Showing papers in "Journal of Health Communication in 2021"
TL;DR: A nationally representative sample survey (N = 1040) was conducted in July 2020 in New Zealand to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine intention and a 14-item general vaccine hesitancy scale was tested.
Abstract: Building public trust and willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 is as important as developing an effective vaccine. However, a significant minority of the public are unwilling or hesitant to take a COVID-19 vaccine, when available. A nationally representative sample survey (N = 1040) was conducted in July 2020 in New Zealand to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine intention. A 14-item general vaccine hesitancy scale was tested and found to be significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccine intention. A communication campaign from trusted scientific experts, with information that addresses prevailing concerns about vaccines, is likely to help increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
53 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a content analysis was conducted on a data set of 1,000 Twitter posts about COVID-19 vaccines by different vaccine sentiments using the Elaboration Likelihood Model, Social judgment Theory, and the Extended Parallel Process Model as theoretical frameworks.
Abstract: This research aims to understand the persuasion techniques used in Twitter posts about COVID-19 vaccines by the different vaccine sentiments (i.e., Pro-Vaccine, Anti-Vaccine, and Neutral) using the Elaboration Likelihood Model, Social judgment Theory, and the Extended Parallel Process Model as theoretical frameworks. A content analysis was conducted on a data set of 1,000 Twitter posts. The corpus of Tweets was examined using the persuasion frameworks; tweets that were identified as emanating from bots were further examined. Results found Anti-Vaccine messages predominantly used Anecdotal stories, Humor/Sarcasm, and Celebrity figures as persuasion techniques, while Pro-Vaccine messages primarily used Information, Celebrity figures, and Participation. Results also showed the Anti-Vaccine messages primarily focused on values related to the categories of Safety, Political/Conspiracy Theories, and Choice. Finally, results revealed Anti-Vaccine messages primarily used Perceived Severity and Perceived Susceptibility, which are fear appeal elements. The findings for messages by bots were comparable to the messages in the larger corpus of tweets. Based on the findings, a response framework-Health Information Persuasion Exploration (HIPE)-is proposed to address mis/disinformation and Anti-Vaccine messaging. The results of this study and the HIPE framework can inform a national COVID-19 vaccine health campaign to increase vaccine adoption.
52 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the need to navigate complex media environments filled with frequently changing and varyingly credible information to acquire and apply health information during times of uncertainty and uncertainty.
Abstract: Individuals must navigate complex media environments filled with frequently changing and varyingly credible information to acquire and apply health information during times of uncertainty and dange...
32 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the effects of four message frames on participants' attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine and their vaccine intention and found that participants with higher perceived benefits and exposed to the loss frame showed higher positive attitudes toward vaccine and greater intention to vaccinate.
Abstract: The United States is one of the hardest-hit countries by the COVID-19 pandemic and yet there is widespread hesitancy to take the vaccine. In order to address vaccine hesitancy and foster public understanding of the COVID-19 vaccine, it is necessary to strategize public health messages based on evidence. To this end, we use experimental data to examine the effects of four message frames on participants' attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine and their vaccine intention. The primary purposes of this paper are to examine the 1) impact of loss vs. gain frames and individual vs. collective frames and 2) role of perceived benefits on participants' attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine and their vaccine intention. Our findings show that participants with higher perceived benefits and exposed to the loss frame showed higher positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine and greater intention to vaccinate. Similar patterns were revealed in case of the individual frame message. Implications are discussed.
29 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between Italian news media coverage of COVID-19 and compliance with stay-at-home orders, which could impact the spread of epidemics.
