Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Outbreak Communication: Exploring The Relationships Between Health Information Seeking Behaviors, Vested Interests, And Covid-19 Knowledge In U.S. Midwest Populations, Alicia Mason, Josh Compton, Elizabeth Spencer, Kaitlin Barnett

Faculty Submissions

On February 15, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director, General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated at a Munich Security Conference, “We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic,” (Zarocostas, 2020, p. 676). The term ‘infodemic’ refers to the onslaught of both accurate and inaccurate health information surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept of an ‘infodemic’ was quickly integrated into mass media, popular culture (i.e., documentaries, podcasts), and eventually scholarly literature. In response to COVID-19, health communication scholars have centered on understanding specific messaging strategies such as the use of fear appeals (Stolow et al., 2020), nature of advertising …

Dear Pandemic: A Topic Modeling Analysis Of Covid-19 Information Needs Among Readers Of An Online Science Communication Campaign., Aleksandra M Golos, Sharath Chandra Guntuku, Rachael Piltch-Loeb, Lindsey J Leininger, Amanda M Simanek, Aparna Kumar, Sandra S Albrecht, Jennifer Beam Dowd, Malia Jones, Alison M Buttenheim

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by an "infodemic"-an overwhelming excess of accurate, inaccurate, and uncertain information. The social media-based science communication campaign Dear Pandemic was established to address the COVID-19 infodemic, in part by soliciting submissions from readers to an online question box. Our study characterized the information needs of Dear Pandemic's readers by identifying themes and longitudinal trends among question box submissions.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of questions submitted from August 24, 2020, to August 24, 2021. We used Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling to identify 25 topics among the submissions, then used thematic analysis to …

“Community Members Have More Impact On Their Neighbors Than Celebrities”: Leveraging Community Partnerships To Build Covid-19 Vaccine Confidence, Maria Tjilos Mph, Autumn L. Tamlyn, Elizabeth J. Ragan Mph, Sabrina A. Assoumou Md, Mph, Katherine Gergen Barnett Md, Petrina Martin Mba, Rebecca Perkins Md, Msc, Benjamin P. Linas Md, Mph, Mari-Lynn Drainoni Phd, Med

Medical Student Research Symposium

Vaccines are a strong public health tool to protect against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Still, inequities in COVID-19 vaccination rates and health outcomes continue to exist among Black and Latino populations. Boston Medical Center (BMC) has played a significant role in vaccinating medically underserved populations, and organized a series of community-engaged conversations to better understand community concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. We accessed and analyzed nine publicly available recordings of the community-engaged conversations which were held between Mar 2021-Sep 2021 (n=8-122 attendees). We employed a Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research-driven codebook to code our data and utilized …

Lessons Learned From Interdisciplinary Efforts To Combat Covid-19 Misinformation: Development Of Agile Integrative Methods From Behavioral Science, Data Science, And Implementation Science, Sahiti Myneni, Paula Cuccaro, Sarah Montgomery, Vivek Pakanati, Jinni Tang, Tavleen Singh, Olivia Dominguez, Trevor Cohen, Belinda Reininger, Lara S Savas, Maria E Fernandez

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Despite increasing awareness about and advances in addressing social media misinformation, the free flow of false COVID-19 information has continued, affecting individuals' preventive behaviors, including masking, testing, and vaccine uptake.

OBJECTIVE: In this paper, we describe our multidisciplinary efforts with a specific focus on methods to (1) gather community needs, (2) develop interventions, and (3) conduct large-scale agile and rapid community assessments to examine and combat COVID-19 misinformation.

