Public health agencies (PHAs) have increasingly incorporated social media into their communication mix during successive pandemics in the 21st century. However, the quality, timing, and accuracy of their health messages have varied significantly, resulting in mixed outcomes for communication, audience engagement, and pandemic management. This study aimed to identify factors influencing the effectiveness of pandemic-related health messages shared by PHAs on social media and to report their impact on public engagement as documented in the literature. A scoping literature review was conducted following a predefined protocol. An electronic search of 7 relevant databases and 5 grey literature repositories yielded 9,714 papers published between January 2003 and November 2022. Seventy-three papers were deemed eligible and selected for review. The results underscored the insufficiency of social media guidance policies for PHAs. Six themes were identified: message source, message topic, message style, message timing, content credibility and reliability, and message recipient profile. These themes encompassed 20 variables that could inform PHAs’ social media public health communication during pandemics. Additionally, the findings revealed potential interconnectedness among the variables, and this study concluded by proposing a conceptual model that expands upon existing theoretical foundations for developing and evaluating pandemic-related health messaging.
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<b>Objectives</b><br/>This study investigated preventive behaviors toward coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and related factors in a Kurdish Iranian sample.
<br/><b>Methods</b><br/>This online survey was conducted among the population aged 18 and above in Kermanshah Province, in western Iran, in April 2020. Samples were invited and recruited through social media. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 4 sections (questions on demographic variables, risk perception, risk communication, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors) and analyzed using Stata ver. 8.
<br/><b>Results</b><br/>The Pearson correlation test showed that risk communication was significantly correlated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors (r=0.320, p<0.01). In the final model, where the explanatory power increased with the entry of the risk communication variable, the variables explained a total of 14% of variance in COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Sex (β=−0.482), risk perception (β=0.047), and risk communication (β=0.662) were significant determinants.
<br/><b>Conclusion</b><br/>Risk communication and risk perception related to COVID-19, as well as being a woman, were determinants of COVID-19 preventive behaviors.
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<sec>
<b>Objectives</b>
<p>There is evidence to suggest that sedentary behavior is associated with a higher risk of metabolic disease. The aim of this study was to investigate cross-sectional joint associations of physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST), with the risk of obesity in Korean adults.</p></sec>
<sec>
<b>Methods</b>
<p>The Korea Media Panel Study consisted of a household interview and a self-administered diary survey on media usage over 3 days. ST (hours/day) was defined as the reported daily average hours spent watching television, computing (i.e., desktop, notebook, netbook, tablets), smartphone and video game console use. Cross-sectional associations of obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m<sup>2</sup>) and the amount of daily ST and PA were examined by logistic regression models adjusting for other possible confounders including alcohol consumption, smoking, depressive symptoms and demographic information. There were 7,808 participants included in the analyses.</p></sec>
<sec>
<b>Results</b>
<p>Increased ST was significantly associated with the risk of obesity (controlling for other possible confounders), but PA level was not found to be significantly linked. Participants who engaged in screen time > 6 hours per day had a higher incidence of obesity.</p></sec>
<sec>
<b>Conclusion</b>
<p>This study provides evidence of the association between ST and the increased incidence of obesity measured by BMI, independent of PA amongst Korean adults.</p></sec>
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<sec><b>Objectives</b><p>Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease. People seek health information on Lyme disease from YouTube<sup>TM</sup> videos. In this study, we investigated if the contents of Lyme disease-related YouTube<sup>TM</sup> videos varied by their sources.</p></sec><sec><b>Methods</b><p>Most viewed English YouTube<sup>TM</sup> videos (n = 100) were identified and manually coded for contents and sources.</p></sec><sec><b>Results</b><p>Within the sample, 40 videos were consumer-generated, 31 were internet-based news, 16 were professional, and 13 were TV news. Compared with consumer-generated videos, TV news videos were more likely to mention celebrities (odds ratio [OR], 10.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.13–52.58), prevention of Lyme disease through wearing protective clothing (OR, 5.63; 95% CI, 1.23–25.76), and spraying insecticides (OR, 7.71; 95% CI, 1.52–39.05).</p></sec><sec><b>Conclusion</b><p>A majority of the most popular Lyme disease-related YouTube<sup>TM</sup> videos were not created by public health professionals. Responsible reporting and creative video-making facilitate Lyme disease education. Partnership with YouTube<sup>TM</sup> celebrities to co-develop educational videos may be a future direction.</p></sec>
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<b>Objectives</b><br/>
The purpose of this study was to ascertain the influence of media communication on risk behavior related to mad cow disease (MCD).<br/><b>Methods</b><br/>
Mothers of elementary school students in Seoul were recruited as the survey participants of this study.<br/><b>Results</b><br/>
Media reports affected risk behavior related to MCD. Also, knowledge and attitude toward MCD affects risk behavior.<br/><b>Conclusion</b><br/>
Risk-related information provided by the media should maintain consistency and objectivity. For effective risk communication, there should be an open communication between the government and public, experts, and related industries, who should all collaborate.
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