A. Wiedicke, D. Reifegerste, Linn Julia Temmann, S. Scherr
{"title":"Framing Depression","authors":"A. Wiedicke, D. Reifegerste, Linn Julia Temmann, S. Scherr","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.305","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.305","url":null,"abstract":"Responsibility framing research on health issues typically investigates the attribution of responsibility for causes and treatment options to either the individual or society. However, social epidemiological perspectives also stress the relevance of an individual’s social network and underline that the three levels of responsibility (individual, social network, and society) interact. Given that media portrayals can affect public perceptions, attitudes, responsibility attributions, and emotions, we examined causal and treatment responsibility attributions on these three levels in the media coverage of depression. Our quantitative content analysis of major German print and online news media from 2011 to 2020 (N = 755) shows that responsibility is not only assigned to the individual and societal level, but both to the social network and to interactions between the three levels. Our findings additionally stress that key events may influence the portrayal of responsibility in media coverage, but resulting changes are only short-term.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"7 6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130491845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Digital Motherhood","authors":"Nariman Sawalha, V. Karnowski","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.304","url":null,"abstract":"Smartphone apps for self-tracking breastfeeding emerged as a popular tool among new mothers. Yet, we know little about how mothers use these apps and, most importantly, how self-tracking breastfeeding relates to maternal well-being. After surveying a sample of German mothers engaging with breastfeeding trackers (n = 234; recruited via an online access panel), we identified three types of self-tracking usage: (1) straightforward basic trackers, (2) meticulous data collectors, and (3) advisory-oriented self-trackers. These usage types differ regarding the data they register, the algorithmic feedback they retrieve, and their conversational levels about parameters tracked. Our findings suggest that overall maternal well-being – in terms of confidence, stress, and self-worth – remains largely unaffected by different self-tracking usage. However, when considering only the mothers’ confidence concerning breastfeeding, breastfeeding self-efficacy is lower among those most engaged in tracking and higher among those least engaged with it. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of whether breastfeeding trackers enhance or undermine mothers’ confidence in their breastfeeding abilities relative to the intensity of their self-tracking use. Thus, future research may include longitudinal designs to validate these findings and derive effective app-supported smartphone interventions for breastfeeding mothers.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129666660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marc Ziegele, Maike Resing, Katharina Frehmann, N. Jackob, Ilka Jakobs, Oliver Quiring, Christian Schemer, Tanjev Schultz, Christina Viehmann
{"title":"Deprived, Radical, Alternatively Informed","authors":"Marc Ziegele, Maike Resing, Katharina Frehmann, N. Jackob, Ilka Jakobs, Oliver Quiring, Christian Schemer, Tanjev Schultz, Christina Viehmann","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.205","url":null,"abstract":"The Covid-19 pandemic was accompanied by a massive increase of the supply and demand for pandemic-related information. Similarly, conspiracy theories about the origins and functions of the Covid-19 virus flourished during the early stages of the pandemic. The present study draws on a nationally representative sample of the German population aged 18+ (N = 1,207) to investigate factors that are associated with people’s susceptibility to believe in such theories. We draw on research from sociology, political science, and communication to predict that factors related to relative deprivation, political radicalism, and the consumption of alternative news on websites, video platforms, Social Network Sites, and messenger services are associated with an increased belief in Covid-19 conspiracy theories. The data largely supports our assumptions. Additionally, we show that the strength of belief in Covid-19 conspiracy theories is associated with reduced vaccination intentions, which suggests detrimental real-world health consequences of such a belief.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"1859 9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134370207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paula Memenga, S. Eitze, P. Shamsrizi, M. Addo, C. Betsch