METHODS: We used the Intervention Mapping framework to perform community needs assessment and develop theory-informed interventions. To supplement these rapid and responsive efforts through large-scale online social listening, we developed a …

Evaluating College Students’ Health Literacy And Its Effects On Their Perceptions Of Information Concerning Mask-Wearing In The Covid-19 Pandemic Ve Information Concerning Mask-Wearing In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hannah S. Ketchum

Honors Program Projects

Background: Mask-wearing was a controversial and polarizing phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beliefs concerning mask-wearing differed depending on sources of information concerning the pandemic, levels of health literacy, political leaning, demographics, or other factors. This project attempted to connect college students’ level of health literacy to their understanding of and adherence to mask-wearing in the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a gap in research connecting health literacy to understanding information concerning pandemics and an even bigger lack of studies conducted that relate college students’ health literacy to their perception of illnesses or pandemics. It is important to understand the impact of …

Understanding The Impact Of Emotional Support On Mental Health Resilience Of The Community In The Social Media In Covid-19 Pandemic, Xuan Hu, Yanqing Song, Ruilin Zhu, Shuang He, Bowen Zhou, Xuelian Li, Han Bao, Shan Shen, Bingsheng Liu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Background: Emotional support in social media can act as a buffer against the negative impact of affective disorders. However, empirical evidence relating to emotional support in social media and how it influences the wider public remains scanty. The objective of this study is therefore to conduct a prototype investigation into the translation mechanism of emotional support in social media, providing empirical evidence for practitioners to use to tackle mental health issues for the wider public. Methods: A regression model is proposed to examine the relationship between perceived and received emotional support. Received emotional support is set as the dependent variable …

Communicative Strategies For Building Public Confidence In Data Governance: Analyzing Singapore's Covid-19 Contact-Tracing Initiatives, Gordon Kuo Siong Tan, Sun Sun Lim

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Effective social data governance rests on a bedrock of social support. Without securing trust from the populace whose information is being collected, analyzed, and deployed, policies on which such data are based will be undermined by a lack of public confidence. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digitalization and datafication by governments for the purposes of contact tracing and epidemiological investigation. However, concerns about surveillance and data privacy have stunted the adoption of such contact-tracing initiatives. This commentary analyzes Singapore's contact-tracing initiative to uncover the reasons for public resistance and efforts by the state to address them. The government's contact-tracing program …

A Global Experiment On Motivating Social Distancing During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nicole Legate, Thuy-Vy Nguyen, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. …

The Value Of Education: School Policy Decisions During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elika W. Somani

Individually Designed Interdepartmental Major Honors Project

During the COVID-19 pandemic, lacking national U.S. policies, wide variation and conflict over chosen public school policy decisions emerged. What factors and guidelines informed the decision-making process in K-12 public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and who were the key stakeholders? This study examines three school district types – a large city, medium city, and small-town – across Minnesota as case studies to unpack how policy decisions were made during the pandemic. Stakeholder interviews uncovered that the school decision-making process was a) connected to a district's political opinions, b) made by the superintendent and school board, c) primarily influenced by …

Making Universal Digital Access Universal: Lessons From Covid-19 In Singapore, Irene Y. H. Ng, Sun Sun Lim, Natalie Pang

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Digital resources—which include devices, internet connection and digital literacy—have become basic needs. Thus with the global COVID-19 pandemic having accelerated digitalization, the urgency for universal digital inclusion has hastened. Otherwise, digital inequality will lead to social inequality and impede social mobility. Using Singapore as a case study, this article applies the insights learned from a participatory action research to recommend a policy framework for universal digital access, with practical humanistic steps towards full digital inclusion. Singapore is a digitally advanced nation with almost universal digital availability, yet when COVID-19 forced rapid digital adoption, gaps in access by vulnerable groups such …

El Impacto De La Pandemia En La Formación De Los Hábitos De Alimentación En Niñes Pequeñes En La Villa 21-24 En Barracas, Buenos Aires / The Impact Of The Pandemic In The Creation Of Nutritional Habits In Young Children In Villa 21-24 In Barracas, Buenos Aires, Hannah Seewald

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Durante la Pandemia COVID-19 en Argentina, la inflación aumentó, y el desempleo aumentó especialmente entre los trabajadores informales, lo que dejó a muchos de ellos dependientes de los comedores comunitarios y de la ayuda nutricional para alimentar a sus familias. La violencia doméstica y la pobreza aumentaron aún más. Problemas estructurales como la falta de agua potable y los cortes de luz, situaciones que suelen enfrentar los habitantes de la Villa 21-24, Barracas, Buenos Aires, continuaron. Las escuelas se cerraron y la instrucción presencial se suspendió, en ese contexto los grupos comunitarios trabajaron para alcanzar los suministros adecuados de alimentos. …

