Objective: This study aimed to understand students' ability to search the Internet for COVID-19 information and apply it to evaluate the veracity of specific statements. Participants: Undergraduate students (N = 239) at a US university completed a Web-based questionnaire in September--October 2020. Methods: The questionnaire included self-reported…

Objective: To understand student perceptions, interest and intentions of pursuing public health as a result of COVID-19 during educational experiences. Participants: Two hundred seventy-seven students completed the survey representing 38 states and two countries. Methods: An online survey was administered to current undergraduate and graduate…

This paper discusses the implications of health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic for adults with lower literacy skills. It highlights the challenges faced by individuals in understanding complex health information and emphasizes the role of adult educators in providing trustworthy and comprehensible health information. Incorporating health…

The current study investigated the relations between gamified refutations of COVID-19 misconceptions and individuals' emotional reactions and knowledge retention within a large-scale public health education campaign. Refutations have a substantial body of evidence supporting their use to correct misconceptions, yet reduced efficacy has been…

This study explores effective care training factors for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) through social network message combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, based on the theoretical saturation approach, active social networking audiences were sampled and…

Statistics is an important component of the knowledge base for health care professionals. In this essay, it is argued that statistical knowledge for teaching (SKT) should be considered an important component of their preparation as well. Health care professionals often must help others understand the statistical basis for recommendations they…

In pandemic crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals' behavior has a strong impact on epidemiological processes. Compliance with prevention guidelines, such as social distancing, is critical to avoid further spreading an infectious disease or to slow down its spread. However, some individuals also or instead engage in panic behavior, such…

Purpose: At present, almost the whole globe is facing a severe threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The present study examines the intention to stay home due to COVID-19 during a second wave of the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a deductive approach based on cross-sectional data. An online survey is conducted…

Background: Following the spread of COVID-19, the Rhode Island Department of Health delivered its first virtual World Diabetes Day (RIWDD) event. Evaluations exploring advantages and disadvantages of delivering public health events virtually are generally lacking. Purpose: The aims of the present paper were to evaluate the reach, feasibility, and…

The purpose of this study was to describe population knowledge and beliefs about COVID-19 and current social media coverage to address a gap in what is known about risk communication during health crises. A survey with 27 questions was developed. Twenty-three percent (N = 1,136) of respondents started the survey. Less than half of the students…

Objective: Seasonal influenza is a preventable disease that may cause high morbidity and mortality. In the USA, the 2020 influenza season overlapped with the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. There is a dearth of research on understanding influenza vaccination uptake and attitudes towards the vaccine among marginalised…

BACKGROUND: Adolescents are more susceptible than originally thought to COVID-19, and they could play a significant role in community transmission. We aim to evaluate a health education program on students' declarative knowledge and risk awareness concerning COVID-19-related public health recommendations. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pre-post…

The COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by misinformation, politicization of public health, and extreme differences in risk assessment. In two studies, we sought to understand factors that contribute to differences in people's understanding of the virus and associated risks. We found that conservative participants reported higher levels of…

The current COVID-19 situation has seen a plethora of data, statistics and predictions presented to society--some making incredible claims. The authors are concerned that statistics and probability still receive inadequate attention in the classroom, leaving students without the statistical literacy needed to make sense of the claims being made.…

Health literacy (HL) is critical to find, understand and use health information for adopting appropriate health behavior, especially during a pandemic crisis in which people can be exposed to an overwhelming amount of information from different media. To this end, we conducted an online study to first validate the measure of COronaVIrus Disease…