Abstract: Media framing of epidemics was found to influence public perceptions and behaviors in experiments, yet no research has been conducted on real-world behaviors during public health crises. We examined the relationship between Italian news media coverage of COVID-19 and compliance with stay-at-home orders, which could impact the spread of epidemics. We used a computational method for framing analysis (ANTMN) and combined it with Google's Community Mobility data. A time-series analysis using vector autoregressive models showed that the Italian media used media frames that were largely congruent with ones used by journalists in other countries: A scientific frame focusing on symptoms and health effects, a containment frame focusing on attempts to ameliorate risks, and a social frame, focusing on political and social impact. The prominence of different media frames over time was associated with changes in Italians' mobility patterns. Specifically, we found that the social frame was associated with increased mobility, whereas the containment frame was associated with decreased mobility. The results demonstrate that the ways the news media discuss epidemics can influence changes in community mobility, above and beyond the effect of the number of deaths per day.
28 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a conceptual checklist to assess crisis communication efforts during pandemics and in their aftermath is proposed. But, no consolidated checklist exists for assessing the effectiveness of crisis communication at all levels during Pandemics.
Abstract: The primary objective of this paper is to propose a conceptual checklist to assess crisis communication efforts during pandemics and in their aftermath. No consolidated checklist exists for assessing the effectiveness of crisis communication at all levels during pandemics. A literature review was conducted, encompassing articles on crisis communication during SARS, swine flu, H1N1, ZIKA, Ebola, and/or COVID-19. Based on the review, a comprehensive checklist was developed to enable researchers and evaluators to assess and review all important aspects of crisis communication during pandemics. The final Assessment tool for Crisis Communication during Pandemics (ACCP) consists of 30 criteria. Further research is suggested to validate the checklist.
28 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe current prevalence and predictors of mental health issues in social media using a questionnaire and a questionnaire, and present a set of indicators of health conditions.
Abstract: Social media (SM) have fundamentally changed the way we exchange information, including how we communicate about health. The goal of this study was to describe current prevalence and predictors of ...
22 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared differences in information seeking, trust of information sources, and use of protective behaviors (e.g., mask wearing) among individuals in the US and China during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract: Due to the increasing amount of new information that is emerging about COVID-19, traditional and web-based information sources are commonly used to spread and seek information. This study compared differences in information seeking, trust of information sources, and use of protective behaviors (e.g., mask wearing) among individuals in the US and China during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 722 valid responses in the US and 493 valid responses in China were collected via online surveys in May 2020. Pearson's Chi-square tests, independent samples t-tests, and multiple linear regressions were used to conduct the analyses. Results showed that US respondents accessed significantly fewer COVID-19 information sources, rated significantly lower levels of trust in these sources, and reported significantly lower levels of protective behaviors than the Chinese respondents. In both countries, trust in newspapers, radio/community broadcasting, and news portals were significantly positively correlated with protective behaviors. While trust of TV was significant in both populations, in China it was positively correlated, whereas in the US was negatively correlated, with protective behaviors. Findings from this study showed that coordinated and consistent messages from governmental officials, health authorities, and media platforms are important to promote and encourage protective behaviors.
21 citations
TL;DR: A brief history of the socio-cultural perceptions attached to wearing a mask by surveying how masks were perceived in ancient Greece and Rome, the origins of medical masks, and the ascribed socio-culture meaning of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic was provided in this paper.
Abstract: Masks, now recommended and worn by a growing proportion of the world's population, have reflected various perceived meaning across time. This paper provides a brief history of the socio-cultural perceptions attached to wearing a mask by surveying how masks were perceived in ancient Greece and Rome, the origins of medical masks, and the ascribed socio-cultural meaning of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of a mask has historically diverse perceived meanings; currently, wearing a mask communicates a bipolar socio-cultural meaning and a nuanced, divisive symbology. To some, masks communicate a belief in medical science and a desire to protect one's neighbor from contagion. To others, a mask communicates oppression, government overreach, and a skepticism toward established scientific principles. It is the mask's ability to signal a deception, or extrapolated more broadly, a value system, that is highly relevant to current public health guidelines encouraging mask use to decrease the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health officials and providers should utilize evidence-based health communication strategies when findings warrant a reversed recommendation of a symbol (such as masks) with a legacy of socio-cultural underpinnings that are deep-seated, complex, and emotional.
