Relying on Media Coverage for Health Information during Covid-19: a Systematic Literature Review

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a great impact on the world, affecting all countries and requiring the enforcement of lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus. The phenomenon has caused fear and concern among individuals. Consequently, people are spending more time on traditional media compared to social media to seek health information during the pandemic. Few studies have systematically reviewed the use and impacts of social and traditional media for health information purposes during the COVID-19 outbreak. Hence, this study examined the topic by integrating multiple research designs based on the publication standard involving the established guidelines and protocol for a review. Articles were chosen using two prominent databases, Scopus and Science Direct. The thematic analysis has yielded four major themes: a) information source, b) type of information, c) psychological impact, and d) health literacy, which are divided into eight secondary themes. The study also makes several significant contributions for practical reasons and by enhancing the body of knowledge. The results highlighted certain vital issues: the preferred media source for health information during the pandemic, information types that individuals seek, the psychological impacts of information overload from social and traditional media, and future studies should investigate the relationship between health literacy levels and health outcomes. © 2021. All Rights Reserved.