COVID-19 Related Information Research Articles

Perceptions and effects of COVID-19 related information in Denmark and Sweden – a web-based survey about COVID-19 and social media

AimExtensive COVID-19 information can generate information overload and confusion. Denmark and Sweden adopted different COVID-19 management strategies.AimThis study aimed to compare search strategies, perceptions and effects of COVID-19 information, in general and specifically in social media, in residents in Denmark and Sweden.Subject and methodsQuantitative data from a sample of respondents (n = 616) from Denmark and Sweden on an international web-based survey was analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics.ResultsThe results showed similarities between the countries regarding preferred and trusted information sources, use of (social) media, and psychosocial and behavioural effects of such information. Traditional media and social media were frequently used for COVID-19 information. Especially health authorities and researchers were trusted sources, representing the dominant medico-political discourse. There were no differences in negative effect and social behaviour. Residents in Denmark experienced significantly more positive effects than residents in Sweden.ConclusionSummarily, the study showed similarities and small differences among residents in both countries related to usage patterns, perceptions and effects of COVID-19 information from (social) media, despite diverging strategies.

Awareness and perception of COVID-19 among the general population: A Middle Eastern survey.

Due to the sudden emergence of the novel coronavirus as a worldwide pandemic, this study aimed to evaluate the awareness and practices of both the Jordanian and Iraqi populations during the early stages of the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between the 19th and 22nd of March to assess the public’s awareness toward COVID-19. Multiple scored domains were used to assess the differences between the two populations. Statistical analysis was conducted to reveal the influence of sociodemographic variables on these scores. A total of 3167 participants were recruited in the study, of which, 1599 (50.5%) were from Jordan and 1568 (49.5%) were from Iraq. More than half of the Jordanian (56.8%) and Iraqi participants (53.2%) showed average or adequate awareness about COVID-19. More than 60% of both populations relied on medical staff for COVID-19 related information. Social media was the second most common COVID-19 information source, as it was reported by 53.7% of Jordanian participants and 62.8% of Iraqi participants. More than 90% of both populations participated in precautionary measurements. Finally, about 20% of both populations failed to recognize droplet inhalation as a source of transmission. Despite the portrayed awareness levels, governmental involvement is warranted to increase the public’s awareness and fill the gaps within their knowledge.

Information seeking, personal experiences, and their association with COVID-19 risk perceptions: demographic and occupational inequalities

The impacts of COVID-19 are not evenly distributed in society. Understanding demographic and occupational differences in personal experiences and information seeking and how these shape perceptions of COVID-19 related risk may help to improve the effectiveness of public health strategies in the future. We surveyed a nationally representative sample of 496 participants during the first UK lockdown, in May 2020. We recorded data to assess people’s experiences of the pandemic, examining how they varied with demographic factors such as age, gender, occupational status, and key worker status. We also recorded data on COVID-19 related information seeking, and how experiences and information seeking behaviours were related to perceptions of COVID-19 related risk. We found that key workers reported greater exposure to COVID-19 and more extensive experience of the virus within their social circles. Those key workers who perceived their personal protective equipment to be more effective felt that the virus was less of a threat to their lives. Trust in COVID-19 information was highest in information from the UK Government and NHS, and lowest in information from social media. We also found that men reported lower levels of perceived threat to life from the virus than women – a difference that mirrors the gender difference in occupational risk within our sample. Among those in employment, lower occupational class was also associated with higher levels of perceived risk of infection and perceived threat to life. Key workers who feel that they are insufficiently protected by their PPE experience increased levels of perceived threat, which may lead to negative health behaviours. This highlights the need for employers to ensure that key workers feel they are adequately protected from COVID-19. Our findings highlight some of the inequalities in the distribution of risk across society and discuss demographic differences in perceptions of risk.

Exploring fear of COVID-19 and its correlates among older adults in Bangladesh

ObjectiveThis study was aimed to assess the perceived fear of COVID-19 and its associated factors among older adults in Bangladesh.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2020 among 1032 older Bangladeshi adults aged ≥60 years. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information on participants’ characteristics and COVID-19 related information. Perceived fear of COVID-19 was measured using the seven-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), where the cumulative score ranged from 7 to 35. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with perceived fear of COVID-19.ResultsThe mean fear score was 19.4. Participants who were concerned about COVID-19 (β: 2.75, 95% CI: 1.71 to 3.78) and overwhelmed by COVID-19 (β: 3.31, 95% CI: 2.33 to 4.29) were significantly more likely to be fearful of COVID-19. Moreover, older adults who felt themselves isolated from others and whose close friends and family members were diagnosed with COVID-19 were more fearful. However, the participants who received COVID-19 related information from the health workers had a lower level of fear (β: -1.90, 95% CI: − 3.06 to − 0.73).ConclusionsThe presence of overwhelming fear of COVID-19 among the older adults of Bangladesh underlines the psychological needs of these vulnerable groups. Health workers have a key role in addressing these needs and further research is needed to identify the effective strategies for them to use.

