Tegegne Masresha Derese, Endehabtu Berhanu Fikadie, Klein Jorn, Gullslett Monika Knudsen, Yilma Tesfahun Melese
Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Drammen, Norway.
Digit Health. 2022 Jul 11;8:20552076221113394. doi: 10.1177/20552076221113394. eCollection 2022 Jan-Dec.
Social media has become an alternative platform for communication during medical crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess social media usage for COVID-19-related information among health professionals.
A quantitative cross-sectional study design was conducted among 370 health professionals. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 software. Data were collected using a semi-structured, self-administered, and pre-tested questionnaire. Descriptive and binary logistic regression analysis techniques were used to describe respondents' social media usage for COVID-19 information and identify its associated factors.
About 54% (95% CI: 48-58%) of the participants had good social media usage for COVID-19-related information. Age≤30 (AOR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.14-3.58), Wi-Fi/broadband Internet access (AOR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.38-4.33), taking computer training (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.37-4.85), basic computer skill (AOR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.71-6.29), and usefulness of social media (AOR = 3.56, 95% CI: 1.57-8.04) were found to be the significant factors associated with usage of social media for COVID-19-related information.
The present study confirms that more than half of health professionals had good social media usage for COVID-19-related information. This shows that social media platforms can be used as a source of COVID-19-related information for health professionals if basic computer training is offered, internet connection is available in the workplace, and the usefulness of social media is emphasized.
社交媒体已成为在 COVID - 19 大流行等医疗危机期间进行交流的另一个平台。本研究旨在评估卫生专业人员对 COVID - 19 相关信息的社交媒体使用情况。
对 370 名卫生专业人员进行了定量横断面研究设计。使用 SPSS 25 版软件对数据进行分析。通过半结构化、自我管理且经过预测试的问卷收集数据。采用描述性和二元逻辑回归分析技术来描述受访者对 COVID - 19 信息的社交媒体使用情况，并确定其相关因素。
约 54%（95%置信区间：48 - 58%）的参与者对 COVID - 19 相关信息有良好的社交媒体使用情况。年龄≤30 岁（调整后比值比[AOR]=2.02，95%置信区间：1.14 - 3.58）、有 Wi-Fi/宽带网络接入（AOR = 2.45，95%置信区间：1.38 - 4.33）、接受过计算机培训（AOR = 2.58，95%置信区间：1.37 - 4.85）、具备基本计算机技能（AOR = 3.28，95%置信区间：1.71 - 6.29）以及社交媒体的有用性（AOR = 3.56，95%置信区间：1.57 - 8.04）被发现是与 COVID - 19 相关信息的社交媒体使用相关的显著因素。
本研究证实，超过一半的卫生专业人员对 COVID - 19 相关信息有良好的社交媒体使用情况。这表明，如果提供基本计算机培训、工作场所具备网络连接且强调社交媒体的有用性，那么社交媒体平台可作为卫生专业人员获取 COVID - 19 相关信息的来源。