{"title":"Debunking Misinformation and Communicating Critical Events in Vaccine Trials","authors":"Paula Memenga, S. Eitze, P. Shamsrizi, M. Addo, C. Betsch","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.204","url":null,"abstract":"Misinformation and media reports about critical events in vaccine trials challenge public confidence in Covid-19 vaccine safety. Three online experiments using 2×2 between-subjects designs examined the impact of vaccine type, misinformation debunking, and critical events during vaccine trials. In Experiment 1, N = 984 participants received information about different vaccines and misinformation was debunked. In Experiment 2, N = 1,018 participants were informed about different vaccines and trial discontinuation. In Experiment 3, N = 1,006 participants received information about discontinuation and questionable research practices of a manufacturer. The main dependent variables were confidence in vaccine safety, vaccination intention, and willingness to participate in a vaccine trial. Debunking increased vaccination intention and confidence (both η2p = .01) which was partly higher for classical than for new vaccines (η2p = .01). Information about discontinuation had no effect, but having heard about it before had benefits. Information about questionable research practices decreased confidence ( η2p = .01) and vaccination intention ( η2p = .02) regarding the target vaccine but did not affect other vaccines. Confidence (β = .47) was most strongly associated with willingness to participate in vaccine trials. Critical events in vaccine trials should be communicated transparently to increase confidence, trial participation, and vaccination intentions.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"46 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122801383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mis- and Disinformation About Covid-19","authors":"S. Kessler, Philipp Schmid","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.200","url":null,"abstract":"Misinformation and disinformation pose major challenges to effective health communication around the globe during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this special issue, we present research on mis- and disinformation about Covid-19 in the European context and describe challenges and potential solutions for health communication. More specifically, the special issue features articles that analyse (a) the prevalence of mis- and disinformation beliefs about Covid-19 and their impact on individuals, as well as the drivers of these beliefs and (b) the effectiveness of potential prebunking and debunking interventions to combat mis- and disinformation. The articles demonstrate the relevance of political attitudes and media use as significant predictors of belief in health misinformation and tested a variety of effective interventions– from pausing to think critically to detailed debunking. Together, the collection of articles serves to support the evidence-based efforts of international organisations, governments, social media technology companies, and major academic institutions to address the problem of health mis- and disinformation.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130390656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michelle Symons, H. Vandebosch, C. Cutello, K. Poels
{"title":"Message Reminders Encouraging Brisk Walking by Considering the Dynamic Factor of Cognitive Fatigue","authors":"Michelle Symons, H. Vandebosch, C. Cutello, K. Poels","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.303","url":null,"abstract":"Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours are leading risk factors for preventable health problems worldwide. Therefore, several smartphone-based interventions have tried to enhance physical activity (PA) through goal reminders based on relatively stable characteristics. However, time-varying factors, such as cognitive fatigue, may act as barriers to engagement in PA. This study aims to unravel what type of goal reminder messages are effective for enhancing PA in situations of cognitive fatigue. First, using a 3 x 3 between-subjects design, we evaluated the effectiveness of goal reminders matched with real-time goals under different levels of cognitive fatigue. This study did not find evidence that the tested goal reminders, intended to be adapted to the real-time goals of the participants, were more effective in promoting PA than goal reminders not adapted to individuals’ real-time goals. Second, to better understand how to design future reminders, two questions explored what format and what content participants considered to be helpful when feeling cognitively fatigued. Results show that GIFs, textual reminders, and pictures are suitable formats in smartphone-based interventions and that humorous content is preferred when feeling cognitively fatigued. These findings contribute to the development of just-in-time adaptive interventions that consider dynamic factors to promote PA.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"75 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121630503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Organ Donation in Romanian Online Media","authors":"O. Petre, A. Băban","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.302","url":null,"abstract":"Mass media represents the primary source of information about organ donation for the general public. The present study explored the content of Romanian online media concerning organ donation. We conducted a content analysis of 313 media materials published online between October 2012 and October 2019 in Romanian. The coding categories were year of publication, media outlet, type of material, type of evidence, valence, topic, and proximity of the story. A semestral web-search was conducted between February 2016 and November 2019. The analysis revealed that the Romanian online coverage of organ donation was modest across time. Regarding the valence, results indicated that 57.2% of the materials presented organ donation in a positive way, 14.1% were neutral, 12.5% were negative, whereas 16.3% of the materials were mixed. Moreover, the valence of the materials varied across media outlets, proximity of the story and publication year. Promotion, information about organ donation and system were the topics that occurred most frequently, followed by events, policy, and legal categories. Findings provide insight into how media may shape people's opinions about organ donation. The study also contributes to understanding the Romanian organ donation macro-social environment and provides valuable information for practice.