Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study
Background 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. Method A quantitative cross-sectional study design was conducted a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2022-07-01
|
| Series: | Digital Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076221113394 |
| _version_ | 1811225472356319232 |
|---|---|
| author | Masresha Derese Tegegne Berhanu Fikadie Endehabtu Jorn Klein Monika Knudsen Gullslett Tesfahun Melese Yilma |
| author_facet | Masresha Derese Tegegne Berhanu Fikadie Endehabtu Jorn Klein Monika Knudsen Gullslett Tesfahun Melese Yilma |
| author_sort | Masresha Derese Tegegne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background 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. Method 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. Results 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. Conclusion 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:06:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ffeb41c0ec95435ea09a3bb112db200e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-2076 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:06:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-ffeb41c0ec95435ea09a3bb112db200e2022-12-22T03:39:04ZengSAGE PublishingDigital Health2055-20762022-07-01810.1177/20552076221113394Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional studyMasresha Derese Tegegne0Berhanu Fikadie Endehabtu1Jorn Klein2Monika Knudsen Gullslett3Tesfahun Melese Yilma4 Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, , Gondar, Ethiopia Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, , Gondar, Ethiopia , Drammen, Norway , Drammen, Norway Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, , Gondar, EthiopiaBackground 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. Method 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. Results 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. Conclusion 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.https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076221113394 |
| spellingShingle | Masresha Derese Tegegne Berhanu Fikadie Endehabtu Jorn Klein Monika Knudsen Gullslett Tesfahun Melese Yilma Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study Digital Health |
| title | Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | use of social media for covid 19 related information and associated factors among health professionals in northwest ethiopia a cross sectional study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076221113394 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT masreshaderesetegegne useofsocialmediaforcovid19relatedinformationandassociatedfactorsamonghealthprofessionalsinnorthwestethiopiaacrosssectionalstudy AT berhanufikadieendehabtu useofsocialmediaforcovid19relatedinformationandassociatedfactorsamonghealthprofessionalsinnorthwestethiopiaacrosssectionalstudy AT jornklein useofsocialmediaforcovid19relatedinformationandassociatedfactorsamonghealthprofessionalsinnorthwestethiopiaacrosssectionalstudy AT monikaknudsengullslett useofsocialmediaforcovid19relatedinformationandassociatedfactorsamonghealthprofessionalsinnorthwestethiopiaacrosssectionalstudy AT tesfahunmeleseyilma useofsocialmediaforcovid19relatedinformationandassociatedfactorsamonghealthprofessionalsinnorthwestethiopiaacrosssectionalstudy |