Sağlık Haber Algısının Sağlıklı Yaşam Farkındalığı Üzerindeki Etkisinin İncelenmesi
Sağlık çok önemli bir haber kategorisidir ve bu haberlerin insan yaşamındaki önemi gün geçtikçe artmaktadır. Sağlık haberleri, sağlıkla ilgili konularda birey ve toplumu bilgilendirerek farkındalık oluşturmaktadır. Dolayısıyla bu haberler, bireylerin ve toplumların tutum ve davranışlarını etkilemek ve bilinç düzeyini artırmak açısından oldukça önemli araçlardır. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın amacı sağlık haber algısının sağlıklı yaşam farkındalığı üzerindeki etkisini incelemektir. Çalışma kapsamında Çınar, Şengül, Çapa, Çakmak ve Bilge (2018) tarafından geliştirilen “Sağlık Haber Algısı” ölçeği ve Özer ve Yılmaz (2019)’in çalışmasında kullandığı “Sağlıklı Yaşam Farkındalığı” ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Çevrimiçi anket tekniği ile elde edilen 343 veri nicel analiz yöntemleri ile test edilmiş ve analizlerde SPSS istatistik paket programı kullanılmıştır. Yapılan analizler sonucunda; sağlık haber algısının tüm boyutlarının (ticari kaygı ve sağlık davranışını istismar, davranış değişikliği, tüketime yöneltme) duyarlılık farkındalığı üzerinde; ticari kaygı ve sağlık davranışını istismar ile tüketime yöneltme boyutlarının ise bilinçlilik farkındalığı üzerinde bir etkisinin olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır (p<0,05). Ayrıca çalışmada, sağlık haber algısının medeni durum, yaş ve eğitim durumuna göre; sağlıklı yaşam farkındalığının ise yaş ve eğitim durumuna göre farklılık gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir (p<0,05).
Investigating the Effect of Perception Toward Health News on Healthy Living Awareness
Health is a very important news category and its importance in human life increases daily. Health news creates awareness by informing individuals and society about health-related issues. Therefore, this type of news is a very important tool in terms of influencing individual and societal attitudes and behaviors and raising their levels of consciousnesses. In this context, the study aims to examine the effect perceptions toward health news have on health awareness. Within the scope of the study, the “Health News Perception” scale developed by Çınar, Şengül, Çapa, Çakmak and Bilge (2018) and the “Healthy Life Awareness” scale used by Özer and Yılmaz (2019) in their study were used. Data were obtained from 343 people using the online survey technique and tested using quantitative analysis methods with the statistical package program SPSS. As a result of the analyses on sensitivity awareness for all sub-dimensions of perceptions toward health news (i.e., commercial anxiety and exploiting health behaviors, behavioral change, being directed toward consumption), the sub-dimensions of commercial anxiety and exploiting health behaviors and of being directed toward consumption affect health living awareness (p<0.05). With regard to perceptions toward health news in terms of marital status, age, and education level, the study determined healthy living awareness to differ for age and education level (p<0.05).
While health professionals had previously been considered the main source of information regarding health and illness, the media in recent years has begun being accepted as the primary source due to health-related content being more common in mass media. People use the information they obtain through various mass media channels (e.g., television, radio, newspapers, magazines, Internet, social media) for the purpose of improving their health and preventing disease. While these communication tools motivate people to acquire useful habits such as balanced nutrition and regular exercise by directing them toward various activities and toward searching for new activities to stay healthy (Baran, 2021, p. 373), they have also undertaken a responsibility for social benefit by reporting that bad habits such as cigarettes and alcohol should be avoided (Avcı & Sönmez, 2013, p. 121). Therefore, despite healthcare professionals having a distinct place regarding access to information on health, individuals adapt the information they obtain from the media to their own situations. Because people generally obtain the majority of their information and accounts about health issues from mass media, the quality and quantity of information on television, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and social media are evidentiary in how the public’s knowledge, opinions, and behaviors are shaped. In addition to this, mass media has a rather significant potential to increase health awareness and influence behavior. In this context, this study aims to examine the effect perceptions toward health news have on healthy living awareness. When examining the domestic and foreign literature, no such previously performed study was identified. The conducted studies addressed topics such as accuracy, quantity, and content of news on health; implemented health campaigns; and the communication tools used in searching for information on health (Ardıç Çobaner, 2018; Ferreira & Borges, 2020; Lau et al., 2012; Ünal & Taylan, 2017). Therefore, while studies in the literature have generally involved the quality and quantity of health news, this study concerns how people perceive health news and how it affects their awareness. At the same time, this study is thought to contribute to the literature as a result of being carried out in order to provide a perspective on this issue in Turkey.
Purpose and Method
The main purpose of this research is to examine the effect perceptions toward health news have on healthy living awareness. Another aim of the research is to determine whether perceptions toward health news and awareness of healthy living differ according to demographic characteristics. The following hypotheses have been developed for these purposes:
H1: Perceptions toward health news do not differ with respect to the participants’ demographic characteristics.
