Effects of Risk Information Component of Media and Knowledge on Risk Controllability - Focusing on Infectious Disease -

Abstract

The purpose of this study w as to exam ine the effect of risk inform ation com ponent in m edia and know ledge on risk controllability of the public, focusing on infectious disease. The data w ere collected from 1,000 participants in K orea and analyzed by the correlation analysis, reliability analysis and structural equation m odeling analysis using IB M SPSS 21 and IB M A M O S 21 program s. The results were as follows. First, risk inform ation com ponent in m edia on infectious diseases had a positive influence on know ledge about infectious diseases. S econd, know ledge on infectious diseases had a positive influence on risk controllability. T hird, risk inform ation com ponent in m edia on infectious diseases had no significant effect on risk controllability.

The Relationships among Media Usage regarding COVID-19, Knowledge about Infection, and Anxiety: Structural Model Analysis

“…These findings suggest that the levels of anxiety due to the information provided through the media in the COVID-19 situation may vary depending on the fear of infection or the stigma towards the infected person, which may be caused by the perception of low-risk control. This also supports the findings of previous studies 9 31 32 that the newer the risks are, the greater is the tendency of people to acquire relevant knowledge through the media. These studies argue that if correct and balanced information is not provided, fear of infection may spread by overestimation of risk, which then amplifies fear and increases psychological and social stress.…”

“…Moreover, it was confirmed that knowledge about COVID-19 had a significant effect on fear of infection, prejudice against infected people, and anxiety (research hypothesis 3: supported). Since media is the most utilized source of information, and an intermediary playing an important role in the transformation of a general risk into an individual risk, 9 25 it is important to not only prepare a manual to respond to infectious diseases but also to deliver accurate knowledge about infectious diseases. In addition, the media must strive to deliver correct information, avoid interest-oriented reporting, and comply with disaster reporting rules.…”

“…In the case of new risks such as infectious diseases, the general public tends to obtain information through external channels, such as print and TV media, as well as social media, especially when they do not have any or much knowledge of specific risks associated with them. 9 For highly infectious diseases about which very little is known, people actively use and become highly dependent on media to resolve the uncertainty caused by the lack of information. Although media reports on diseases may have positive effects on promoting healthy behaviors and may reduce anxiety by increasing general public knowledge on the disease and improving coping management strategies, it can also have negative effects of spreading unfounded fears and anxiety through unconfirmed articles, exaggerated reporting, and use of sensational language.…”

Factors influencing nursing students’ participatory behaviour during COVID-19

“…Anxiety had a significant negative correlation only in preventive behavior. Iranian medical students’ risk perception was similar to the result of negative correlation with preventive behavior, and it differed from previous studies ( Rubin et al, 2009 ; Song & Kim, 2017 ) Lim et al (2020) . found that public behavior and anxiety level toward COVID-19 can be changed as they receive sufficient information to control the spread of the infection.…”

Effect of exposure to COVID‐19 infodemic on infection‐preventive intentions among Korean adults

“…Due to cognitive limitations, it is difficult for people to correctly perceive, remember, reason, judge, decide and act on information as complex and uncertain as the one pertaining COVID‐19, resulting in the making of irrational decisions (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974 ). Sharing and accumulating of such inaccurate information may promote the spread of the infection by changing the perception and behaviour of people about the infection (Song & Kim, 2017 ).…”