Understanding University Students’ Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective

Aung Pyae; Shahrokh Nikou

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-14832-3_7

Understanding University Students’ Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective

Aung Pyae, Shahrokh Nikou

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 pandemic is considered theworst global health crisis in the 21st century that caused unprecedented disruption to many sectors around the world (e.g. education, business,
and tourism). Misinformation on social media is one of the major issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, which must be carefully considered. To address this issue, people’s health information-seeking behaviours play an important role to access accurate and reliable information on social media. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire-based study in Myanmar, which is one of the developing countries according to the United Nations to understand university students’ health information-seeking behaviours on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The findings suggest that social media plays a vital role to spread reliable and accurate information during the pandemic. The role of governments and authorities is also important to effectively use social media platforms (e.g. Facebook) to reach out to the public so that they can spread timely and accurate information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, users need to assess and verify the credibility of information related to pandemics on social media when they seek health-related information. This study suggests opportunities for further research in health information seeking on social media.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Well-Being in the Information Society
Subtitle of host publication	When the Mind Breaks - 9th International Conference, WIS 2022, Proceedings
Editors	Hongxiu Li, Maedeh Ghorbanian Zolbin, Robert Krimmer, Jukka Kärkkäinen, Chenglong Li, Reima Suomi
Publisher	Springer
Pages	94-111
Number of pages	18
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-031-14832-3
ISBN (Print)	978-3-031-14831-6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14832-3_7
Publication status	Published - 26 Aug 2022
MoE publication type	A4 Article in a conference publication
Event	Proceeding of the 9th International Conference, WIS 2022 Turku, Finland, August 25–26, 2022: Well-Being in the Information Society When the Mind Breaks - Duration: 25 Aug 2022 → 26 Aug 2022

Publication series

Name	Communications in Computer and Information Science
Publisher	Springer
ISSN (Print)	1865-0929
ISSN (Electronic)	1865-0937

Conference

Conference	Proceeding of the 9th International Conference, WIS 2022 Turku, Finland, August 25–26, 2022
Period	25/08/22 → 26/08/22

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic
Health information-seeking Behaviour
Social Media
Higher Education

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-14832-3_7

Social_Media_Paper_Camera_Ready_June_2022Accepted author manuscript, 331 KBLicence: Publisher rights policy

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20230901115086

Cite this

Pyae, A., & Nikou, S. (2022). Understanding University Students’ Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective. In H. Li, M. Ghorbanian Zolbin, R. Krimmer, J. Kärkkäinen, C. Li, & R. Suomi (Eds.), Well-Being in the Information Society: When the Mind Breaks - 9th International Conference, WIS 2022, Proceedings (pp. 94-111). (Communications in Computer and Information Science). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14832-3_7

Pyae, Aung ; Nikou, Shahrokh. / Understanding University Students’ Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective. Well-Being in the Information Society: When the Mind Breaks - 9th International Conference, WIS 2022, Proceedings. editor / Hongxiu Li ; Maedeh Ghorbanian Zolbin ; Robert Krimmer ; Jukka Kärkkäinen ; Chenglong Li ; Reima Suomi. Springer, 2022. pp. 94-111 (Communications in Computer and Information Science).

@inproceedings{22ce35531a0b442db80e523032e838a4,

title = "Understanding University Students{\textquoteright} Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective",

abstract = "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 pandemic is considered theworst global health crisis in the 21st century that caused unprecedented disruption to many sectors around the world (e.g. education, business,and tourism). Misinformation on social media is one of the major issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, which must be carefully considered. To address this issue, people{\textquoteright}s health information-seeking behaviours play an important role to access accurate and reliable information on social media. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire-based study in Myanmar, which is one of the developing countries according to the United Nations to understand university students{\textquoteright} health information-seeking behaviours on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.The findings suggest that social media plays a vital role to spread reliable and accurate information during the pandemic. The role of governments and authorities is also important to effectively use social media platforms (e.g. Facebook) to reach out to the public so that they can spread timely and accurate information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, users need to assess and verify the credibility of information related to pandemics on social media when they seek health-related information. This study suggests opportunities for further research in health information seeking on social media.",

