İnfodemide Dijital Ortamda Sağlık Bilgisi Edinme ve Teyit Davranışları
Mehmet Fatih Çömlekçi, Esra BozkanatBu çalışmanın öncelikli amacı tüm dünyayı etkisi altına alan ve 2020 yılı içerisinde küresel bir sağlık sorunu haline gelen Covid-19 Pandemisi döneminde kullanıcıların dijital ortamda sağlık bilgisi edinme ve bilgiyi teyit etme davranışları üzerine geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçüm aracı tasarlamaktır. İkincil amacı ise yeni medya kullanıcılarının sağlık bilgisi edinmek ve bu bilgiyi teyit etmek için sıklıkla başvurdukları kaynakları ortaya koymaktır. Araştırma 551 kişinin katılımıyla anket tekniği kullanılarak çevrimiçi olarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Analizler, “Dijital Ortamda Sağlık Bilgisi Edinme ve Teyit Ölçeği”nin 10 madde ve 3 faktörden oluşan geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olduğunu göstermiştir. Kullanıcıların sağlık bilgisi edinirken sosyal medyaya (web 2.0) kıyasla web sitelerine (web 1.0) daha fazla başvurması elde edilen diğer bir sonuçtur. Edindikleri sağlık bilgilerini teyit etmek için ise bilimsel yayınlar ile bilim insanlarının ve doktorların paylaşımlarına yöneldikleri görülmüştür. Bu bulgular sonuç kısmında İnfodemi kavramı odağında tartışmaya açılmıştır.
Behaviors on Obtaining and Verifying Health Information from Digital Media During the Infodemic
Mehmet Fatih Çömlekçi, Esra BozkanatThe current study has two significant purposes. The primary aim of the study is to design a valid and reliable scale regarding the behaviors users have for obtaining and verifying health information from digital media during the COVID-19 Pandemic, which became a global health issue in 2020 by affecting the whole world. The secondary aim of the study is to reveal the sources to which new media users frequently refer for obtaining and verifying health information. The research was conducted online using the questionnaire technique with the participation of 551 people. The study demonstrates the “Obtaining and Verifying Health Information from Digital Media Scale to be a valid and reliable measurement tool consisting of 10 items and 3 factors. Another result is that users refer to websites (Web 1.0) more than social media (Web 2.0) when obtaining online health information. In order to verify the health information they have obtained, participants tend to check the online accounts of scientists and doctors. The conclusion section discusses these findings around the concept of infodemic.
Introduction
In today’s digitally networked society, more and more people use digital media to access information involving health-related issues. Since the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, searching for health information on digital environments has increased is a legitimate thing to say, considering the uncertainty about the pandemic. Furthermore, with the process of digitalization and growing social networks, information can rapidly spread globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020, p. 1), infodemic as a term refers to “too much information including false or misleading information in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak;” an infodemic is an urgent threat as well as a pandemic. Thus, the need exists to address this threat both at the institutional and individual levels. The spread of health information can directly affect individuals’ health decisions and behaviors. Disinformation and misinformation can create confusion and make people adopt risky behaviors that can harm their health. In this sense, health literacy is a critical element for empowering people who seek health information whether online or offline.
Health literacy aims to equip society with basic skills such as access to and the analysis and use of health information gathered and accessed from online and offline health services. Individuals with high levels of health literacy are expected to understand and participate in health debates in the public sphere and to analyze messages about health issues correctly. However, people with low levels of health literacy may make harmful decisions about their health based upon misinformation. Also, this tendency may adversely affect public health and the proper functioning of the health system. Individuals with high health literacy will be able to determine their health-related needs more accurately, and their communications with health professionals will also improve. Health literacy is a dynamic concept, especially in the age of new communication technologies. Individuals need to develop themselves in this area by continuously learning, by developing verification skills, and by thinking critically.
In this context, the primary goal of the present study is to develop a tool for measuring individuals’ preferences for obtaining health information from digital media and their habits and orientations for confirming the information they have acquired. The second aim of the study is to determine which channels or platforms are most preferred for obtaining and verifying digital information on health. The main questions of the research are as follows:
1. Can a tool be developed to measure the preferred channels individuals use for obtaining and verifying health information from digital media?
2. Do websites (Web 1.0) or social media channels (Web 2.0) come to the fore in the process of obtaining health information from digital environments?
3. Which sources are primarily preferred in the process of verifying health information obtained from digital media?
Method
The population of the research consists of people who use digital media to obtain health information. The convenience sampling method has been used to reach people who seek digital information about health by accessing digital media. In this framework, the study has collected 551 questionnaires. The research has benefitted from a combination of a literature review, focus group meetings, and expert opinions while creating the questionnaire. The responses were analyzed using the package programs SPSS 21, LISREL 8.71, and SmartPLS 3. Procedures for the explanaory factor analysis were conducted using SPSS 21, the confirmatory factor analysis was performed on LISREL 8.71, and averages and suitability of the Fornell-Larcker criteria were calculated using SmartPLS 3.
Findings and Discussion
The participants were observed to prefer websites (Web 1.0 platforms) more compared to social media channels (Web 2.0) in the context of obtaining health information from digital media (t = 12.651; p = 0.00). A closer look at their preferences for obtaining information show the participants to mostly prefer health-related websites (µ = 3.13) and news sites (µ = 2.69) among websites. They also prefer personal blogs about health (µ = 2.2) at a more limited level.
When looking at the participants’ verification behaviors, they are seen to prefer posts from health professionals (doctors, scientists) on digital platforms (µ = 3.2), from the Ministry of Health’s digital platforms (µ = 3.07), and from digitally distributed scientific publications (µ = 3.06) the most. The media least preferred for verification are the digital platforms of health institutions (e.g., hospitals, polyclinics; µ = 2.8).
In line with the primary purpose of the study, a tool to measure which digital channels users concentrate on while obtaining health information and which digital resources they prefer for verification was designed first. As a result of the explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses and convergent validity and internal consistency tests, The Obtaining and Verifying Health Information from Digital Media Scale was developed that consists of 10 items and three factors (i.e., Web 1.0 for obtaining health information, Web 2.0 for obtaining health information, and digital verification). The Obtaining and Verifying Health Information from Digital Media Scale has been determined to be a valid and reliable scale. In addition, seeking health information from digital media was determined to have increased, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the research results, a closer look at the preferences for obtaining health information from digital media reveals users to refer to websites for health information more than social media. This result can be interpreted as users preferring and trusting information sources with more corporate characteristics compare to personal sources. When looking at the behaviors users showed for verifying the health information they obtained from digitial media, posts and messages from health professionals (i.e., doctors, scientists) on digital platforms and digitally distributed scientific publications were observed to be the primary sources referenced.
When considering the negative effects of science denialism and the harmful effets of health disinformation and misinformation, the importance of scientists’ presence on various digital platforms, especially on social media, and the circulation of their recent research results and accurate scientific information are critical for protecting public health. In this sense, increasing individuals’ digital media literacy and health literacy levels through various public activities including training and raising awareness about incorrect and harmful health information disseminated in the digital media are also important.
