Communication is key during a public health threat like Zika and India has fallen short

Even if an isolated case is detected, the government needs to tell the public so as to prepare for the possibility of an outbreak

Barriers to older adults’ uptake of mobile-based mental health interventions

Background To address increasing demand of mental healthcare treatments for older adults and the need to reduce delivery costs, healthcare providers are turning to mobile applications. The importance of psychological barriers have been highlighted in the uptake of mobile-based mental health interventions and efforts have been made to identify these barriers in order to facilitate initial uptake and acceptance. However, limited research has focused on older adults’ awareness of these applications and factors that might be hindering their use. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived barriers that older adults experience in the uptake of mobile-based mental health interventions. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 10 older adults, 50 years or older (female = 7, mean age = 68 years), who experienced periods of low mood. National Health Service applications were demonstrated to facilitate conversation and explore participants’ understanding of mental health and mobile-based mental health interventions. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts. Results The social ecological model was adopted as an organising framework for the thematic analysis which identified six distinct barriers to older adults’ uptake of mobile-based mental health interventions: mental electronic-health (e-health) awareness, interaction with technology, discontinuation, ‘seeing’ facilitates therapeutic alliance, incongruent role of the general practitioner and privacy and confidentiality. Conclusions Older adults experience a number of barriers to uptake ranging from the individual level to a macro, organisational level. The practical implications of these barriers are discussed such as the need for increased awareness of mobile-based mental health interventions among older adults

Influences of News and Social Media on Food Insecurity and Hoarding Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine how sociodemographic variables and frequency of media consumption affect hoarding behavior and food insecurity concerns during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational online survey was administered using a convenience sample of 203 participants from the United Kingdom with no medical issues that affected buying behavior during the pandemic to examine perceptions related to food insecurity, and self-reported food hoarding behavior. Results: Younger adults and lower income groups reported higher food insecurity perceptions and hoarding behaviors. Consuming COVID-19 information from websites was significantly associated with food insecurity perceptions, while information from social media was significantly associated with more food hoarding behaviors. Conclusions: Younger adults and lower income groups are vulnerable populations from the perspective of food insecurity and hoarding behavior in times of health disasters like pandemics. While social media can play a positively catalytic role during crises, excessive online information and misinformation can contribute negatively to public panic and feelings of insecurity. Implications for disaster preparedness and future research are discussed. The findings suggest that age is the main predictor of food insecurity and hoarding behavior, with younger adults more likely to be affected. They also suggest that people are turning to National Health Service (NHS) websites, which were deemed more trustworthy than social media, to avoid “news fatigue” and avoiding speculation. Suggestions for future research were made, specifically to examine people’s social support during the pandemic to understand its potential link to stockpiling behavior or food insecurity concerns

One dose is not enough: the beneficial effect of corrective COVID-19 information is diminished if followed by misinformation

The World Health Organization (WHO) released a series of mythbuster infographics to combat misinformation during the COVID-19 infodemic. While the corrective effects of such debunking interventions have typically been examined in the immediate aftermath of intervention delivery; the durability of these corrective effects and their resilience against subsequent misinformation remains poorly understood. To this end, we asked younger and older adults to rate the truthfulness and credibility of 10 statements containing misinformation about common COVID-19 myths, as well as their willingness to share the statements through social media. They did this three times, before and after experimental interventions within a single study session. In keeping with established findings, exposure to the WHO’s myth-busting infographics—(a) improved participants’ ratings of the misinformation statements as untruthful and uncredible and (b) reduced their reported willingness to share the statements. However, within-subject data revealed these beneficial effects were diminished if corrective information was presented shortly by misinformation, but the effects remained when further corrective information was presented. Throughout the study, younger adults rated the misinformation statements as more truthful and credible and were more willing to share them. Our data reveal that the benefit of COVID-19 debunking interventions may be short-lived if followed shortly by misinformation. Still, the effect can be maintained in the presence of further corrective information. These outcomes provide insights into the effectiveness and durability of corrective information and can influence strategies for tackling health-related misinformation, especially in younger adults