20 citations
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors explored how health influencers in China communicate with their followers on social media to disseminate health-related information to the public, and found that social media influencers play an increasingly important role in disseminating health related information.
Abstract: Social media health influencers play an increasingly important role in disseminating health-related information to the public. To explore how health influencers in China communicate with their foll...
20 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the emotional mechanisms of how public trust in the governments' actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic shapes individuals' risk information-seeking and avoidance.
Abstract: This study examines the emotional mechanisms of how public trust in the governments' actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic shapes individuals' risk information-seeking and avoidance. To make cross-cultural comparisons, we conducted a multi-country survey early in the pandemic in South Korea, the United States (US) and Singapore. The results suggest that trust was negatively related to fear, anger, sadness and anxiety, and positively related to hope. These emotions were significant mediators of the effect of trust on information seeking and avoidance, except for anger on avoidance. Importantly, the indirect effects of trust in government varied by country. Fear was a stronger mediator between trust and information seeking in South Korea than in the US. In contrast, sadness and anger played more prominent mediating roles in Singapore than in South Korea. This study offers theoretical insights into better understanding the roles of discrete emotions in forming information behaviors. The findings of this study also inform communication strategies that seek to navigate trust in managing pandemics that impact multiple nations.
TL;DR: For instance, the authors found that having been exposed to pornography and perceiving pornography as realistic was associated with increased sexual aggression risk, while a stronger level of identification with pornographic actors was linked with an increased probability of sexual aggression for males, but not females.
Abstract: Sexual aggression is now widely recognized as a public health crisis. Using the sexual script acquisition, activation, application model (3AM) as a guide, this paper reports findings on U.S. teenagers' exposure to pornography, motivation for viewing pornography, perceptions of pornography's realism, identification with pornographic actors, and sexual aggression risk from the National Survey of Porn Use, Relationships, and Sexual Socialization (NSPRSS), a U.S. population-based probability study. Sexual aggression was operationalized as pressuring another person into having sex despite their explicit declaration of nonconsent. Having been exposed to pornography and perceiving pornography as realistic were associated with increased sexual aggression risk. A stronger level of identification with pornographic actors was associated with an increased probability of sexual aggression for males, but not females. A motivation to learn about others' sexual expectations from pornography was unrelated to sexual aggression. Results interpretation and discussion focus on the need for additional theoretical nuance and measurement specificity in the media psychology literature on pornography and sexual aggression.
TL;DR: In this article, a longitudinal study was conducted to determine the impact of perceived threat and efficacy on college students' social distancing behavior during COVID-19 pandemic, and the results were consistent with previous theory and research for all danger control hypotheses (i.e., perceived threat predicted fear, fear and self-efficacy predicted intention, and intention predicted future behavior).
Abstract: This study was conducted to determine the impact of perceived threat and efficacy on college students' social-distancing behavior during COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by the extended parallel process model (EPPM), this longitudinal study included 164 participants who completed a survey at two points in time. Results were consistent with previous theory and research for all danger control hypotheses (i.e., perceived threat predicted fear, fear and self-efficacy predicted intention, and intention predicted future behavior). For fear control, however, results were inconsistent with EPPM predictions, but consistent with previous research (i.e., fear was either unrelated or inversely related to fear control, and efficacy was inversely related to fear control). Overall, the EPPM constructs explained 69% of the variance in intention, 64% of the variance in behavior, 55% of the variance in defensive avoidance, and 20% of the variance in message derogation. The theoretical and practical insights and implications of these findings are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed and validated an instrument that measures trust in public health authorities and assessed the association between trust and vaccine attitudes, and found that this trust model was strongly associated with acceptance of vaccines.
