![Sample our Humanities journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5939/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Humanities.jpg"})
Abstract
Health consciousness and health information seeking have been conceptually and empirically linked. Few studies, however, have explored the implications this relationship has for driving specific health perceptions and behaviors. In a modified test of the integrated model of behavioral prediction (IMBP) we examine these two factors as health motivators helping explain COVID-19 judgements and prevention behaviors. Simple mediation tests show social media information seeking operating as a modest intervening factor between health consciousness and COVID-19 attitudes and perceived behavior control (PBC); however, health consciousness remains a robust, direct predictor of attitudes, PBC, and subjective norms. Finally, tests of the modified IMBP highlight norms, attitudes, and PBC mediating the relationship between both health consciousness and social media information seeking on COVID-19 prevention behaviors.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Christopher McKinley
Christopher J. McKinley is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University.
Yi Luo
Yi Luo is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University.
Joseph Brennan
Joseph Brennan is Vice President for Communications and Marketing, University Communications and Marketing at Montclair State University.