What’s Buzzing on your Feed? Health Authorities’ Use of Facebook to Combat Zika in Singapore

In 2016, Singapore grappled with one of the largest Zika outbreaks in Southeast Asia. This study examines the use of Facebook for Zika-related outreach and engagement by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Environmental Agency (NEA) from March 1, 2015 to September 19, 2016. Despite nearly equivalent outreach, MOH’s Facebook posts received more likes (µ=3.49) and shares (µ=30.11), whereas NEA’s posts received more comments (µ=4.55), with NEA posting mostly on prevention (N=30) and MOH on situational updates (N=24). Thematic analyses identified prevention-related posts as garnering the most likes (N=1277), while update-related posts were most shared (N=1,059) and commented upon (N=220). Outreach briefly ceased for two months after Singapore’s first imported case of Zika, but increased following the outbreak of locally-transmitted cases in August 2016. Public engagement was significantly higher during Zika, compared with prior Haze and Dengue outbreak. The results indicate the value of Facebook as a tool for rapid outreach during infectious disease outbreaks, and as a ‘listening’ platform for those managing the situation. We discuss implications for public health communication and research

Communicating about infectious disease threats: Insights from public health information officers

The public health communication challenges that arise in times of infectious disease threats (IDTs) were examined using the Risk Amplification through Media Spread (RAMS) Framework and in-depth phone interviews with 40 national, state, and local public health information officers (PIOs). Interviewees shared their experiences and insights related to how IDTs are communicated to the public, including the different types of traditional and social media used, how they develop and assess IDT messages, and their perceptions regarding the IDT risk amplification process. Theoretical and practical implications for health public relations and public health communication are discussed

Associations between conflicting nutrition information, nutrition confusion and backlash among consumers in the UK

Objective: To examine the effects of exposure to conflicting nutritional information (CNI) through different forms of media on nutrition-related confusion and backlash among consumers in the United Kingdom. Design: Cross-sectional survey administered via Qualtrics among 18-75 year-old participants in the UK. The sample was stratified by age and gender with quotas defined according to the 2011 UK census distribution. Setting: Qualtrics’ Online panel of respondents in the United Kingdom Participants: 676 participants comprising nearly an equal number of females (n=341) and males (n=335) and a majority (58.6%) from households whose income was less than £30,000. Results: Our findings showed that nearly 40% of respondents were exposed to some or a lot of CNI. We found that while exposure to CNI from TV and online news increased nutrition confusion, CNI from health professionals increased backlash. Exposure to CNI from social media and health websites was associated with reduced backlash. We also found that nutrition confusion and backlash were negatively associated with exercise behavior and fruit and vegetable consumption respectively. Conclusion: Our study supports the theoretical pathways that explain the influence of CNI exposure on nutrition-related cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Additionally, different types of online information sources are associated with these outcomes to varying degrees. In the context of obesity and diabetes rates in the UK, our findings call for a) further experimental research into the effects of CNI on consumers’ diet-related cognitions and behaviors, and b) multi-stakeholder, interdisciplinary approaches to address this problem

Outbreak Communication Challenges when Misinformation Spreads on Social Media

This commentary analyses the implications of social media misinformation for global health risk communication. We define misinformation, describe the pathways through which it can adversely affect responses to risk communication efforts, highlight vulnerabilities in existing interventions and present an agenda for further research to understand and address this problem

Digital Participatory Surveillance and the Zika Crisis: Opportunities and Caveats

Managing the global threat of Zika requires innovative solutions. This article examines the potential of Digital Participatory Surveillance to support the management of global disease outbreaks by enabling citizens to report signs of infection. We discuss the status of the current evidence-base, contextual factors influencing user engagement and data quality, challenges for evaluation, and unique aspects of Zika with implications for design. We also suggest priorities for research, development and practice, to help translate the theoretical benefits of these methods into meaningful improvements in outbreak monitoring and public health.Published versio