuhan is a significant location for this study, since it was the initial epicenter of COVID-19. However, little is known about the extent to which university students in Wuhan, China, rely on TikTok for health-related information and how this affects their preventive health actions in the post-COVID-19 era. Therefore, it is crucial to look into the direct effects of TikTok users’ search for health information and their actions to protect their health, as well as the mediating functions of e-health literacy and COVID-19 risk perception. The impact of TikTok as a social media platform on the health-related behaviors of university students was examined using the Media Dependency Theory which explains how media use can have significant effects on individuals’ attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. 426 questionnaires were gathered by cluster sampling from a sample of Wuhan university students. Mplus8 was used to perform structural equation modelling, which looked at the relationships between these variables. The results showed a positive correlation between users’ TikTok health information seeking and their health preventive behavior (β = 0.303, p < 0.001). Furthermore, it was discovered that this relationship is mediated by e-health literacy and COVID-19 risk perception in series (β =0.029, p<0.001). The findings demonstrate how TikTok functions as a platform that supports university students’ efforts to protect their health. The results also imply that students’ post-COVID-19 preventive measures for health in search of health information on TikTok are significantly influenced by their e-health literacy as well as their perception of COVID-19 danger. By obtaining more accurate health-related information, university students are equipped with more health skills and have correct attitude towards the disease. In summary, these results advance the knowledge of how TikTok, a social media platform, affects the health-related behaviors of university students.

Risk perceptions of healthcare workers and occupational health experts on psychological distress: a qualitative mental model study

Abstract Background The objectives of this study are to explore healthcare workers’ (HCW) mental models regarding psychological distress and to compare these with that of experts. Methods Semi-structured interviews was conducted (n = 28 HCWs, n = 13 experts). Topic list encompassed risk perception, early stress symptoms, causes, consequences and preventive measures of psychological distress. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed using MAXQDA. Results Similarities were found in risk perception, symptoms, causes, and consequences. Differences arose in HCWs' reliance on personal experiences and values, versus experts' scientific perspective. Preventive measures also showed discrepancies. Variation within HCWs was found on all aspects of their mental model. Conclusion For effective preventive interventions regarding psychological distress, experts should consider HCWs' personal values and experiences, acknowledging the variation in their mental models. This approach may enhance HCWs' engagement in preventive behaviors.

Dissonance between posts of health agencies and public comments regarding COVID-19 and vaccination on Facebook in Northern California.

Public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have prompted a need for health agencies to improve their disease preparedness strategies, informing their communities of new information and promoting preventive behaviors to help curb the spread of the virus. We ran unsupervised machine learning and emotion analysis, validated with manual coding, on posts of health agencies (N = 1588) and their associated public comments (N = 7813) during a crucial initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2020 to February 2021) among nine different counties with a higher proportion of vaccine-hesitant communities in Northern California. In addition, we explored differences in concerns and expressed emotions by two key group-level factors, county-level COVID-19 death rate and political party affiliation. We consistently find that while health agencies primarily disseminated information about COVID-19 and the vaccine, they failed to address the concerns of their communities as expressed in public comment sections. Topics among public audiences focused on concerns with the COVID-19 vaccine safety and rollout, state mandates, flu vaccination, and frustration with politicians, and they expressed more positive and more negative emotions than health agencies. Further, there were several differences in primary topics and emotions expressed among public audiences by county-level COVID-19 death rate and political party affiliation. While this research serves as a case study, findings indicate how local health agencies, and their audiences, discuss their perceptions and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and may inform health communication researchers and practitioners on how to prepare and manage for emerging health crises.

An Exploratory Study on the Role of Trust as a Cue to Action in Inducing the Preventive Behaviors in COVID-19 Situation

An Exploratory Study on the Role of Trust as a Cue to Action in Inducing the Preventive Behaviors in COVID-19 Situation

Examining the Link Between Information Processing and Preventive Behavior in the Risk Information-Seeking and Processing (RISP) Model: A Panel Study

The Risk Information-Seeking and Processing (RISP) model postulates that individuals who process risk information systematically are likely to hold stronger attitudes toward preventive behavior than those who process information heuristically. Therefore, individuals’ attitudes toward risk preventive behavior developed or changed through systematic processing are likely to be more persistent over time than those whose attitudes are based on heuristic processing. To examine this proposition, we conducted to a two-wave panel study in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings supported the proposition that processing influenced attitude strength, which influenced individuals’ attitude toward behavior a year later. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.