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. 2022 Feb;9(1):184-192.
doi: 10.1007/s40615-020-00942-0. Epub 2021 Jan 19.

Assessment of COVID-19 Information Overload Among the General Public

Mustapha Mohammed  1   2 , Abubakar Sha'aban  3   4 , Abubakar Ibrahim Jatau  5 , Ismaeel Yunusa  6   7 , Abubakar Musa Isa  8 , Abubakar Sadiq Wada  9 , Kehinde Obamiro  10 , Hadzliana Zainal  1 , Baharudin Ibrahim  1
Affiliations

Assessment of COVID-19 Information Overload Among the General Public

Mustapha Mohammed et al. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Background: A relentless flood of information accompanied the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. False news, conspiracy theories, and magical cures were shared with the general public at an alarming rate, which may lead to increased anxiety and stress levels and associated debilitating consequences.

Objectives: To measure the level of COVID-19 information overload (COVIO) and assess the association between COVIO and sociodemographic characteristics among the general public.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between April and May 2020 using a modified Cancer Information Overload scale. The survey was developed and posted on four social media platforms. The data were only collected from those who consented to participate. COVIO score was classified into high vs. low using the asymmetrical distribution as a guide and conducted a binary logistic regression to examine the factors associated with COVIO.

Results: A total number of 584 respondents participated in this study. The mean COVIO score of the respondents was 19.4 (± 4.0). Sources and frequency of receiving COVID-19 information were found to be significant predictors of COVIO. Participants who received information via the broadcast media were more likely to have high COVIO than those who received information via the social media (adjusted odds ratio ([aOR],14.599; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.608-132.559; p = 0.017). Also, participants who received COVID-19 information every minute (aOR, 3.892; 95% CI, 1.124-13.480; p = 0.032) were more likely to have high COVIO than those who received information every week.

Conclusion: The source of information and the frequency of receiving COVID-19 information were significantly associated with COVIO. The COVID-19 information is often conflicting, leading to confusion and overload of information in the general population. This can have unfavorable effects on the measures taken to control the transmission and management of COVID-19 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; General public; Information overload.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The flowchart of the recruitment process of the study participants
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Percentage distribution of responses by countriesa. a = A table showing the complete response has been included as supplementary material (Appendix 2)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distribution of COVIO scores among the respondents
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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