Abstract: Infectious disease outbreaks highlight the importance of trust in public health authorities to avoid fear and improve adherence to recommendations. There is currently no established and validated measure for trust in public health authorities. We aimed to develop and validate an instrument that measures trust in public health authorities and to assess the association between trust in public health authorities and vaccine attitudes. We developed 20 items to measure trust in public health authorities. After implementing a survey in January 2020, we investigated relationships between the items, reduced the number of items, and identified latent constructs of the scale. We assessed variability in trust and how trust was associated with vaccine attitudes, beliefs, and self-reported vaccine acceptance. The pool was reduced to a 14-item trust in public health authorities scale and we found that this trust model was strongly associated with acceptance of vaccines. Our scale can be used to examine the relationship between trust in public health authorities and adherence to public health recommendations. The measure needs to be validated in other settings to determine whether they are associated with other areas where the public question public health authority recommendations.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the impact of news exposure on mental well-being and test for plausible explanations, and proposed trust in news as a mediator of the relationship between news exposure and abovementioned variables.
Abstract: As of writing of this paper, over 94 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19 infection and over 2 million people have died. During crisis situations, people seek news to gain information and reduce uncertainty. Although news could provide some means of control, the constant access may also cause emotional distress. Research suggests that consumption of crisis news leads to high psychological distress and fear that may impact intentions to engage in healthy behavior. Fake news and widespread misinformation during this pandemic have obliterated public trust in news which can also affect mental health. Therefore, in this research we explore the impact of news exposure on mental well-being and test for plausible explanations. Utilizing survey methodology, we examine the role of news exposure on perceived stress, happiness, satisfaction, gratitude and the moderating impact of interest in COVID-19 news on the same. In addition, we propose trust in news as a mediator of the relationship between news exposure and abovementioned variables. The findings suggest that high levels of news exposure, combined with low levels of interest in COVID-19 news, led people to experience more stress and low satisfaction, gratitude, and happiness. However, when interest in COVID-19 news was high, people experienced more gratitude and happiness with increasing exposure. High levels of news exposure led to lower levels of trust that led to low satisfaction and happiness. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined positive and negative effects of health communication on the fight against the COVID-19 under lockdown, during the first wave of the pandemic in Greece.
Abstract: The present study examined positive and negative effects of health communication on the fight against the COVID-19 under lockdown, during the first wave of the pandemic in Greece. An online survey (N = 1,199) examined the relationships among media trust, emotional and cognitive reactions to COVID-19 information overload, media attention, and risk perceptions regarding COVID-19. Participants' media attention (exposure and attention combined) to information about the pandemic was positively related to their risk perceptions (perceived susceptibility and severity) about the disease. Media attention was dependent on participants' trust in the media as valid sources of information, but also on their cognitive and emotional reactions to COVID-19 information overload. In response to this overload, they produced negative thoughts and more negative (fear and anger) than positive (protection) emotions. These distinct reactions had differential effects on media attention and risk perceptions. Fear and protection were positively related to media attention and risk perceptions, while anger and negative thinking undermined attention and perceptions. Furthermore, all reactions depended on media trust, which mediated the effect on media attention. These findings highlighted desirable and some undesirable effects of health communication in the fight against COVID-19, which can be used to improve health communication in the future.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 Cycle 2 (N =593) to evaluate the determinants of cancer survivors' emotional well-being.
Abstract: Cancer survivors' emotional well-being is an integral part of their overall health and may influence their recovery and survival. The current study used the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 Cycle 2 (N = 593) to evaluate the determinants of cancer survivors' emotional well-being. Internet cancer information seeking, social support, patient-centered communication, cancer beliefs, and self-efficacy to take care of one's health were examined as factors to be associated with cancer survivors' emotional well-being using structural equation modeling. Social support, cancer beliefs, and self-efficacy to take care of one's health were found to be significantly associated with emotional well-being among cancer survivors. Cancer beliefs mediated the associations of cancer information seeking using the Internet, social support, and patient-centered communication with cancer survivors' emotional well-being while health self-efficacy mediated the associations of social support and patient-centered communication with cancer survivors' emotional well-being. It is important for health practitioners to focus on improving social support, self-efficacy for managing health, and cancer-related beliefs in order to enhance the emotional well-being of cancer survivors.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address media influence on sexual cognitions and behavior and propose a comprehensive sexual health education (SHE) strategy for improving adolescent sexual health, however, few of these programs address media influences.
