Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.1633/JISTaP.2013.1.1.3

Information Needs and Seeking Behavior During the H1N1 Virus Outbreak  

Majid, Shaheen (Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information Nanyang Technological University)
Rahmat, Nor Ain (Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information Nanyang Technological University)
Publication Information
Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice / v.1, no.1, 2013 , pp. 42-53 More about this Journal
Abstract
Timely access to quality healthcare information during an outbreak plays an important role in curtailing its spread. The aim of this study was to investigate the information needs and seeking behavior of the general public in Singapore during the H1N1 pandemic. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection. The convenience snowball sampling method was used and 260 working adults and tertiary-level students participated in this study. The most crucial information needs of a majority of the participants were: symptoms of H1N1, causes of the infection, preventive measures, and possible treatments. Data analysis also revealed that mass media such as television, newspapers, and radio were most frequently used for seeking the needed information. The use of human information sources was also quite high while only a small number of the respondents accessed online news and healthcare websites. About three-quarters of the participants indicated that the gathered information helped them to stay vigilant and take necessary precautionary measures. A major problem identified by the participants in using H1N1 information was the lack of understanding of certain terms used in public communications. This paper suggests certain measures for strengthening health information communication during future outbreaks.
Keywords
Information Needs; Information Seeking Behavior; N1H1; Swine Flu; Influenza A; Information Sources; Singapore;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Caress, A., Duxbury, P., Woodcock, A., Luker, K., Ward, D., Campbell, M., & Austin, L. (2010). Exploring the needs, concerns and behaviours of people with existing respiratory conditions in relation to the H1N1 'swine influenza' pandemic: a multicentre survey and qualitative study. Health Technology Assessment, 14(34), 1-108.
2 Dickmann, P., Rubin, G., Gaber, W., Wessely, S., Wicker, S., Serve, H., & Gottschalk, R. (2011). New Influenza A/H1N1 ('Swine Flu'): Information needs of airport passengers and staff. Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses, 5(1), 39-46.   DOI   ScienceOn
3 Featherstone, R., Boldt, R., Torabi, N., & Konrad, S. (2012). Provision of pandemic disease information by health sciences librarians: A multisite comparative case series. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 100(2), 104-112.   DOI
4 Gerwin, L. (2012). The challenge of providing the public with actionable information during a pandemic. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 40(3), 630-654.   DOI
5 Holmes, B. J., Henrich, N., Hancock, S., & Lestou, V. (2009). Communicating with the public during health crises: Experts' experiences and opinions. Journal of Risk Research, 12(6), 793-807.   DOI   ScienceOn
6 LagasSE, L. P., Rimal, R. N., Smith, K. C., Storey, J., Rhoades, E., Barnett, D. J., & Links, J. (2011). How accessible was information about H1N1 flu? Literacy assessments of CDC guidance documents for different audiences. PLOS ONE, 6(10), 1-6.
7 Macario, E., Ednacot, E., Ullberg, L., & Reichel, J. (2011). The changing face and rapid pace of public health communication. Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 4(2), 145-150.   DOI   ScienceOn
8 Tausczik, Y., Faasse, K., Pennebaker, J., & Petrie, K. (2012). Public anxiety and information seeking following the H1N1 outbreak: Blogs, newspaper articles, and Wikipedia visits. Health Communication, 27(2), 179-185.   DOI   ScienceOn
9 Thompson, M. R., Heath, I., Ellis, B. G., Swarbrick, E. T., Wood, L. F., & Atkin, W. S. (2003). Identifying and managing patients at low risk of bowel cancer in general practice. British Medical Association Journal: Clinical Research Edition, 327 (7409), 263-265.
10 Walter, D., Bohmer, M., Reiter, S., Krause, G., & Wichmann, O. (2012). Risk perception and information- seeking behaviour during the 2009/10 influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 pandemic in Germany. Euro Surveillance: European Communicable Disease Bulletin, 17(13).
11 Zach, L. (2011). What do I do in an emergency? The role of public libraries in providing information during times of crisis. Science & Technology Libraries, 30(4), 404-413.   DOI
12 Wong, L., & Sam, I. (2010). Public sources of information and information needs for pandemic influenza A (H1N1). Journal of Community Health, 35(6), 676-682.   DOI
13 Yang, Z. (2012). Too scared or too capable? Why do college students stay away from the H1N1 vaccine? Risk Analysis: An International Journal, 32(10), 1703-1716.   DOI   ScienceOn
14 Yip, M., Ong, B., Painter, I., Meischke, H., Calhoun, B., & Tu, S. (2009). Information-seeking behaviors and response to the H1N1 outbreak in Chinese limited-English proficient individuals living in King County, Washington. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, 4(6), 353-360.