Stephen Neely|Christina Eldredge|Ron Sanders
Health Information Seeking Behaviors on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among American Social Networking Site Users: Survey Study
University of South Florida|University of South Florida|University of South Florida
recent years medical journals emphasized increasingly critical role social media plays dissemination public health information disease prevention guidelines however platforms facebook twitter continue pose unique challenges clinical health care providers public health officials alike order effectively communicate public health emergencies covid19 pandemic increasingly critical health care providers public health officials understand patients gather healthrelated information internet adjudicate merits informationwith goal mind conducted survey 1003 usbased adults better understand health consumers used social media learn stay informed covid19 pandemic extent relied credible scientific information sources gone factchecking pandemicrelated informationa webbased survey conducted sample purchased industryleading market research provider results reported 95 confidence level margin error 3 participants included 1003 usbased adults aged 18 years participants selected via stratified quota sampling approach ensure sample representative us population balanced quotas determined region country gender age race ethnicitythe results showed heavy reliance social media covid19 pandemic threequarters respondents 7621003 76 reported relied social media least little 592 5941003 respondents indicated read information covid19 social media least per week according findings social media users 6381003 636 unlikely factcheck see internet health professional despite high levels mistrust accuracy covid19related information social media also found greater likelihood undergoing vaccination among following credible scientific sources social media pandemic 21650790 0258 p001the findings suggest health professionals need strategic proactive engaging health consumers social media hope counteract deleterious effects misinformation disinformation effective training institutional support proactive collaboration help health professionals adapt evolving patterns health information seeking