Abstract: Comprehensive sexual health education (SHE) is an effective strategy for improving adolescent sexual health. However, few of these programs address media influence on sexual cognitions and behavior...
TL;DR: Starting breast cancer screening at age 40 versus 50 may increase potential harms frequency with a small mortality benefit as mentioned in this paper, however, younger women's screening decisions, therefore, may be complex. Shared de...
Abstract: Starting breast cancer screening at age 40 versus 50 may increase potential harms frequency with a small mortality benefit. Younger women’s screening decisions, therefore, may be complex. Shared de...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a profound understanding of the multifaceted role of adolescents' social media use in the context of drinking onset, distinguishing between exposure and sharing effec...
Abstract: The article aims to provide a profound understanding of the multifaceted role of adolescents’ social media use in the context of drinking onset. It differentiates between exposure and sharing effec...
TL;DR: With the rampant circulation of health information, concerns for the information quality are growing as mentioned in this paper, and scholars are calling for media literacy as an educative means to cultivate fact-checkers.
Abstract: With the rampant circulation of health information, concerns for the information quality are growing. Thereby, scholars are calling for media literacy as an educative means to cultivate fact-checki...
TL;DR: The results revealed significant main effects of self-oriented threat, other-orientedthreat, and efficacy on cessation intentions, and the combination of presence of other- oriented threat and the presence of efficacy led to the greatest willingness to quit smoking, regardless of the existence of a self-ordered threat.
Abstract: This study explored strategies to increase Chinese smokers’ cessation intentions, using the extended parallel processing model, or EPPM. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment was designed to examine the...
TL;DR: An essential component of patient-centered care is the communication between patients and their providers, which can affect patients' health outcomes as discussed by the authors, which is a cancer care model, developed by Epstein and S...
Abstract: An essential component of patient-centered care is the communication between patients and their providers, which can affect patients’ health outcomes A cancer care model, developed by Epstein and S...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the potential role of communication technology in mitigating the racial/ethnic disparities in patient-provider communication and found that the levels of perceived quality of communication with health care providers were lower among Asians and Hispanics than non-Hispanic Whites.
Abstract: Although the health care industry has strived to address racial/ethnic disparities in health communication, several gaps remain. Previous findings suggest that communication technology might help narrow the gaps; however, they do not provide a comprehensive picture of how or why. To answer these questions, we examined the potential role of communication technology in mitigating the racial/ethnic disparities in patient-provider communication. Data analysis of the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (N= 3,504) revealed that the levels of perceived quality of communication with health care providers were lower among Asians and Hispanics than non-Hispanic Whites while no difference emerged between Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites. Although the adoption of communication technology was relatively high across minority groups, its use appeared to play different roles in different racial/ethnic populations. The Internet and patient portals showed no particular associations with patient-provider communication except for Black Internet users, who reported poorer experiences with patient-provider communication than non-users. Among Asians and Hispanics, social media and mobile communication appeared to play different roles in impacting communication experiences with health care providers. The findings suggest that communication technologies need to be strategically utilized and tailored to better meet the communication needs of racial/ethnic minorities.
TL;DR: Delaying childhood vaccinations has become a public health threat as mentioned in this paper, and numerous studies have shown that the proliferation of conflicting information about the health effects of childhood vaccinations is a threat to public health.
Abstract: Delaying childhood vaccinations has become a public health threat. Numerous studies have shown that the proliferation of conflicting information about the health effects of childhood vaccinations l...
TL;DR: In this paper, a robust finding is the positive association between self-generated alcohol-related content (SG-ARC) on social media (SM) and drinking among emerging adults.