Self-Medication Practices In Medical Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Farah Yasmin, Muhammad Sohaib Asghar, Unaiza Naeem, Hala Najeeb, Hamza Nauman, Muhammad Nadeem Ahsan, Abdullah Khan Khattak

Medical College Documents

Background and objectives: During the pandemic, the growing influence of social media, accessibility of over-the-counter medications, and fear of contracting the virus may have led to self-medication practices among the general public. Medical students are prone to such practices due to relevant background knowledge, and access to drugs. This study was carried out to determine and analyze the prevalence of self-medication practices among medical students in Pakistan.
Materials and methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted online in which the participants were asked about the general demographics, their self-medication practices and the reasons to use. All participants were currently enrolled …

Effectiveness Of Wechat-Group-Based Parental Health Education In Preventing Unintentional Injuries Among Children Aged 0-3: Randomized Controlled Trial In Shanghai, Yuheng Feng, Xueqi Ma, Qi Zhang, Ruo Jiang, Jun Lu, Kaiyue Chen, Huiping Wang, Qinghua Xia, Jicui Zheng, Jingwei Xia, Xiaohong Li

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Unintentional injuries to children are a major public health problem. The online social media is a potential way to implement health education for caregivers in online communities. Using WeChat, a free and popular social media service in China, this study evaluated the effectiveness of social online community-based parental health education in preventing unintentional injuries in children aged 0-3.

METHODS: We recruited 365 parents from two community health centers in Shanghai and allocated them into intervention and control groups randomly. Follow-up lasted for one year. The intervention group received and followed their WeChat group and a WeChat official account for …

Exploring How Online Responses Change In Response To Debunking Messages About Covid-19 On Whatsapp, Xingyu Ken Chen, Jin-Cheon Na, Luke Kien-Weng Tan, Mark Chong, Murphy Choy

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a concurrent outbreak of false information online. Debunking false information about a health crisis is critical as misinformation can trigger protests or panic, which necessitates a better understanding of it. This exploratory study examined the effects of debunking messages on a COVID-19-related public chat on WhatsApp in Singapore. Design/methodology/approach: To understand the effects of debunking messages about COVID-19 on WhatsApp conversations, the following was studied. The relationship between source credibility (i.e. characteristics of a communicator that affect the receiver's acceptance of the message) of different debunking message types and their effects on the length …

Does Precise Case Disclosure Limit Precautionary Behavior? Evidence From Covid-19 In Singapore, Aljoscha Janssen, Matthew H. Shapiro

Research Collection School Of Economics

Limiting the spread of contagious diseases can involve both government-managed and voluntary efforts. Governments have a number of policy options beyond direct intervention that can shape individuals’ responses to a pandemic and its associated costs. During its first wave of COVID-19 cases, Singapore was among a few countries that attempted to adjust behavior through the announcement of detailed case information. Singapore's Ministry of Health maintained and shared precise, daily information detailing local travel behavior and residences of COVID-19 cases. We use this policy along with device-level cellphone data to quantify how local and national COVID-19 case announcements trigger differential behavioral …

Quality Evaluation Of Consumer Health Information Websites Found On Google Using Discern, Craap, And Honcode, Ivan A. Portillo, Catherine V. Johnson, Scott Y. Johnson

Library Articles and Research

Online health misinformation is a growing problem, and health information professionals and consumers would benefit from an evaluation of health websites for reliability and trustworthiness. Terms from the Google COVID-19 Search Trends dataset were searched on Google to determine the most frequently appearing consumer health information websites. The quality of the resulting top five websites was evaluated. The top five websites that appeared most frequently were WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Healthline, MedlinePlus, and Medical News Today, respectively. All websites, except Medline Plus, received HONcode certification. Based on DISCERN and CRAAP scores, MedlinePlus was found to be the most reliable health website.