Exploring Sub-Saharan Africa’s Communication of COVID-19-Related Health Information on Social Media

Abstract Social media presents a robust stage for disseminating time-sensitive information that is needed during a public health disease of global concern such as COVID-19. This study finds out how the 23 anglophone Sub-Saharan African countries’ national health ministries and infectious disease agencies disseminated COVID-19 related information through their social media accounts within the first three months after the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 related qualitative and quantitative data types were collected from the social media accounts of the surveyed national health ministries and agencies for analysis. Over 86% of the African countries had presence on social media; Facebook was the most popular, though Twitter contained more posts. One of the credibility issues that was noticed is that most of the health ministries’ and agencies’ social media accounts were unverified and access to the social media accounts was not provided on most of their official websites. Information dissemination became more deliberate and increased significantly after the announcement of the fist cases of COVID-19 in the countries under review. Awareness creation, updates and news constituted the major categories of information that were disseminated, mostly in the form of derivative social media information before the announcement of the first COVID-19 case in the surveyed African countries. Campaigns against misinformation were barely undertaken by most of the countries. Strategies used by some countries included the employment of social media influencers and creation of content in local languages. Strategies that include development of health information content that targets different groups in African societies and the inclusion of elderly in the community and religious leaders as non-state actors in health information communication were recommended.

COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of popular YouTube videos as an alternative health information platform.

Dispersal of COVID-19 related information from YouTube plays a vital role in containing the pandemic and diminishes associated anxiety in the population. This study investigated the characteristics of popular YouTube videos related to COVID-19 outbreak. YouTube videos were searched using the COVID-19 related specific keywords with the eligibility of at least 1 million views. The videos were classified as types of videos (News, TV Shows, Educational, and Documentary) and sentiment-based titled videos (Positive and Negative). Total viewership, length of videos, comments, likes, subscribers of the channel, and the number of days since upload was recorded as video and user engagement characteristics. A total of 93 videos were found eligible to include in the study. About 44.1% of videos were educational and 32.3% of videos were news updates related to COVID-19. Furthermore, 45.7% of videos had a positive sentiment-based title whereas 53.2% of videos had a negative sentiment-based title. Viewer's comment responses were classified into nine various categories; most frequent comments were sarcastic/humorous (21.5%) category. Results revealed the differences in audience behavior in response to different types of videos and sentiment-based titled videos. YouTube has a significant amount of informative COVID-19 videos and incorporating certain characteristics can increase YouTube video popularity.

Evaluating the quality of Covid-19 related information on the website of the Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education

Evaluating the quality of Covid-19 related information on the website of the Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education

Social Media Marketing Strategy of Indonesian Tourism in The Time of Pandemic

Tourism is among one of the hardest hit sectors caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to UNWTO (2020), 100-120 million direct tourism jobs were at risk and international tourist numbers in January – May 2020 decreased 56% year on year. Indonesia’s tourism sector is not an exception. The number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia fell down -89.22 % year on year, which definitely affects the whole condition of Indonesian tourism. Therefore, the Indonesian government have done several efforts to manage the situation since the pandemic started. Due to limitation of offline activities, digital marketing, including social media, had become the main strategy to maintain Indonesian tourism’s presence in the market. This paper will discuss the social media marketing strategy has been done by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MOTCE) Indonesia to promote Indonesian tourism during pandemic time, especially for the global market. Using social media marketing strategy (SMMS) framework from Li, Larimo and Leonidou (2020), this research found that the social marketing media strategy has been implemented by MOTCE could be categorized as the social content strategy, as the Indonesia Travel accounts focus on suitable contents with the audiences who struggle with the pandemic. Indonesia Travel as the official social media marketing accounts, has been active to post contents even since the beginning of the pandemic through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Weibo, and Wechat. From January to September 2020, Indonesia Travel posted more than 683 contents. However, the pandemic has driven the Indonesia Travel accounts to slightly changed the marketing objectives, adapting with what audiences wanted. Not only posting about the beauty of tourism destinations in Indonesia, since February they also post about Covid-19 related information.

