From warning messages to preparedness behavior: The role of risk perception and information interaction in the Covid-19 pandemic

Exploring pandemic preparedness through public perception and its impact on health service quality, attitudes, and healthcare image

Pandemic preparedness has gained increased significance in public health following the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, it has been assessed from an internal organizational perspective, focusing on health sector readiness and addressing shortcomings. However, this perspective often overlooks the public's perception of preparedness and its influence on behaviors within the healthcare sector. This study investigates how public views on pandemic preparedness shape attitudes, behaviors, and the image of the healthcare industry, which are critical in determining how individuals interact with health entities and respond to public health advice during a pandemic. To explore this, a set of hypotheses linking pandemic preparedness with health service quality, attitudes, and healthcare image was formulated. An online survey conducted in Türkiye gathered 322 responses. Hypothesis testing was performed using Structural Equation Modeling. The findings suggest that pandemic preparedness significantly impacts health service quality, public attitudes, and the image of the healthcare system during pandemic conditions. These results highlight the need to consider public perceptions of preparedness and their effects on behavior. Proactive communication strategies and public involvement in preparedness planning are essential for fostering a collective and informed response to the challenges posed by pandemics.

Ubiquitous News Coverage and Its Varied Effects in Communicating Protective Behaviors to American Adults in Infectious Disease Outbreaks: Time-Series and Longitudinal Panel Study

BACKGROUND

Effective communication is essential for promoting preventive behaviors during infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19. While consistent news can better inform the public about these health behaviors, the public may not adopt them.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the role of different media platforms in shaping public discourse on preventive measures to infectious diseases such as quarantine and vaccination, and how media exposure influences individuals' intentions to adopt these behaviors in the United States.

METHODS

This study uses data from 3 selected top national newspapers in the United States, Twitter discussions, and a US nationwide longitudinal panel survey from February 2020 to April 2021. We used the Intermedia Agenda-Setting Theory and the Protective Action Decision Model to develop the theoretical framework.

RESULTS

We found a 2-way agenda flow between selected national newspapers and the social media platform Twitter, particularly in controversial topics like vaccination (F1,426=16.39; P<.001 for newspapers; F1,426=44.46; P<.001 for Twitter). Exposure to media coverage increased individuals' perceived benefits of certain behaviors like vaccination but did not necessarily translate into behavioral adoption. For example, while individuals' media exposure increased perceived benefits of mask-wearing (β=.057; P<.001 for household benefits; β=.049; P<.001 for community benefits), it was not consistently linked to higher intentions to wear masks (β=-.026; P=.04).

CONCLUSIONS

This study integrates media flow across platforms with US national panel survey data, offering a comprehensive view of communication dynamics during the early stage of an infectious disease outbreak. The findings caution against a one-size-fits-all approach in communicating different preventive behaviors, especially where individual and community benefits may not always align.

From infodemic to resilience: Exploring COVID-19 protective measures in armed-conflict zone

The proliferation of inaccurate and misleading information about COVID-19 on social media poses a significant public health concern. This study examines the impact of the infodemic and beneficial information on COVID-19 protective behaviors in an armed-conflict country. Using the protective action decision model (PADM), data were collected from 1439 participants through a questionnaire in Yemen between August 2020 and April 2021. Structural equation modeling tested hypotheses generated by the PADM. The findings indicate that the infodemic reduces the likelihood of individuals adopting protective measures against COVID-19. Surprisingly, official announcements by accountable authorities do not moderate the relationship between the infodemic and protective responses. These results highlight the need for further research on resilience in armed-conflict countries. This study contributes to understanding armed-conflict countries' unique challenges in combating health crises. Addressing the infodemic and promoting accurate information is crucial in enhancing protective behaviors and mitigating the negative impact of misinformation. Policymakers and public health authorities can utilize these insights to develop targeted interventions and communication strategies that ensure accurate information dissemination and encourage the adoption of adequate protective measures.