Ua19/16/2 Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Archives Records

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU basketball team from August to December 2021.

Ua12/2/1 Fresh Start, Vol. 97, No. 1, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Archives Records

College Heights Herald magazine regarding returning to WKU in person after COVID-19 lockdown.

• Stone, Damon. Fresh Faces, Familiar Traditions Come to Campus with Incoming Class – Class of 2025
• Jones, Jake. WKU Commons Sees Delays, Expected to be Completed In the Fall – University Libraries
• Murray, Debra. Living Learning Communities Bring a New Sense of Home to WKU
• Murray, Debra. What You Missed on the Hill This Summer – Garrett Conference Center, First Year Village, Munday Hall, COVID-19, Retirement
• Fisher, Brittany. Reclaiming the Hill – MASTER Plan
• Burris, Lily. Dear Readers
• Stryker, Shane. The Usual Take on My Unusual College …

Media Framing, Moral Panic And Covid-19: A Comparative Analysis Of China, South Korea, And The Us., Deena Devore, Sinyong Choi, Yudu Li, Hong Lu

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

COVID-19 is perhaps the single most impactful event defining 2020 globally. Drawing on theory on media typology involving freedom and responsibility, media framing and moral panic theories, this paper examines media coverage on COVID-19 in three countries, China, South Korea and the United States. Data were obtained from six news outlets, Xinhua News, South China Morning Post, Chosun, Hankyoreh, CNN and Breitbart, two from each of the three countries. More than 1,000 COVID-19 related reports, spanning six days (the last day of January to June, 2020) were selected and coded based on common priming themes such as tone, the othering, …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 96, No. 25, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Archives Records

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Mitchell, McKenna. Miles (and a Virus) Apart: How Long Distance Couples Are Navigating COVID-19
• Non-Stop Semesters Have Increased Student Burnout
• Dobbs, Jack. Just Jammin’ – Horse Cave
• Latimer, Jacob. New Provost to Promote Student Success – Robert Fischer aka Bud
• Tolbert, Ellie. Facebook Page for Women Creates Community – WKU Sorority Swap
• Moore, Jake. WKU Set to Play Middle Tennessee State University in 1^st Conference Matchup – Softball
• Sparkman, Wyatt. Hilltoppers Claim First C-USA Sweep Over Marshall – Baseball
• Kieser, Nick. Holding the Rope: …

Effects Of News And Threat Perceptions On Americans’ Covid-19 Precautionary Behaviors, Riva Tukachinsky Forster, Megan A. Vendemia

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Our study examines the relationship between news exposure at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal threat beliefs, beliefs about others’ threat perceptions, and participation in precautionary actions. A survey of 377 U.S . adults revealed a significant main effect of news exposure on various precautionary behaviors (e.g., facial mask wear, physical distancing). Personal threat beliefs and beliefs about others’ threat perceptions serve as unique mechanisms mediating the effect of news on specific CDC-recommended and less socially desirable actions. These findings can guide news sources covering health crises in a socially responsible manner.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 96, No. 24, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Archives Records

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Latimer, Jacob. Original Title IX Reporter Anticipates Records Release – Nicole Ares
• Bunton, Gabrielle. Bowling Green’s Redevelopment Effect on Black Community – Shake Rag, Jonesville
• Gaskin, Loren. How Twitch Will Be the Future of Media
• Meyer-Thornton, Zane. Nestled in Nature – Lost River Cave
• Gaylord, Kaden. Appreciating Success in Women’s Sports – Softball, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball
• Sparkman, Wyatt. Hilltoppers Drop Series at Florida International University, Host Marshall – Baseball
• Lamb, Cassady. WKU Volleyball Set to Play in NCAA Tournament

The Efficacy Of A Communication Guide On Stress Experienced By Family Members Of Patients Admitted In The Intensive Care Unit With Covid-19, Kandace Williams

