Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-m9kch Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-04T18:51:40.527Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of Social Media Use on Practice of COVID-19 Preventive Measures Among Ethiopian Residents: An Online Cross-Sectional Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2021

Abinet Arega Sadore ,
Demelash Woldeyohannes Handiso ,
Tekle Ejajo Wontamo ,
Dejene Ermias Mekango Open the ORCID record for Dejene Ermias Mekango [Opens in a new window]  and
Sisay Moges
Abinet Arega Sadore
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wachemo University Hosanna, Ethiopia
Demelash Woldeyohannes Handiso
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wachemo University Hosanna, Ethiopia
Tekle Ejajo Wontamo
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wachemo University Hosanna, Ethiopia
Dejene Ermias Mekango*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wachemo University Hosanna, Ethiopia
Sisay Moges
Affiliation:
Hossana College of Health Science, Department of Health Informatics, Hossana, Ethiopia
*
Corresponding author: Dejene Ermias Mekango, Email: dj.ermi2005@gmail.com.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background:

Infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a severe public health issue worldwide. A broad amount of information related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was disseminated by social media in Ethiopia. To date, there is limited evidence on the influence of social media use for COVID-19–related information on COVID-19 preventive practice. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the influence of social media use on the practice of COVID-19 preventive measures in Ethiopia.

Methods:

This study used an anonymous Internet-based online cross-sectional survey using Google Forms to collect the data from the respondents from May 15 to June 17, 2020, in Ethiopia. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between social media use as a predictor and COVID-19 preventive practice, after adjusting for socio-demographic and risk perception of COVID-19 variables. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.

Results:

A total of 372 respondents have participated in the study. From 372, a total of 208 (55.9%) respondents in this study were male. Study participants who had good use of social media to get COVID-19–related information were 9.5 times more engaged in COVID-19 preventive practices compared with study participants who had poor use of social media to get COVID-19–related information (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 9.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.70-16.13). Also, study participants who had a high-risk perception of COVID-19 were 2.6 times more engaged in COVID-19 practices compared with study participants who had a low-risk perception of COVID-19 (AOR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.58-4.38). Study participants who were students at the time of this study were 4 times more likely to show an adequate COVID-19 preventive practice score compared with those who had another occupational status (AOR = 4.07; 95% CI: 1.66-9.98)

Conclusions:

Our results show that the use of social media networks can have a positive effect on the practice of preventive measures and public safety against COVID-19; high-risk perception contributed to preventive activities against COVID-19. Social networking platforms can be used by public health agencies as an important method to raise public health understanding by disseminating concise messages to targeted audiences.