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130842812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Are Drug Safety Advisories Compatible with Physicians’ Information Behaviour?","authors":"M. Møllebæk, S. Kaae","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.301","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.301","url":null,"abstract":"Physicians critically depend on up-to-date risk information when prescribing drugs, but they typically have little time to navigate the vast information. In the European Union, Direct to Healthcare Professional Communications (DHPC) letters are distributed to physicians to mitigate drug risks that emerge after market approval, but the letters show low impact. This study characterises general practitioners’ (GPs) information behaviour regarding drug safety and assesses the compatibility of DHPCs with the identified information behaviour. We conducted 17 semi-structured interviews and four follow-up interviews with Danish GPs about safety concerns and analysed them using Wilson’s model of information behaviour. We found that GPs primarily use an online drug monograph for point-of-care information needs and a newsletter from the authorities for clinical management strategies. They generally did not consider DHPCs a useful source of information. GPs argued that numerous sources contained the same information as the DHPC and believed these to be superior in terms of convenience, clinical relevance, and quality of evidence. A new digital mode of DHPC delivery from a public authority may improve the general adoption but also generated new problems. Overall, this suggests that DHPCs in their current form are not very compatible with information behaviour of GPs.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"16 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130169133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jasmijn Kruijt, Corine S. Meppelink, Lisa Vandeberg
{"title":"Stop and Think! Exploring the Role of News Truth Discernment, Information Literacy, and Impulsivity in the Effect of Critical Thinking Recommendations on Trust in Fake Covid-19 News","authors":"Jasmijn Kruijt, Corine S. Meppelink, Lisa Vandeberg","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.203","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.203","url":null,"abstract":"Covid-19-related fake news widely circulates on social media. This is problematic as people commonly do not process information on social media in a very critical manner. Also, when people encounter particular online content several times this tends to increase the content’s trustworthiness, sometimes irrespective of the accuracy of the provided information. Our study aims to explore whether, how, and for whom a simple critical thinking recommendation added to a social media newsfeed can aid people to better discern true news from fake news and reduce their trust in fake news. In an online experiment, 220 participants were exposed to a Twitter newsfeed with true and fake Covid-19-related news messages, either with or without critical thinking recommendations. The findings showed that participants who were exposed to the recommendations showed less trust in fake news messages, which was mediated by an increased accuracy in news truth discernment. Results showed no significant moderating effects of information literacy and impulsivity characteristics. Overall, the findings of this study are promising as this scalable, low-cost intervention might potentially help combat the effects of fake news on social media.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131760759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Incidental Stigmatisation?","authors":"Freya Sukalla, V. Karnowski","doi":"10.47368/ejhc.2022.104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2022.104","url":null,"abstract":"More and more individuals turn to apps to increase their well-being or reduce stress, with meditation apps being most popular to achieve these goals. However, considering the underlying normative imperative of idealised self-help inherent in the well-being app market, concerns have been raised that these apps and how they are promoted on the app market might contribute to the stigma of mental illness. To explore these potential detrimental effects we conducted a pre-registered experimental survey study (N = 249) examining whether (1) the emphasis on individual responsibility for one’s well-being in the text describing the app in the app market and (2) the lack of a disclaimer that the app is not a replacement for medical treatment increase both the stigmatisation of individuals with depression and self-stigmatisation. While our findings did not support our a priori hypotheses, further exploratory analyses uncovered more complex relationships between our experimental factors, respondents’ age and prior experiences with mental illness, and stigmatisation and self-stigmatisation. We, therefore, call for future empirical investigations to better assess the risk of incidental stigmatisation through how well-being apps are promoted in the app market.","PeriodicalId":358828,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Communication","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121164842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}