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first introduced in the United States on January 20, 2020, has created worldwide panic due insufficient research and understanding of the nature of this new disease. Patients suffering from COVID-19 often require intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, resulting in stress and confusion amongst patients and their families. The high transmissibility of the disease has caused hospitals to adopt firm visitor restrictions to protect the public from exposure and spread. Families experience increased anxiety and stress due to ineffective communication with staff and restricted access to their hospitalized loved ones. A needs assessment revealed a gap in care …

Ua19/16/2 Women's Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Archives Records

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU women's basketball team in 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Archives Records

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU basketball team from January to July 2021.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 96, No. 22, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Archives Records

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Murray, Debra. President Timothy Caboni Signs Employment Agreement to Continue Serving as University President
• Fleischaker, Jon & Michael Abate. Frankfort’s Assault on the Constitution & Transparency
• Fisher, Brittany. Helping Hooves – New Beginnings Therapeutic Riding
• Walters, Sarah. Fighting the Quarantine Blues with New Friends
• Moore, Jake. Softball Looks Strong Ahead of Conference Play
• Fleischman, Ian. WKU to Host Cardinals, Led by Ambere Barnett – Soccer
• Gaylord, Kaden. Hilltoppers Play Louisiana Tech in NIT Quarterfinals – Basketball

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 96, No. 21, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Archives Records

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Bunton, Gabrielle. Local Family Helps the Homeless Through Donations – Warming Tree, Doyle Family
• Burris, Lily. Reflection: How Things Have Changed One Year Into COVID
• Gaskin, Loren. Burmese Residents Arrive for Vaccination
• Meyer-Thornton, Zane. Showing the Ropes – Zhock Mason, Boxing
• Murray, Debra. New House Bill Potentially Removes Pink Tax
• Stryker, Shane. How COVID-19 Has Impacted Student Organizations
• Lamb, Cassady. Lady Toppers Remain Undefeated, 4 Road Matches Left – Volleyball
• Gaylord, Kaden. WKU Loses C-USA Championship, Set to Play in NIT – Basketball
• Sparkman, Wyatt. …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 96, No. 20, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Archives Records

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Crimmins, Michael. Business Owners Debate Minimum Wage Increase
• Deppen, Laurel & Michael Collins. Bowling Green Responds to On-campus Rape
• We Can End Victim Blaming – Sexual Assault
• Hendricks, Allie. Cheap Thrills – King of the Heap
• Latimer, Jacob. Fewer Hybrid Classes This Spring Than Fall
• Tolbert, Ellie. Local Bike Shops Hit by Pandemic-driven Bike Shortage
• Kieser, Nick. Softball, Baseball Field Seating Faces Capacity Limits, Excludes Students Despite Fees
• Toennies, Drew. Do or Die: Lady Toppers to Play Preliminary Round – Basketball
• Gaylord, Kaden. Hilltoppers Set …

Communicating Covid-19 Vaccines: Lessons From The Dengue Vaccine Controversy In The Philippines, Gideon Lasco, Vincen Gregory Yu

Development Studies Faculty Publications

As countries around the world begin to roll out COVID-19 vaccines; vaccine safety communication is more relevant than ever. The dengue vaccine controversy in the Philippines offers lessons that can be applied to immunisation programmes being organised today to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective vaccine safety communication entails (re)building relationships of trust between government and the public; upholding the credibility of scientific institutions and maintaining transparency. It also involves viewing health against the broader framework of equity; using an interdisciplinary approach to health communication and putting a premium on public feedback.

Health Literacy Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Behavior Of Street Children’S Mothers In Indonesia, Yanti Tayo, Ninis Agustini Damayani, Atwar Bajari, Wawan Setiawan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The COVID-19 virus, which is spreading rapidly and massively around the world, is causing panic and fear in everyone; the Indonesian government is taking quick steps to solve the COVID 19 pandemic that is currently happening. What about the fate of street children currently still on the streets working as street singers, beggars, and hawkers? This study aims to see how health literacy possessed by the mothers of street children who are still on the streets during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses a qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach. The resource persons in this study were ten mothers …