The Effect of Health-Related Media Messages on Fear and Uncertainty about the COVID-19 Pandemic

IF 1.9 4区医学 Q3 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness Pub Date : 2024-09-18 DOI:10.1017/dmp.2024.124

Ayşe Çal, Mukerrem Kabataş Yıldız, İlknur Aydın Avci

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective This study was conducted to investigate individuals’ perceptions of media messages about the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of these messages on their fear and uncertainty. Methods Data for this descriptive correlational study were collected between October and November 2020. A total of 653 individuals living in Turkey provided online survey data by completing a Personal Information Form, the Pandemic Uncertainty Scale, and the COVID-19 Pandemic Fear Scale. Results The mean age of the participants was 52.1 ± 12.6, and 79.9% were female. It was found that 27.9% of participants “always” followed COVID-19 news in the media, and 41.3% “often” followed COVID-19-related news. Participants’ COVID-19 fear (24.46 ± 8.07) and uncertainty (55.35 ± 8.63) scores were moderate and correlated. Conclusions Level of trust in mass media was found to affect uncertainty about the pandemic. As level of trust in mass media increased, uncertainty about the pandemic decreased. Appropriate measures must be identified and adopted for effective and safe media use in situations posing massive and significant health threats such as COVID-19.

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与健康有关的媒体信息对 COVID-19 大流行的恐惧和不确定性的影响

目的本研究旨在调查个人对有关 COVID-19 大流行的媒体信息的看法，以及这些信息对其恐惧感和不确定性的影响。方法这项描述性相关研究的数据收集时间为 2020 年 10 月至 11 月。共有 653 名居住在土耳其的人通过填写个人信息表、大流行不确定性量表和 COVID-19 大流行恐惧量表提供了在线调查数据。结果参与者的平均年龄为 52.1±12.6 岁，79.9% 为女性。结果发现，27.9%的参与者 "总是 "关注媒体上有关 COVID-19 的新闻，41.3%的参与者 "经常 "关注与 COVID-19 相关的新闻。参与者的 COVID-19 恐惧感（24.46 ± 8.07）和不确定性（55.35 ± 8.63）得分处于中等水平，且具有相关性。结论发现对大众传媒的信任程度会影响对大流行病的不确定性。随着对大众传媒信任度的提高，对大流行病的不确定性也随之降低。在 COVID-19 等对健康构成大规模重大威胁的情况下，必须确定并采取适当的措施来有效、安全地使用媒体。

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来源期刊

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

7.40%

发文量

258

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness is the first comprehensive and authoritative journal emphasizing public health preparedness and disaster response for all health care and public health professionals globally. The journal seeks to translate science into practice and integrate medical and public health perspectives. With the events of September 11, the subsequent anthrax attacks, the tsunami in Indonesia, hurricane Katrina, SARS and the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic, all health care and public health professionals must be prepared to respond to emergency situations. In support of these pressing public health needs, Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness is committed to the medical and public health communities who are the stewards of the health and security of citizens worldwide.