Information searching behaviors among Vietnamese students during first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: This study aims to describe the COVID-19 related information searching behaviors and the relationship between those behaviors and the satisfaction with the COVID-19 related information searched on the Internet among university students during first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by a web-based survey from April 25, 2020 to May 9, 2020. Convenient sample with the method of snowball sampling was applied, 1003 students were obtained totally. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify the associations between those behaviors and the satisfaction with the COVID-19 related information searched on the Internet. Results: Search engines were the most popular sources used for online COVID-19 information seeking (95.3%), followed by Social media (92.4%) and News portals (91.6%). About 90% of participants searched the information related to the current spread of the coronavirus, followed by symptoms of the COVID-19 (81.8%) and individual measures to protect against infection (81.9%). Vietnamese remains the main language of the sources with 70.3% of participants used. There’s 45.8% of participant satisfied about the COVID-19 related information. The group of participants who sought information about prevention was 0.47 times less dissatisfied than the group that did not search. Conclusion: There are significant associations between searching topics related to prevention and the COVID-19 related information satisfaction searched on the Internet. These results highlight the need for providing efficient information related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as seriously consider focusing more on social media to better bring official information to the public. Keywords: COVID-19, information searching behaviors, university students, satisfaction

Maladaptive Daydreaming in an Adult Italian Population During the COVID-19 Lockdown.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, individuals with or without mental disorders may resort to dysfunctional psychological strategies that could trigger or heighten their emotional distress. The current study aims to explore the links between maladaptive daydreaming (MD, i.e., a compulsive fantasy activity associated with distress and psychological impairment), psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and negative stress, and COVID-19-related variables, such as changes in face-to-face and online relationships, during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. A total of 6,277 Italian adults completed an online survey, including socio-demographic variables, COVID-19 related information, the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 Items (DASS-21). Based on an empirically derived cut-off score, 1,082 participants (17.2%) were identified as probable maladaptive daydreamers (MDers). A binary logistic regression revealed that compared to controls, probable MDers reported that during the COVID-19 lockdown they experienced higher levels of anxiety and depression, decreased online social relationships, and, surprisingly, stable or increased face-to-face social relationships. Given the peculiar characteristics of the pandemic context, these findings suggest that the exposure to the risk of contagion had probably exacerbated the tendency of probable MDers to lock themselves inside their mental fantasy worlds, which in turn may have contributed to further estrangement from online social relationships and support, thus worsening their emotional distress.

PH Care COVID Survey: An International Patient Survey on the Care for Pulmonary Hypertension Patients during the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic

PurposeDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the health care systems suspended their non-urgent activities. This included the cancellation of consultations for patients with rare diseases, such as severe pulmonary hypertension (PH), accompanied by potential medication shortage and loss of follow-up. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate PH patient health status evolution, access to health care and mental health experience during the early phase of the pandemic.MethodsWe conducted an internet patient survey, available in 16 languages, between 22/05/2020 and 28/06/2020. The survey included questions corresponding to demographic, COVID-19 and PH related information.Results1073 patients (or relatives, 27%) from 52 countries all over the world participated in the survey. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of responders reported a diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and 15% of chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH). The COVID-19 related events were few: only 1% of all responders reported a diagnosis of COVID-19. However, the PH related events during the early phase of the pandemic seemed far more frequent with 8% of patients reporting health deterioration possibly related to PH, and 4% requiring hospitalization for PH care. 11% of the patients reported difficulties to have access to their PH expert center, and the reported rate of interruption of treatment due to shortage of medication was 3%. Both general practitioners and specialized PH centers were contacted by equal proportions of patients to seek COVID-19 related information. 67% of the participants reported anxiety or depression.ConclusionAlthough COVID-19 incidence in PH patients was low during the early phase of the pandemic, PH related problems occurred frequently as the pandemic progressed with difficulties to have access to specialized care. Primary health care as well as to information on the impact of COVID-19 on people with PH. In addition to specialized care, primary health care was considered to be of importance by PH patients. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term consequences of COVID-related PH care disruption. The evaluation of long-term consequences of COVID related care disruption in PH will require further studies.

Improving Predictions of COVID-19 Preventive Behavior: Development of a Sequential Mediation Model.

