TY  - JOUR
AU  - Zhao, Yusui
AU  - Xu, Shuiyang
AU  - Wang, Lei
AU  - Huang, Yu
AU  - Xu, Yue
AU  - Xu, Yan
AU  - Lv, Qiaohong
AU  - Wang, Zhen
AU  - Wu, Qingqing
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/11/9
TI  - Concerns About Information Regarding COVID-19 on the Internet: Cross-Sectional Study
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e20487
VL  - 22
IS  - 11
KW  - coronavirus
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - disease prevention
KW  - internet
KW  - knowledge
AB  - Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chinese government and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention have released COVID-19–related information to the public through various channels to raise their concern level of the pandemic, increase their knowledge of disease prevention, and ensure the uptake of proper preventive practices. Objective: Our objectives were to determine Chinese netizens’ concerns related to COVID-19 and the relationship between their concerns and information on the internet. We also aimed to elucidate the association between individuals’ levels of concern, knowledge, and behaviors related to COVID-19. Methods: The questionnaire, which consisted of 15 closed-ended questions, was designed to investigate Chinese netizens’ knowledge about COVID-19. The self-selection online survey method of nonprobability sampling was used to recruit participants through Dingxiangyisheng WeChat (a public, medical, and health service platform in China) accounts. Standard descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Results: In total, 10,304 respondents were surveyed on the internet (response rate=1.75%; 10,304/590,000). Nearly all (n=9803, 95.30%) participants were concerned about “confirmed cases” of COVID-19, and 87.70% (n=9036) received information about the outbreak through social media websites. There were significant differences in participants’ concerns by sex (P=.02), age (P<.001), educational attainment (P=.001), and occupation (P<.001). All knowledge questions and preventive practices were associated with concerns about COVID-19. The results of the multivariate logistic regression indicated that participants’ sex, educational attainment, occupation and employment status, knowledge acquisition, and concern level were significantly associated with the practice of proper preventive behaviors. Conclusions: This study elucidated Chinese netizens’ concerns, information sources, and preventive behaviors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sex, educational attainment, occupation and employment status, knowledge acquisition, and level of concern were key factors associated with proper preventive behaviors. This offers a theoretical basis for the government to provide targeted disease prevention and control information to the public. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - http://www.jmir.org/2020/11/e20487/
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/20487
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33095740
DO  - 10.2196/20487
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/20487
ER  -