Media Dependency Among South Korean Sojourners in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Approach

This study employs the media system dependency theory to explore both macro- and micro-level dependencies between South Korean sojourners and Chinese media during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through semi-structured interviews with 25 South Korean sojourners in Beijing, we find that under the influence of Confucianism and collectivistic culture, South Korean sojourners are hard to identify with China's media environment and rely on Chinese media. Apart from Chinese television meeting South Korean sojourners' goal of play, other traditional media outlets, new media, and interpersonal communication with Chinese people fail to fulfill their goals of understanding, orientation, and play. These findings suggest that future research should take cultural factors into account to understand media dependency theory.

Government's public panic emergency capacity assessment and response strategies under sudden epidemics: A fuzzy Petri net-based approach

In the post-epidemic era, public panic has emerged as a highly significant secondary disaster, necessitating an urgent enhancement of emergency management capabilities by governments at all levels. In order to ensure a robust assessment of the government's ability to manage public panic, it is crucial to effectively address the influence of uncertain and ambiguous factors associated with such scenarios. This paper proposes a governmental public panic emergency management capability assessment method based on fuzzy Petri nets. By analyzing the factors influencing public panic across the four evolutionary stages, namely gestation, outbreak, diffusion, and fading, we establish a hierarchical evaluation index system for assessing emergency management capabilities. Additionally, we develop a range of multi-scenario emergency management strategies. To address the challenges posed by uncertainty, randomness, fuzziness, and insufficient statistical data within the assessment index system, we introduce fuzzy Petri nets and fuzzy reasoning rules to evaluate the emergency management capability of the assessment system and derive the optimal emergency management strategy. According to example simulations, the effectiveness and practicality of models and rules constructed using fuzzy Petri nets are demonstrated, highlighting their superiority over traditional assessment methods. This comprehensive approach equips the government with a versatile toolkit for effectively managing public panic emergencies.

Time matters in pandemic risk communication: A moderated effect of information timeliness on stakeholder perception in Singapore

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic shows the increasing importance of determining the factors of the public perceptions of personal and societal risks. These perceptions can shape people's behaviors, which, in turn, alter the spread of a pandemic on the community level. However, previous research on risk communication was inconsistent, and little is known about the impact of timely warning messages on stakeholders' perceptions of public health emergencies. To address this theoretical gap, this study analyzes the survey data (N = 538) from Singapore to explore the main effect of information timeliness on the respondents' stakeholder perceptions. This effect is moderated by normative factors, including attention and threat perceptions. We find that the more timely the government updates the risk information, the more trustworthy the stakeholders appear in respondents' opinions. Such an effect is weakened when the pre-decision attention or the threat perception interacts with the predictor independently. However, this effect on stakeholder perceptions becomes stronger if both moderators interact with the information timeliness. That is, an appropriate combination of the information released by the government can effectively enhance the image of the stakeholders during the pandemic.

Infodemic: Challenges and solutions in topic discovery and data process

BACKGROUND

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was a huge shock to society, and the ensuing information problems had a huge impact on society at the same time. The urgent need to understand the Infodemic, i.e., the importance of the spread of false information related to the epidemic, has been highlighted. However, while there is a growing interest in this phenomenon, studies on the topic discovery, data collection, and data preparation phases of the information analysis process have been lacking.

OBJECTIVE

Since the epidemic is unprecedented and has not ended to this day, we aimed to examine the existing Infodemic-related literature from January 2019 to December 2022.

METHODS

We have systematically searched ScienceDirect and IEEE Xplore databases with some search limitations. From the searched literature we selected titles, abstracts and keywords, and limitations sections. We conducted an extensive structured literature search and analysis by filtering the literature and sorting out the available information.