BackgroundSince the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, self-quarantining, wearing masks, and washing hands have become part of the new norm for many, but not all. It appears that such preventive measures are critical to “flattening the curve” of the spread of COVID-19. The public’s adoption of such behaviors is an essential component in the battle against what has been referred to as the “invisible enemy.”ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to develop a model for predicting COVID-19 preventive behaviors among US college students. The Health Belief Model has a long history of use and empirical support in predicting preventive health behaviors, but it is not without its purported shortcomings. This study identifies a more optimal and defensible combination of variables to explain preventive behaviors among college students. This segment of the US population is critical in helping slow the spread of COVID-19 because of the relative reluctance of college students to perform the needed behaviors given they do not feel susceptible to or fearful of COVID-19.MethodsFor this study, 415 US college students were surveyed via Qualtrics and asked to answer questions regarding their fear of COVID-19, information receptivity (seeking relevant information), perceived knowledge of the disease, self-efficacy, and performance of preventive behaviors. The PROCESS macro (Model 6) was used to test our conceptual model, including predictions involving sequential mediation.ResultsSequential mediation results show that fear of COVID-19 leads individuals to seek out information regarding the disease, which increases their perceived knowledge and fosters self-efficacy; this is key to driving preventive behaviors.ConclusionsSelf-imposed preventive measures can drastically impact the rate of infection among populations. Based on this study’s newly created sequential mediation model, communication strategies for encouraging COVID-19 preventive behaviors are offered. It is clear that college students, and very possibly adults of all ages, must have a healthy fear of COVID-19 to set in motion a process where concerned individuals seek out COVID-19–related information, increasing their store of knowledge concerning the disease, their self-efficacy, and ultimately their likelihood of performing the needed preventive behaviors.

COVID-19 related misconceptions among older adults in Bangladesh: findings from a cross-sectional study

Background The COVID-19 has been appeared as the most remarkable global calamity of this century. Just as the COVID-19 spread throughout the world, so as the rumour and misconceptions related to it. The present study aimed to explore the prevalence of COVID-19 related misconceptions and its correlates among the older adults in Bangladesh. Methods The study followed a cross-sectional design and was conducted among 1032 participants aged 60 years and above from Bangladesh. Information was collected on 14 different locally relevant misconceptions related to the spread, prevention, and treatment of COVID-19, scored each misconception as one, and obtained a cumulative score, ranging from 0 to 14, with a higher score indicating a higher level of misconceptions. A multiple linear regression model explored the factors associated with misconceptions. Results The most common misconceptions were, all returning migrants carrying COVID-19 (45.5%), wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) in outdoors (80.1%), not going to the funeral of people died of COVID-19 (45.2%), its prevention by nutritious food (57.6%) and drinking water (39.4%), and doctor can cure COVID-19 (49.9%). Misconceptions were higher among the participants who were living alone, whose family members were not responsive to their needs during COVID-19, and who received COVID-19 related information from Radio/TV and health workers. These misconceptions were less likely among those who were aged 70-79 years, who had pre-existing non-communicable chronic conditions, who were overwhelmed by COVID-19, and who felt themselves at highest risk of COVID-19. Conclusion Overall, we found that misconceptions were prevalent among the older adults in Bangladesh. Government and other relevant stakeholders should take immediate actions to address the prevalent misconceptions through using appropriate channels, media, and message delivery systems, and applying evidence-based risk communication methods.

COVID-19 Related Information and Psychological Wellbeing: Mediating Role of Employment Uncertainty Among Pakistani People

In December 2019, the confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) patient was initially reported in Wuhan which later spread quickly in other cities of China resulting in severe acute respiratory disorder. This virus is not confined only to China but has affected billions of people living globally. Media has served as an important platform in educating the masses about precautionary measures to be taken by the general public to protect themselves from becoming patients of this fatal virus. Currently, the majority population of the world is getting information through different media platforms. This paper observes the impact of COVID-19 related media coverage role in developing mental problems among the Pakistani people as well as the mediating role of employment uncertainty due to COVID-19 related information. An online questionnaire was circulated to collect data. This study includes 405 respondents using random sampling techniques resided in Lahore. The results explained that most of the people got COVID-19 related information from different media platforms that have developed depression and fear among people. Moreover, this study suggests that government as well as media practitioners should take initiatives to prevent mental health problems, particularly employment certainty developed due to watching COVID-19 related information.