H2: Healthy living awareness does not differ with respect to the participants’ demographic characteristics.
H3: Perceptions toward health news significantly affect healthy living awareness.
The population of the research consists of people aged 17 or older living in Turkey. As the questionnaire form used in the research was created online and delivered to people via social media accounts and e-mail, people who use these Internet-based applications constitute the sample of the research. Data from 343 people were obtained using the online survey technique. The data were collected in December 2020.
The questionnaire form created for the research consists of three parts. The first part is the Health News Perception Scale. It consists of 26 statements, and its reliability and validity were tested by Çınar et al. (2018). The second part uses the Healthy Living Awareness Scale (Özer & Yılmaz, 2019) and consists of 15 statements. Rating scales are widely used in the social sciences and are usually in the form of Likert-type scales. A Likert-type scale shows the degree to which an individual agrees or disagrees with a series of statements (Gay et al., 2009, pp. 150–151) with a 5-point scale (e.g., 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Undecided, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree) generally being preferred (Jamieson, 2004). Therefore, both scales used in the study graded participant’s levels of agreement for each item using such a 5-point Likert type scale. The last part of the questionnaire involves a total of 6 statements for measuring the participants’ demographic characteristics.
The data obtained within the scope of the research were tested using quantitative analytical methods, with the explanatory factor analysis, normality test, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance testing, and correlation and regression analyses being performed using the statistical package program SPSS.
Findings and Discussion
The following findings have been obtained as a result of the analyses made within the scope of the study. Perceptions toward health news’ sub-dimensions of commercial anxiety and exploiting health behaviors and of being directed toward consumption have a negative and significant effect on healthy living awareness’ sub-dimensions of consciousness and sensitivity. Studies are found to indirectly support these findings, with Dutta-Bergman’s (2004), Dutta and Feng’s (2007), Basu and Dutta’s (2008) studies stating health-conscious individuals to be more likely to take responsibility for managing their own health and this to be related to their level of participation in health-promoting behaviors. People with high health awareness and sensitivity are also more likely to seek health information, to stay away from improper and unnecessary products or treatments, to approach health-related issues more sensitively, to be aware of health-promoting behaviors, and to include these in their future (Dutta-Bergman, 2006; Hong, 2010; Kaskutas & Greenfield, 1997).
Another finding obtained from the study is that perception toward health news’ sub-dimension of behavioral change has a positive and significant effect on healthy living awareness’ sub-dimension of sensitivity. Studies with similar results are available in the literature. Iversen and Kraft (2006) found individuals with high health awareness to be more likely to engage in health-promoting behaviors. Scharrer’s (2008, p. 291) study reported people with high perceptions toward news to also have higher sensitivity toward news. Fernandez et al.’s (2019, p. 12) study found more effective behavioral changes to occur with increases in individuals’ healthy living awareness.
Another aim of the research was to determine whether perceptions toward health news and healthy living awareness differ according to demographic characteristics. As a result of the independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance, married individuals, older individuals, and those with high school or lower education levels were found to have higher perceptions toward health news related to behavioral change compared respectively to single individuals, younger people, and those with associate, undergraduate, or graduate degrees. This result resembles the findings from Yalçınkaya et al. (2005, p. 409), Kahraman et al. (2015, p. 94); Yanik and Noğay (2017, p. 173), Ertaş et al. (2019, p. 723), and Aydın and Güner (2021, pp. 606–607). Simultaneously, the current study found those with associate and undergraduate degrees to have higher perceptions toward health news regarding commercial anxiety and exploiting health behaviors compared to those with graduate degrees. Similarly, Ertaş et al.’s (2019, p. 274) study found perceptions toward health news to differ in terms of educational status.
Meanwhile, healthy living awareness was also found to differ according to age and education level. Participants in the 35-43 age range were determined to be more sensitive toward healthy living than those in the 26-34 age range. At the same time, those with postgraduate degrees were determined to have higher health awareness and responsibility compared to those with high school diplomas or less and those with associate or undergraduate degrees. The literature also has studies supporting these findings. Ramachandran et al. (2016, p. 341) emphasized healthy living behaviors to vary with respect to. Kolaç et al.’s (2018, p. 267) study stated education level to affect healthy living awareness, while Kocaman and Telatar’s (2020, p. 504) study found people with lower education levels to have lower healthy living awareness and consciousness levels.
The most important limitation of this research involves a small sample being reached due to data collection occurring over a short period of time and the survey being conducted through an online link. Comparing the results by repeating the research over a longer time period and a larger sample as well as by using different analysis methods would be meaningful. Another limitation of the study is the use of quantitative analytical methods. Having studies be done by constructing them from a qualitative point of view may be important in order to obtain more descriptive results. Despite these limitations, no study was found in the domestic or foreign literature to have directly addressed this issue. The studies that have been conducted addressed issues such as the accuracy, quantity, and content of news on health, the implemented health campaigns, and the communication tools used in searching for health information. For this reason, the current study is considered to contribute to the existing literature. Future studies can be conducted on the mediating role of healthy living awareness or on the effects from health news on healthy living.