Infodemic and sources of information about COVID-19 in a Brazilian population: what are the associated factors?

ABSTRACT

Background:

With the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, and information search have increased dramatically. This increased search for information about the Coronavirus, called infodemic, was greatly affected by fake news and information without scientific evidence. This article aimed to assess the infodemic amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with sociodemographic and pandemic-related variables, as well as describe the main sources from which people obtained information about COVID-19.

Methods:

A cross-sectional population-based study was performed in Criciúma, Brazil. All individuals aged 18 years or older, residing in the 607 households systematically selected, were invited to answer the questionnaire. Infodemic and sources to seek information about COVID-19 were evaluated, as well as sociodemographic and pandemic-related variables. Adjusted Poisson regression with robust variance was used to evaluate associations.

Results:

A total of 863 individuals participated in the study. The prevalence of infodemic was 22.1%, and television was the main source of information (58.9%). Three groups presented a higher prevalence of infodemic: older adults (PR: 1.65), individuals with low income (PR: 2.97), and those who had had contact with someone infected (PR: 2.20).

Conclusions:

The findings reflect how some groups are more exposed to infodemic, and underline the responsibility and importance of intersectoral actions for dissemination of information about COVID-19.

KEYWORDS:

• Infodemic
• COVID-19
• information-seeking behavior
• pandemics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author’s contribution

Antônio Augusto Schäfer and Fernanda Oliveira Meller contributed to the study conception and design, conducted the analysis, and reviewed the final version of the manuscript. Micaela Rabelo Quadra interpreted the results, and prepared, drafted, and reviewed the final version of the manuscript. Elisabete Borges Maciel, Bianca Languer Vargas, Luiza Amorim Saraiva Schlemper, and Sofia Garbin Petry conducted the writing of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

Data availability statement

That data will be available upon reasonable request to the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Support Foundation of the Rio Grande do Sul state [Edital n° 06/2020].

Notes on contributors

Micaela Rabelo Quadra

Micaela Rabelo Quadra has a master's degree in Public Health and is a PhD student in Health Sciences at the niversity of Southern Santa Catarina.

Antônio Augusto Schäfer

Antônio Augusto Schäfer has a PhD in Epidemiology and is a professor of the Public Health Graduate Program of the University of Southern Santa Catarina.

Elisabete Borges Maciel

Elisabete Borges Maciel is a nutrition's student at the University of Southern Santa Catarina.

Bianca Languer Vargas

Bianca Languer Vargas is a PhD student in Health Sciences at the Federal University of Rio Grande and a professor from the Nutrition Course at Anhanguera College.

Luiza Amorim Saraiva Schlemper

Luiza Amorim Saraiva Schlemper is a nutrition's student at the Anhanguera College.

Sofia Garbin Petry

Sofia Garbin Petry is a medicine student at the University of Southern Santa Catarina.

Fernanda Oliveira Meller

Fernanda Oliveira Meller has a PhD in Epidemiology and is a professor of the Public Health Graduate Program of the University of Southern Santa Catarina.