keywords = "COVID-19 pandemic, Health information-seeking Behaviour, Social Media, Higher Education",

author = "Aung Pyae and Shahrokh Nikou",

year = "2022",

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doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-14832-3_7",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-3-031-14831-6",

series = "Communications in Computer and Information Science",

publisher = "Springer",

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editor = "Hongxiu Li and {Ghorbanian Zolbin}, Maedeh and Robert Krimmer and Jukka K{\"a}rkk{\"a}inen and Chenglong Li and Reima Suomi",

booktitle = "Well-Being in the Information Society",

note = "Proceeding of the 9th International Conference, WIS 2022<br/>Turku, Finland, August 25–26, 2022 : Well-Being in the Information Society When the Mind Breaks ; Conference date: 25-08-2022 Through 26-08-2022",

}

Pyae, A & Nikou, S 2022, Understanding University Students’ Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective. in H Li, M Ghorbanian Zolbin, R Krimmer, J Kärkkäinen, C Li & R Suomi (eds), Well-Being in the Information Society: When the Mind Breaks - 9th International Conference, WIS 2022, Proceedings. Communications in Computer and Information Science, Springer, pp. 94-111, Proceeding of the 9th International Conference, WIS 2022
Turku, Finland, August 25–26, 2022, 25/08/22. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14832-3_7

Understanding University Students’ Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective. / Pyae, Aung; Nikou, Shahrokh.
Well-Being in the Information Society: When the Mind Breaks - 9th International Conference, WIS 2022, Proceedings. ed. / Hongxiu Li; Maedeh Ghorbanian Zolbin; Robert Krimmer; Jukka Kärkkäinen; Chenglong Li; Reima Suomi. Springer, 2022. p. 94-111 (Communications in Computer and Information Science).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Understanding University Students’ Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective

AU - Pyae, Aung

AU - Nikou, Shahrokh

PY - 2022/8/26

Y1 - 2022/8/26

N2 - According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 pandemic is considered theworst global health crisis in the 21st century that caused unprecedented disruption to many sectors around the world (e.g. education, business,and tourism). Misinformation on social media is one of the major issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, which must be carefully considered. To address this issue, people’s health information-seeking behaviours play an important role to access accurate and reliable information on social media. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire-based study in Myanmar, which is one of the developing countries according to the United Nations to understand university students’ health information-seeking behaviours on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.The findings suggest that social media plays a vital role to spread reliable and accurate information during the pandemic. The role of governments and authorities is also important to effectively use social media platforms (e.g. Facebook) to reach out to the public so that they can spread timely and accurate information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, users need to assess and verify the credibility of information related to pandemics on social media when they seek health-related information. This study suggests opportunities for further research in health information seeking on social media.

AB - According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 pandemic is considered theworst global health crisis in the 21st century that caused unprecedented disruption to many sectors around the world (e.g. education, business,and tourism). Misinformation on social media is one of the major issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, which must be carefully considered. To address this issue, people’s health information-seeking behaviours play an important role to access accurate and reliable information on social media. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire-based study in Myanmar, which is one of the developing countries according to the United Nations to understand university students’ health information-seeking behaviours on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.The findings suggest that social media plays a vital role to spread reliable and accurate information during the pandemic. The role of governments and authorities is also important to effectively use social media platforms (e.g. Facebook) to reach out to the public so that they can spread timely and accurate information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, users need to assess and verify the credibility of information related to pandemics on social media when they seek health-related information. This study suggests opportunities for further research in health information seeking on social media.

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A2 - Kärkkäinen, Jukka

A2 - Li, Chenglong

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Pyae A, Nikou S. Understanding University Students’ Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective. In Li H, Ghorbanian Zolbin M, Krimmer R, Kärkkäinen J, Li C, Suomi R, editors, Well-Being in the Information Society: When the Mind Breaks - 9th International Conference, WIS 2022, Proceedings. Springer. 2022. p. 94-111. (Communications in Computer and Information Science). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-14832-3_7

Understanding University Students’ Health Information Seeking Behaviours on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Developing Country Perspective

Abstract

Publication series

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Keywords

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