Abstract: A robust finding is the positive association between self-generated alcohol-related content (SG-ARC) on social media (SM) and drinking among emerging adults; however, the reasons for this relations...
TL;DR: While health behavior theories conceptualize risk perception as a major factor motivating protective action against risk, empirical support for this widely-assumed proposition has been inconclusive as discussed by the authors, and no empirical evidence has been found to support it.
Abstract: While health behavior theories conceptualize risk perception as a major factor motivating protective action against risk, empirical support for this widely-assumed proposition has been inconclusive
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted a between-subject factorial experiment in which a sample of N = 400 US adults over the age of 18 recruited through MTurk were asked their intention to share vaccine safety information with others after watching a manipulated YouTube video.
Abstract: YouTube videos have been used to inform and misinform the public about the safety of vaccines related to health threats such as measles and COVID-19. Understanding how such videos can promote the sharing of accurate vaccine safety information is of the utmost importance if health researchers are to combat the spread of misinformation and encourage widespread uptake of vaccines. Through the lens of prospect theory, this study conducted a 2 (framing: loss v. gain) x 2 (evidence type: episodic v. thematic) x 2 (speaker expertise: expert v. non-expert) between-subject factorial experiment in which a sample of N = 400 US adults over the age of 18 recruited through MTurk were asked their intention to share vaccine safety information with others after watching a manipulated YouTube video. The results showed that loss framing was associated with perceived MMR severity which was, in turn, associated with the likelihood that participants would share MMR vaccine information with others, via any means. However, this process varied depending on the type of evidence delivered, and the expertise of the speaker. Results and limitations are discussed in the context of vaccine communication and social media.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between communications with health professionals and online health information seeking in older adults and found that older adults seek health information on the Internet as alternative information sources and may consider this as having the equivalent value of communicating with a health professional.
Abstract: Negative communications with health professionals are a stressor to older adults in healthcare settings. In this situation, older adults seek health information on the Internet as alternative information sources and may consider this as having the equivalent value of communicating with a health professional. This study examines the relationship between communications with health professionals and online health information seeking in older adults. This study used the Health Information National Trends Survey, Cycle 3, and included participants (N = 743) aged 65 or older who used the Internet. A multiple logistic regression was employed to examine the association of health professional communication with online health information seeking. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the association between health communications and three types of online health information seeking in older adults. Online health information seeking was significantly associated with negative communications with health professionals. Health communications only predicted online health information seeking by oneself, and females were more likely to search for health information on the Internet than males. The results of this study show that older adults' online health information seeking is an active coping strategy to reduce health risks and improve health promotion in healthcare.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of issue and decision uncertainty on information-seeking intentions were mediated by negative appraisals and threat emotions, and individuals with high health self-efficacy and positive outcome expectations of information search were more likely to manage uncertainty through information seeking.
Abstract: Guided by Uncertainty Management Theory, UMT, we tested a model that explicates how uncertainty arising from contradictory health information is managed through information seeking. In an online experiment, 763 U.S. adults were randomly assigned to one of three message conditions: contradictory, non-contradictory, or control. Participants in the contradictory and non-contradictory conditions answered questions about their perceptions of contradiction, issue and decision uncertainty, negative appraisals and emotions, and information-seeking intentions. They also completed measures of several moderator variables, including information overload, intolerance for uncertainty, and health self-efficacy. Baseline levels of issue and decision uncertainty were measured in the control condition. Model tenets were confirmed: perceptions of contradiction led to issue uncertainty which, in turn, prompted cognitive appraisals directly, and indirectly through increased decision uncertainty. The effects of issue and decision uncertainty on information-seeking intentions were mediated by negative appraisals and threat emotions. Individuals with high health self-efficacy and positive outcome expectations of information search were more likely to manage uncertainty through information seeking. These results support the use of the CHIP model when perceptions of contradiction and decision uncertainty need to be accounted for, while also validating UMT for its original purposes. Model refinements and implications are discussed.