RESULTS

A total of 47 papers ended up meeting the requirements of this review. Researchers in all of these literatures encountered different challenges, most of which were focused on the data collection step, with few challenges encountered in the data preparation phase and almost none in the topic discovery section. The challenges were mainly divided into the points of how to collect data quickly, how to get the required data samples, how to filter the data, what to do if the data set is too small, how to pick the right classifier and how to deal with topic drift and diversity. In addition, researchers have proposed partial solutions to the challenges, and we have also proposed possible solutions.

CONCLUSIONS

This review found that Infodemic is a rapidly growing research area that attracts the interest of researchers from different disciplines. The number of studies in this field has increased significantly in recent years, with researchers from different countries, including the United States, India, and China. Infodemic topic discovery, data collection, and data preparation are not easy, and each step faces different challenges. While there is some research in this emerging field, there are still many challenges that need to be addressed. These findings highlight the need for more articles to address these issues and fill these gaps.

Examining Factors Influencing Protective Actions Among Persons with Disabilities During the December 10-11, 2021, Tornado Outbreak in the United States

OBJECTIVE

This study examined various factors influencing protective actions among persons with disabilities exposed to the December 10-11, 2021, tornado outbreak in the US Midwest and Southeastern regions.

METHODS

Survey administration occurred 5 months following the tornado outbreak and included a total of 209 persons with disabilities who lived in one of the counties impacted by tornado warnings. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the direct and indirect effects of hypothesized predictors impacting protective behavioral actions.

RESULTS

Results found that persons with disabilities who had access to more tornado warning sources increased their protective actions, and tornado risk perception further mediated the relationship between warning information sources and protective actions. In addition, results found that persons with disabilities who encountered more situational barriers in their physical and social environment were found to have a decrease in protective action, and having more situational resources was found to contribute to the ability to take protective action.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study's results highlight the need for policies and practices that provide additional physical and social resources for persons with disabilities to seek protection during tornado threats.

User Compliance With the Health Emergency and Disaster Management System: Systematic Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Health-related hazards have a detrimental impact on society. The health emergency and disaster management system (Health EDMS), such as a contact-tracing application, is used to respond to and cope with health-related hazards. User compliance with Health EDMS warnings is key to its success. However, it was reported that user compliance with such a system remains low.

OBJECTIVE

Through a systematic literature review, this study aims to identify the theories and corresponding factors that explain user compliance with the warning message provided by Health EDMS.

METHODS

The systematic literature review was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. The search was performed using the online databases Scopus, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, IEEE, and PubMed, for English journal papers published between January 2000 and February 2022.

RESULTS

A total of 14 papers were selected for the review based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Previous research adopted 6 theories when examining user compliance, and central to the research was Health EDMS. To better understand Health EDMS, based on the literature reviewed, we mapped the activities and features of Health EDMS with the key stakeholders involved. We identified features that require involvement from individual users, which are surveillance and monitoring features and medical care and logistic assistance features. We then proposed a framework showing the individual, technological, and social influencing factors of the use of these features, which in turn affects compliance with the warning message from Health EDMS.

CONCLUSIONS

Research on the Health EDMS topic increased rapidly in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An in-depth understanding of Health EDMS and user compliance before designing the system is essential for governments and developers to increase the effectiveness of Health EDMS. Through a systematic literature review, this study proposed a research framework and identified research gaps for future research on this topic.

The Early Warning Mechanism of Public Health Emergencies Through Whistleblowing: A Perspective Based on Considering the Uncertainty of Risk Perception

Purpose

During the early warning period of public health emergencies, the information released by whistleblowers on the risk posed by the given event can reduce uncertainty in the public's risk perception and help governments take timely actions to contain the large-scale dissemination of risk. The purpose of this study is to give full play to whistleblowers and draw attention to the risk events, forming a pluralistic model of the risk governance during the early warning period of public health emergencies.

Methods

We construct an evolutionary game model of the early warning of public health emergencies through whistleblowing that involves the government, whistleblowers, and the public, discussing the mechanism of interaction between these subjects under the uncertainty of risk perception. Furthermore, we use numerical simulations to analyze the influence of changes in the relevant parameters on the evolutionary trajectory of the subjects' behaviors.