An experimental study of RyO Kit for Covid-19 information sharing in rural islands of Indonesia

Indonesia is among the most suffering countries due to Covid-19 pandemic. The government is still challenged to manage the delivery of Covid-19 related information since many of inhabitants living in rural islands. This aims to offer low cost and simple solution for government in delivering Covid-19 information in rural islands without adequate telecommunications infrastructure. The technical solution is based on Raspberry Pi technology called RyO (Raspberry Outernet) Kit. We examined RyO Kit based on four parameters namely signal strength, signal quality, bit rate and quota. Final results confirmed RyO Kit is appropriate solution to deal with the issue.

Mudik during the Covid-19 pandemic, anxiety, and depression among students in Indonesia

Purpose: This study explores the occurrence and different levels of anxiety and depression among male and female students who perform or do not perform mudik (homecoming). Investigate the primary source of COVID-19 related information among students. Methods: Online questionnaires consisting of the self-report level of anxiety and depression were delivered to study participants after completing the online informed consent. Quantitative analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS version 20.0.Results: From a total of 2018 study participants, n=936 were students. Depression (M=8.68; SD= 5.45) was higher among students who did not perform mudik. Meanwhile, the prevalence rate of depression (M=7.18; SD=4.99) was also higher among students who performed mudik. A significant difference [sig (2-tailed) = 0.017; p <0.05)] regarding the level of anxiety was reported higher among female students (M=7.80; SD=4.6) than male students (M=7.03; SD=4.7) and no significant difference [sig (2-tailed) = 0.173; p> 0.05] was reported for the level of depression between male and female students. Instagram was reported as the primary source of COVID-19 related information. Conclusion: This current study supports the notion regarding the occurrence of common mental disorders among students as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of whether homecoming was performed or not. Different levels of anxiety and depression were reported between the male and female student population.

Demographic Factors Influencing the Impact of Coronavirus-Related Misinformation on WhatsApp: Cross-sectional Questionnaire Study.

BackgroundThe risks of misinformation on social networking sites is a global issue, especially in light of the COVID-19 infodemic. WhatsApp is being used as an important source of COVID-19–related information during the current pandemic. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, limited studies have investigated the role of WhatsApp as a source of communication, information, or misinformation during crisis situations.ObjectiveOur study aimed to evaluate the vulnerability of demographic cohorts in a developing country toward COVID-19–related misinformation shared via WhatsApp. We also aimed to identify characteristics of WhatsApp messages associated with increased credibility of misinformation.MethodsWe conducted a web-based questionnaire survey and designed a scoring system based on theories supported by the existing literature. Vulnerability (K) was measured as a ratio of the respondent’s score to the maximum score. Respondents were stratified according to age and occupation, and Kmean was calculated and compared among each subgroup using single-factor analysis of variance and Hochberg GT2 tests. The questionnaire evaluated the respondents’ opinion of the veracity of coronavirus-related WhatsApp messages. The responses to the false-proven messages were compared using z test between the 2 groups: coronavirus-related WhatsApp messages with an attached link and/or source and those without.ResultsWe analyzed 1137 responses from WhatsApp users in India. Users aged over 65 years had the highest vulnerability (Kmean=0.38, 95% CI 0.341-0.419) to misinformation. Respondents in the age group 19-25 years had significantly lower vulnerability (Kmean=0.31, 95% CI 0.301-0.319) than those aged over 25 years (P<.05). The vulnerability of users employed in elementary occupations was the highest (Kmean=0.38, 95% CI 0.356-0.404), and it was significantly higher than that of professionals and students (P<.05). Interestingly, the vulnerability of healthcare workers was not significantly different from that of other occupation groups (P>.05). We found that false CRWMs with an attached link and/or source were marked true 6 times more often than false CRWMs without an attached link or source (P<.001).ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that in a developing country, WhatsApp users aged over 65 years and those involved in elementary occupations were found to be the most vulnerable to false information disseminated via WhatsApp. Health care workers, who are otherwise considered as experts with regard to this global health care crisis, also shared this vulnerability to misinformation with other occupation groups. Our findings also indicated that the presence of an attached link and/or source falsely validating an incorrect message adds significant false credibility, making it appear true. These results indicate an emergent need to address and rectify the current usage patterns of WhatsApp users. This study also provides metrics that can be used by health care organizations and government authorities of developing countries to formulate guidelines to contain the spread of WhatsApp-related misinformation.

