COVID-19 Information Seeking and Utilization Among Women in Warri Metropolis, Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study is intended to explore COVID-19 information seeking and utilization among women in Warri Metropolis, Delta State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted using a self-constructed questionnaire to collect data. Data were analyzed using simple percentages. Findings revealed that a majority of the women need information on COVID-19 preventive measures, followed by causes of the pandemic; Internet is the source of COVID-19 information used by the highest number of respondents, followed by television and social media; a majority of them consider the authority of the source of the information on coronavirus followed by usefulness of the information; a majority access COVID-19 information to enable them identify symptoms of the disease followed by protection against COVID-19 infection while concern for reliability of much of the available information on the pandemic was a major barrier to their utilization of COVID-19 information. It is recommended that effort should be made by government to get mobile network operators to reduce network tariff.