Results

The results of the research are obtained by numerical simulation of the evolutionary game model. The results show that the public's cooperation with the government encourages the latter to take a positive guidance strategy. Increasing the reward for whistleblowers within an acceptable cost, strengthening the propaganda of the mechanism and the higher level of risk perception of the government and whistleblowers will promote whistleblowers' vocalization actively. When the government's reward for whistleblowers is lower, the whistleblowers choose negative vocalization with the improvement of the public's risk perception. If there is no mandatory guidance from the government at this point, the public is prone to passively cooperating with the government owing to a lack of risk-related information.

Conclusion

Establishing an early warning mechanism through whistleblowing is important for containing risk in the early warning period of public health emergencies. Building the whistleblowing mechanism in daily work can improve the effectiveness of the mechanism and enhance the public's risk perception better when the public health emergencies arise.

Risk perception of COVID-19 among college students in China: Latent profile analysis

Background

The outbreak of the new coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on people's mental and physical health. Meanwhile, people's perceptions of risk may influence their emotional states and preventative behavior during an epidemic. Previous research have revealed the diversity and uniqueness of risk perception, and college students may have a different perspective on risk perception. The objective of this study was to describe the subtypes of risk perception for COVID-19 among college students in China, identify the subtypes' traits, and investigate their affecting variables.

Methods

College students from 10 Chinese provinces participated in a cross-sectional study (n = 2,000) that from January 16 to 30, 2022. The latent profiles and influencing factors for risk perception were investigated using latent profile analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and multinomial logistical regression.

Results

The sample group of this survey was 1,946 students, and the response rate was 97.3%. The best model was suggested to consist of three profiles: "neutral risk perception" (20.3%), "perception seriously without susceptible" (52.8%), and "low risk perception" (26.9%). Risk perception of COVID-19 was positively associated with attention to negation information (r = 0.372, p < 0.01), anxiety (r = 0.232, p < 0.01), and depression (r = 0.241, p < 0.01), and negatively associated with perceived social support (r = -0.151, p < 0.01). Logistic-regressions analyses mainly revealed that the risk perception of three profiles related to having chronic diseases (OR = 2.704, p < 0.01), medical major (OR = 0.595, p < 0.01; OR = 0.614, p < 0.05), without having COVID-19 confirmed cases around (OR = 0.539, p < 0.01), attention to negative information (OR = 1.073, p < 0.001; OR = 1.092, p < 0.001), and perceived social support (OR = 0.0.975, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

The level of risk perception for COVID-19 among Chinese college students was unsatisfactory, and the risk perception of COVID-19 had significant group characteristics and heterogeneity. Colleges and public health practitioners could have a theoretical and empirical basis to implement risk perception intervention efforts by identifying latent subgroups during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Interpersonal risk communication matters more than media risk communication in its impact on individuals' trust and preventive behaviors during COVID-19

A cross-sectional survey study from 1496 respondents was conducted to investigate how interpersonal risk communication and media risk communication foster individuals' interpersonal trust and trust in scientists during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Findings reveal that interpersonal risk communication is significantly related to interpersonal trust and trust in scientists, but have no direct association with preventive behaviors. Media risk communication is significantly associated with preventive behaviors and increases individuals' trust in scientists while having no effect on interpersonal trust. Preventive behaviors are significantly influenced by both interpersonal trust and trust in scientists. In addition, trust mediated the association between risk communication and preventive behaviors.