Keywords

social mediaCOVID-19preventiveEthiopia
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 6 , December 2022 , pp. 2546 - 2551
Copyright
© Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Giustini, D, Ali, SM, Fraser, M, et al. Effective uses of social media in public health and medicine: a systematic review of systematic reviews. Online J Public Health Inform. 2018;10:e215. doi: 10.5210/ojphi.v10i2.8270 Google ScholarPubMed
Velasco, E, Agheneza, T, Denecke, K, et al. Social media and internet-based data in global systems for public health surveillance: a systematic review. Milbank Q. 2014;92:7-33. doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.12038 Google ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization (WHO). Overview of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/risk-comms-updates/epi-win-update40-overview-of-the-pandemic.pdf?sfvrsn=8d355bcd_4. Accessed June 20, 2021.Google Scholar
Chan, JF-W, Yuan S Kok K-H, et al. A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster. Lancet 2020;395(10223):514-523. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30154-9 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Federal Minster of Health (FMOH) & Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI). Notification notes on COVID-19. 2020. Website. Addis Ababa: MoH & EPHI. https://www.ephi.gov.et/index.php/public-health-emergency/novel-corona-virus-update.Google Scholar
Mohammed, H, Oljira, L, Roba, KT, et al. Containment of COVID-19 in Ethiopia and implications for tuberculosis care and research. Infect Dis Poverty. 2020;9:131. doi: 10.1186/s40249-020-00753-9 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
International Monetary Fund. Policy response to COVID-19. 2020. https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/imf-and-covid19/Policy-Responses-to-COVID-19. Accessed June 20, 2021.Google Scholar
Wilder-Smith, A, Freedman, DO. Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. J Travel Med. 2020;27(2):taaa020. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaa020 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Allgaier, J, Svalastog, AL. The communication aspects of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Western Africa--do we need to counter one, two, or many epidemics? Croat Med J. 2015;56:496-499. doi: 10.3325/cmj.2015.56.496 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Korda, H, Itani, Z. Harnessing social media for health promotion and behavior change. Health Promot Pract. 2013;14:15-23. doi: 10.1177/1524839911405850 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Erfani, A, Shahriarirad, R, Ranjbar, K, et al. Knowledge, attitude and practice toward the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: a population-based survey in Iran. Bull World Health Organ. 2020. doi: http://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.256651 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Srichan, P, Apidechkul, T, Tamornpark, R, et al. Knowledge, attitudes and preparedness to respond to COVID-19 among the border population of northern Thailand in the early period of the pandemic: a cross-sectional study. WHO South East Asia J Public Health. 2020;9(2):118-125. doi: 10.4103/2224-3151.294305 Google ScholarPubMed
Roy, D, Tripathy, S, Kar, SK, et al. Study of knowledge, attitude, anxiety & perceived mental healthcare need in Indian population during COVID-19 pandemic. Asian J Psychiatr. 2020;51:102083. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102083 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Motta Zanin, G, Gentile, E, Parisi, A, et al. A preliminary evaluation of the public risk perception related to the COVID-19 health emergency in Italy. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17:3024. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17093024 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benetoli, A, Chen, TF, Aslani, P. How patients’ use of social media impacts their interactions with healthcare professionals. Patient Educ Couns. 2018;101:439-444. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.08.015 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Al-Surimi, K, Khalifa, M, Bahkali, S, et al. The potential of social media and internet-based data in preventing and fighting infectious diseases: from internet to Twitter. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2017;972:131-139. doi: 10.1007/5584_2016_132 Google ScholarPubMed
Zadeh, AH, Zolbanin, HM, Sharda, R, et al. Social media for nowcasting flu activity: spatio-temporal big data analysis. Inf Syst Front. 2019;21:743-760. doi: 10.1007/s10796-018-9893-0 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pagoto, S, Waring, ME, Xu, R. A call for a public health agenda for social media research. J Med Internet Res. 2019;21:e16661. doi: 10.2196/16661 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ahmad, AR, Murad, HR. The impact of social media on panic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraqi Kurdistan: online questionnaire study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22:e19556. doi: 10.2196/19556 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kouri, P, Rissanen, M-L, Weber, P, et al. Competences in social media use in the area of health and healthcare. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2017;232:183-193.Google ScholarPubMed
Villar, ME, Marsh, E. Social Media and Infectious Disease Perceptions in a Multicultural Society. Hershey, PA: IGI Global; 2020:659-676. doi: 10.4018/978-1-5225-9869-5.ch038 Google Scholar
Smailhodzic, E, Hooijsma, W, Boonstra, A, et al. Social media and infectious disease perceptions in a multicultural society ip with healthcare professionals. BMC Health Ser Res. 2016;16:442. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1691-0 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitazawa, M, Yoshimura, M, Hitokoto, H, et al. Survey of the effects of internet usage on the happiness of Japanese university students. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2019;17:151. doi: 10.1186/s12955-019-1227-5 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Apuke, OD, Iyendo, TO. University students’ usage of the internet resources for research and learning: forms of access and perceptions of utility. Heliyon. 2018;4:e01052. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e01052 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Al-Dmour, H, Masa’deh, R, Salman, A, et al. Influence of social media platforms on public health protection against the COVID-19 pandemic via the mediating effects of public health awareness and behavioral changes: integrated model. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22:e19996. doi: 10.2196/19996 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taghrir, MH, Borazjani, R, Shiraly, R. COVID-19 and Iranian medical students; a survey on their related-knowledge, preventive behaviors and risk perception. Arch Iran Med. 2020;23:249-254. doi: 10.34172/aim.2020.06 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed