Determinants of health information acceptance to COVID-19 avoidance: the lens of information acceptance model and elaboration likelihood model

Purpose This study aims to analyze the motivations underlying information usefulness, attitude and acceptance of health information related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) avoidance based on the information acceptance model (IAM) and the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a quantitative approach using survey that generated 364 valid responses. Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data and evaluate the hypotheses. Findings The results of this study showed that the determinants of information usefulness are argument quality (comprising accuracy and timeliness) and peripheral route (comprising credibility and relevance), whereas no significant relationship was found between completeness and information quantity and information usefulness. Further analysis indicated that attitude and information usefulness significantly affect health information acceptance to COVID-19 avoidance. Research limitations/implications Using ELM and IAM, an explanation of health information acceptance in the salient pandemic context was given. This study contributed to the current literature by offering insights into attitude and information usefulness for information acceptance. The validation of the model was strengthened by identifying the effects of argument quality and peripheral route attributes on information usefulness, which is stated to make contributions to the earlier literature. Practical implications Practitioners should strive to understand the facilitators regarding argument quality and peripheral routes to broaden information usefulness. The findings of this study are helpful for practitioners to implement communication campaigns that foster attitude and health information acceptance in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as in similar disease situations. Social implications This study provides individuals and organizations with necessary information about the importance of mobile applications (m-applications) in distributing online information and about reliable guidelines for the implementation of disease avoidance to improve their health status. Originality/value Existing studies investigated users’ health information acceptance in some contexts related to general disease, but less is known about this behavior among young individuals via m-applications at the moment of COVID-19 and in emerging economies. This study identifies the efforts made by the relationship between information and technological diffusion to help individuals surmount difficulties in times of crisis.