Predictors of COVID-19 Information Sources and Their Perceived Accuracy in Nigeria: Online Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundEffective communication is critical for mitigating the public health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveThis study assesses the source(s) of COVID-19 information among people in Nigeria, as well as the predictors and the perceived accuracy of information from these sources.MethodsWe conducted an online survey of consenting adults residing in Nigeria between April and May 2020 during the lockdown and first wave of COVID-19. The major sources of information about COVID-19 were distilled from 7 potential sources (family and friends, places of worship, health care providers, internet, workplace, traditional media, and public posters/banners). An open-ended question was asked to explore how respondents determined accuracy of information. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA 15.0 software (StataCorp Texas) with significance placed at P<.05. Approval to conduct this study was obtained from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Health Research Ethics Committee.ResultsA total of 719 respondents completed the survey. Most respondents (n=642, 89.3%) obtained COVID-19–related information from the internet. The majority (n=617, 85.8%) considered their source(s) of information to be accurate, and 32.6% (n=234) depended on only 1 out of the 7 potential sources of COVID-19 information. Respondents earning a monthly income between NGN 70,000-120,000 had lower odds of obtaining COVID-19 information from the internet compared to respondents earning less than NGN 20,000 (odds ratio [OR] 0.49, 95% CI 0.24-0.98). In addition, a significant proportion of respondents sought accurate information from recognized health organizations, such as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.ConclusionsThe internet was the most common source of COVID-19 information, and the population sampled had a relatively high level of perceived accuracy for the COVID-19 information received. Effective communication requires dissemination of information via credible communication channels, as identified from this study. This can be potentially beneficial for risk communication to control the pandemic.

Digital Health Literacy and Web-Based Information-Seeking Behaviors of University Students in Germany During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Survey Study

BackgroundDigital communication technologies are playing an important role in the health communication strategies of governments and public health authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The internet and social media have become important sources of health-related information on COVID-19 and on protective behaviors. In addition, the COVID-19 infodemic is spreading faster than the coronavirus itself, which interferes with governmental health-related communication efforts. This jeopardizes national public health containment strategies. Therefore, digital health literacy is a key competence to navigate web-based COVID-19–related information and service environments.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate university students’ digital health literacy and web-based information-seeking behaviors during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.MethodsA cross-sectional study among 14,916 university students aged ≥18 years from 130 universities across all 16 federal states of Germany was conducted using a web-based survey. Along with sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, subjective social status), the measures included five subscales from the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI), which was adapted to the specific context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Web-based information-seeking behavior was investigated by examining the web-based sources used by university students and the topics that the students searched for in connection with COVID-19. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses.ResultsAcross digital health literacy dimensions, the greatest difficulties could be found for assessing the reliability of health-related information (5964/14,103, 42.3%) and the ability to determine whether the information was written with a commercial interest (5489/14,097, 38.9%). Moreover, the respondents indicated that they most frequently have problems finding the information they are looking for (4282/14,098, 30.4%). When stratified according to sociodemographic characteristics, significant differences were found, with female university students reporting a lower DHLI for the dimensions of “information searching” and “evaluating reliability.” Search engines, news portals, and websites of public bodies were most often used by the respondents as sources to search for information on COVID-19 and related issues. Female students were found to use social media and health portals more frequently, while male students used Wikipedia and other web-based encyclopedias as well as YouTube more often. The use of social media was associated with a low ability to critically evaluate information, while the opposite was observed for the use of public websites.ConclusionsAlthough digital health literacy is well developed in university students, a significant proportion of students still face difficulties with certain abilities to evaluate information. There is a need to strengthen the digital health literacy capacities of university students using tailored interventions. Improving the quality of health-related information on the internet is also key.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown Measures on Quality of Life among Italian General Population

The COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world in the year 2020 has put a strain on our ability to cope with events and revolutionized our daily habits. On 9 March, Italy was forced to lockdown to prevent the spread of the infection, with measures including the mandatory closure of schools and nonessential activities, travel restrictions, and the obligation to spend entire weeks in the same physical space. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on quality of life (QoL) in a large Italian sample, in order to investigate possible differences in QoL levels related to both demographic and pandemic-specific variables. A total of 2251 Italian adults (1665 women, mainly young and middle adults) were recruited via a snowball sampling strategy. Participants were requested to answer to an online survey, which included demographic and COVID-related information items, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The results showed statistically significant differences in QoL depending on a number of variables, including sex, area of residence in Italy, and being diagnosed with a medical/psychiatric condition. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess QoL during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, therefore the present findings can offer guidelines regarding which social groups are more vulnerable of a decline in QoL and would benefit of psychological interventions.