Linking Community OPR and Communication Infrastructure During a Public Health Crisis: A Study of Community Engagement in Shanghai, China

ABSTRACT

Engaging the public and community organizations in local health actions greatly assists disease prevention and control. However, it remains unclear how organization-public relationships (OPR) and communication networks within communities contribute to community health actions. To fill this gap, a survey was conducted among community members in Shanghai, China, who were challenged by the Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results revealed that integrated connectedness to a storytelling network (ICSN) was a significant predictor of residents’ community engagement. Trust, control mutuality, commitment, and ICSN were positively associated with community engagement intentions through the sense of community and organizational efficacy. This study is a step toward understanding how organizations and members collectively respond to health crises at the community level.

Disclosure statement

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

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2251747

Notes

1. Ju wei hui is a grassroots civil organization and the smallest unit of local administration established by the Chinese government within each urban neighborhood. It is specifically responsible for providing various public services, implementing public health measures, disseminating health information, and mobilizing the community.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by Journalism and Marxism Research Center, Renmin University of China [Project No. MXG202308].