@Article{info:doi/10.2196/20021,
author="Wang, Peng-Wei
and Lu, Wei-Hsin
and Ko, Nai-Ying
and Chen, Yi-Lung
and Li, Dian-Jeng
and Chang, Yu-Ping
and Yen, Cheng-Fang",
title="COVID-19-Related Information Sources and the Relationship With Confidence in People Coping with COVID-19: Facebook Survey Study in Taiwan",
journal="J Med Internet Res",
year="2020",
month="Jun",
day="5",
volume="22",
number="6",
pages="e20021",
keywords="COVID-19; information; internet; coping; confidence; mental health; social media; Facebook; survey; online health information",
abstract="Background: People obtain information on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from the internet and other sources. Understanding the factors related to such information sources aids health professionals in educating individuals. Objective: This study used data collected from the online survey study on COVID-19 in Taiwan to examine what major COVID-19 information sources are available and which sources are significantly related to the self-confidence of people in coping with COVID-19 in Taiwan. Methods: A total of 1904 participants (1270 non--health-care workers and 634 health care workers) were recruited from the Facebook advertisement. Their major sources of information about COVID-19, the relationships between the sources and demographic factors, and the relationships between the sources and the self-confidence in coping with COVID-19 were surveyed. Results: Most Taiwanese people relied on the internet for COVID-19 information. Many respondents also used a variety of sources of information on COVID-19; such variety was associated with sex, age, and the level of worry toward COVID-19, as well as if one was a health care worker. For health care workers, the use of formal lessons as an information source was significantly associated with better self-confidence in coping with COVID-19. The significant association between receiving information from more sources and greater self-confidence was found only in health care workers but not in non--health-care workers. Conclusions: Medical professionals should consider subgroups of the population when establishing various means to deliver information on COVID-19. ",
issn="1438-8871",
doi="10.2196/20021",
url="http://www.jmir.org/2020/6/e20021/",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/20021",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32490839"
}