Association Between Public Knowledge About COVID-19, Trust in Information Sources, and Adherence to Social Distancing: Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Background The success of behavioral interventions and policies designed to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on how well individuals are informed about both the consequences of infection and the steps that should be taken to reduce the impact of the disease. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate associations between public knowledge about COVID-19, adherence to social distancing, and public trust in government information sources (eg, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), private sources (eg, FOX and CNN), and social networks (eg, Facebook and Twitter) to inform future policies related to critical information distribution. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey (N=1243) between April 10 and 14, 2020. Data collection was stratified by US region and other demographics to ensure representativeness of the sample. Results Government information sources were the most trusted among the public. However, we observed trends in the data that suggested variations in trust by age and gender. White and older populations generally expressed higher trust in government sources, while non-White and younger populations expressed higher trust in private sources (eg, CNN) and social networks (eg, Twitter). Trust in government sources was positively associated with accurate knowledge about COVID-19 and adherence to social distancing. However, trust in private sources (eg, FOX and CNN) was negatively associated with knowledge about COVID-19. Similarly, trust in social networks (eg, Facebook and Twitter) was negatively associated with both knowledge and adherence to social distancing. Conclusions During pandemics such as the COVID-19 outbreak, policy makers should carefully consider the quality of information disseminated through private sources and social networks. Furthermore, when disseminating urgent health information, a variety of information sources should be used to ensure that diverse populations have timely access to critical knowledge.

Age-related differences in the perception of COVID-19 emergency during the Italian outbreak

“…In this sense, our results indicate significant differences in attitude toward information between people with high compliance and moderate compliance with rules. In line with the literature (Briscese et al, 2020;Fridman, Lucas, Henke, & Zigler, 2020;Bambini et al, 2020 ), our findings highlight the importance of implementing an effective public health communication campaign together with monitoring attitudes in the population to prevent potential disengagement effects. In planning practices for managing health crisis, policy makers should consider findings from both current and past pandemics.…”

Predicting the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perceptions of Healthcare Workers and the General Public

“…Multiple studies have found WhatsApp and social media to be key information sources utilised in this pandemic, with citizens relying on them in preference to official public health websites [ 16 - 17 ]. However, social media has been known to spread false information [ 18 ], and lead to an underestimation of the severity of COVID-19 as compared to those who use government websites [ 19 - 20 ]. Our study supported the literature but suggested that although group messaging services such as WhatsApp were used by a significant proportion of our respondents (22·2% of HCWs and 4·1% of Non-HCWs), the majority used BBC News as their primary information source (37·4% of HCWs and 66·6%.…”

“…There is also public support for honest and accurate information during epidemics, even if that information is anxiety-provoking [ 26 ]. To ensure that this information is far-reaching, government and public health officials should utilise social media, infographics, and other forms of popular communication to their advantage [ 17 , 20 , 21 , 27 ] as well as ensuring the elderly generations are included in information campaigns.…”

COVID-19 Misinformation Trends in Australia: Prospective Longitudinal National Survey

“…The provision of quality information online is unlikely to be a sufficient strategy to counter the influence of misinformation if digital health literacy is not accounted for. Messaging and debunking must be delivered on multiple trusted channels [34], consistent in content and style, and conveyed in local languages to ensure engagement with all communities [35]. Emerging evidence supports the idea that psychological inoculation-pre-emptively exposing people to small doses of misinformation techniques-can build resistance to false information across cultures [36].…”