Ingraining Polio Vaccine Acceptance through Public Service Advertisements in the Digital Era: The Moderating Role of Misinformation, Disinformation, Fake News, and Religious Fatalism

Recently, misinformation and disinformation, as well as fake news, have become global threats to public health owing to their role in spreading viral health hazard information. The growing explosive religious fatalistic views presented on social media and widespread misinformation, disinformation, and fake news can result in detrimental outcomes in adopting protective behavior. The moderating implications of misinformation and religious fatalism can be severe, leading to adverse effects on polio vaccine acceptance. Consequently, this research provides brief empirical evidence on the efficacy of risk communication strategies to address polio vaccine reluctance in a digital age landscape, an area that remains understudied. This research argues that the spread of misinformation, disinformation, fake news, and religious fatalism is not solely the bane of the polio vaccine, but rather represents the absence of risk communication strategies. The study opines that polio vaccine acceptance can be improved using risk communication strategies. Recognizing these risk factors and counter-risk communication strategies, this research tested a theoretical model using the cross-sectional survey design. Overall, data was collected from 2160 parents with children aged below five years. The results, based on structural equation modeling, revealed that public service advertisements are an effective tool to counter the inverse impacts of misinformation, disinformation, fake news, and religious fatalism. Furthermore, the inverse moderating role of misinformation, disinformation, fake news, and religious fatalism has been verified to potentially diminish polio vaccine acceptance. These results suggest that healthcare providers must identify and address all forms of digitally disseminated information that encumbers public health behaviors. Accordingly, this research recognized the utilization of evidence-based strategic communication campaigns to cultivate and encourage the literacy necessary to counter health hazard information, including misinformation. This study's findings will benefit health and other concerned authorities in utilizing strategic communication on different media platforms to reduce or eradicate the polio endemic.

Differences in Stakeholders' Perception of the Impact of COVID-19 on Clinical Care and Decision-Making

Background: Pandemics are related to changes in clinical management. Factors that are associated with individual perceptions of related risks and decision-making processes focused on prevention and vaccination, but perceptions of other healthcare consequences are less investigated. Different perceptions of patients, nurses, and physicians on consequences regarding clinical management, decisional criteria, and burden were compared. Study Design: Cross-sectional OnCoVID questionnaire studies. Methods: Data that involved 1231 patients, physicians, and nurses from 11 German institutions that were actively involved in clinical treatment or decision-making in oncology or psychiatry were collected. Multivariate statistical approaches were used to analyze the stakeholder comparisons. Results: A total of 29.2% of professionals reported extensive changes in workload. Professionals in psychiatry returned severe impact of pandemic on all major aspects of their clinical care, but less changes were reported in oncology (p < 0.001). Both patient groups reported much lower recognition of treatment modifications and consequences for their own care. Decisional and pandemic burden was intensively attributed from professionals towards patients, but less in the opposite direction. Conclusions: All of the groups share concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare management and clinical processes, but to very different extent. The perception of changes is dissociated in projection towards other stakeholders. Specific awareness should avoid the dissociated impact perception between patients and professionals potentially resulting in impaired shared decision-making.

The Impact of Risk Perception Difference of Members of a Scientific Research Project Team on Information Adoption: The Moderating Effect of Knowledge Inertia

A scientific research project is always full of uncertainties and risks. In this condition, full exchange and complementarity of information resources among project team members are necessary and important to meet the information needs for project risk management and even affect the success of the project. The differentiated risk perception of members with various professional backgrounds can contribute to the communication and complementary of the necessary information within the team. However, too much difference in perceptions of project risks may cause members’ information conflicts, which may hinder the adoption of various information and do harm to the risk management. Considering the limited research on this “contradictory” relationship, especially for the scientific research project team, a special group, this study explores the impact of the risk perception differences of the scientific research project team members on information adoption behavior through the large sample empirical statistical method. The results show the hat risk perception difference of members positively affects the learning willingness and information adoption behavior but does not show a negative effect, and there is no inverted U-shaped relationship. Further, learning willingness plays a mediating role between both, while learning inertia and experience inertia positively and negatively moderate the positive effects of risk perception differences on learning willingness, respectively. From the cognitive perspective, this study further reveals the internal influence mechanism of risk perception difference of scientific research project team members on information behavior and provides a theoretical reference for improving the efficiency of information communication and optimizing collaborative team management.