Coverage of Health Information by Different Sources in Communities: Implication for COVID-19 Epidemic Response

Tran, Bach Xuan; Dang, Anh Kim; Thai, Phong Khanh; Le, Huong Thi; Le, Xuan Thanh Thi; Do, Toan Thanh Thi; Nguyen, Tu Huu; Pham, Hai Quang; Phan, Hai Thanh; Vu, Giang Thu; Phung, Dung Tri; Nghiem, Son Hong; Nguyen, Thu Ha; Tran, Trung Dinh; Do, Khanh Nam; Truong, Dat Van; Vu, Giap Van; Latkin, Carl A.; Ho, Roger C.M.; Ho, Cyrus S.H.

doi:10.3390/ijerph17103577

Open AccessArticle

Coverage of Health Information by Different Sources in Communities: Implication for COVID-19 Epidemic Response

by

Bach Xuan Tran

^1,2,*,

Anh Kim Dang

¹,

Phong Khanh Thai

³,

Huong Thi Le

¹,

Xuan Thanh Thi Le

¹

,

Toan Thanh Thi Do

¹

,

Tu Huu Nguyen

⁴,

Hai Quang Pham

^5,6,

Hai Thanh Phan

^5,6,

Giang Thu Vu

⁷,

Dung Tri Phung

⁸,

Son Hong Nghiem

⁹

,

Thu Ha Nguyen

¹⁰,

Trung Dinh Tran

¹¹,

Khanh Nam Do

¹,

Dat Van Truong

¹²

,

Giap Van Vu

^13,14,

Carl A. Latkin

²

,

Roger C.M. Ho

^15,16

and

Cyrus S.H. Ho

¹⁷

¹

Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

²

Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

³

Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia

⁴

Vietnam Young Physicians’ Association, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

⁵

Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam

⁶

Faculty of Medicine, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam

⁷

Center of Excellence in Evidence-Based Medicine, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh 700000,Vietnam

⁸

School of Medicine, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia

⁹

Centre for Applied Health Economics (CAHE), Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia

¹⁰

Department of Pharmacy, Dai Nam University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

¹¹

Demography and Medical statistics, Faculty of Public Health, Danang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam

¹²

Department of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam

¹³

Department of Internal Medicine, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

¹⁴

Respiratory Center, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

¹⁵

Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore

¹⁶

Institute for Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore

¹⁷

Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore 119074, Singapore

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^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(10), 3577; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103577

Submission received: 22 April 2020 / Revised: 7 May 2020 / Accepted: 13 May 2020 / Published: 20 May 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 Global Threat: Information or Panic)

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Abstract

Health personnel and community workers are at the front line of the COVID-19 emergency response and need to be equipped with adequate knowledge related to epidemics for an effective response. This study aimed to identify the coverage of COVID-19 health information via different sources accessed by health workers and community workers in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey was carried out from January to February 2020 in Vietnam. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used for recruiting participants. We utilized the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the construct validity of the questionnaire. A higher percentage of participants knew about “Clinical and pathogen characteristics of COVID-19”, compared to “Regulations and policies related to COVID-19”. The percentage of participants accessing the information on “Guidelines and policies on prevention and control of COVID-19” was the lowest, especially among medical students. “Mass media and peer-educators” channels had a higher score of accessing COVID-19 information, compared to “Organizations/ agencies/ associations” sources. Participants consumed most of their COVID-19 information via “Internet, online newspapers, social networks”. Our findings indicate an urgency to re-design training programs and communication activities for a more effective dissemination of information related to the COVID-19 epidemic or epidemics in general.

Keywords: COVID-19; health communication; social networks; Vietnam

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MDPI and ACS Style

Tran, B.X.; Dang, A.K.; Thai, P.K.; Le, H.T.; Le, X.T.T.; Do, T.T.T.; Nguyen, T.H.; Pham, H.Q.; Phan, H.T.; Vu, G.T.; et al. Coverage of Health Information by Different Sources in Communities: Implication for COVID-19 Epidemic Response. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 3577. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103577

AMA Style

Tran BX, Dang AK, Thai PK, Le HT, Le XTT, Do TTT, Nguyen TH, Pham HQ, Phan HT, Vu GT, et al. Coverage of Health Information by Different Sources in Communities: Implication for COVID-19 Epidemic Response. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(10):3577. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103577

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tran, Bach Xuan, Anh Kim Dang, Phong Khanh Thai, Huong Thi Le, Xuan Thanh Thi Le, Toan Thanh Thi Do, Tu Huu Nguyen, Hai Quang Pham, Hai Thanh Phan, Giang Thu Vu, and et al. 2020. "Coverage of Health Information by Different Sources in Communities: Implication for COVID-19 Epidemic Response" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 10: 3577. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103577

APA Style

Tran, B. X., Dang, A. K., Thai, P. K., Le, H. T., Le, X. T. T., Do, T. T. T., Nguyen, T. H., Pham, H. Q., Phan, H. T., Vu, G. T., Phung, D. T., Nghiem, S. H., Nguyen, T. H., Tran, T. D., Do, K. N., Truong, D. V., Vu, G. V., Latkin, C. A., Ho, R. C. M., & Ho, C. S. H. (2020). Coverage of Health Information by Different Sources in Communities: Implication for COVID-19 Epidemic Response. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3577. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103577

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Coverage of Health Information by Different Sources in Communities: Implication for COVID-19 Epidemic Response

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