The Relationship between the Perception of Health News and Infodemic in Adults with Chronic Diseases

Abstract

Aim: This study examined the relationship between the perception of health news and infodemic in adults with chronic diseases. 
Method: The study was a descriptive and correlational design. The population consisted of adults with chronic illnesses, and a total of 332 participants were included in the study. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, the Perception of Health News Scale, and the Infodemic Scale. Numbers, percentages, means, standard deviations, and Pearson correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. 
Results: Of the participants, 59.3% were female, and the mean age was 55.05±13.42 years. The mean score on the Perception of Health News Scale was 80.67±11.35, while the mean score on the Infodemic Scale was 52.86±6.43. A statistically significant relationship was found between perception of health news and infodemic scores (p = 0.001), indicating that as participants’ perception of health news increased, their infodemic levels also increased. The perception of health news scores accounted for 2.8% of the variance in infodemic scores. 
Conclusion: The results demonstrated a relationship between participants’ perception of health news and the infodemic. Individuals with chronic diseases should be educated on how to assess the reliability of information sources and avoid health news from unverified origins critically.

Keywords

• Health news
• infodemic
• chronic patients
• access to health information

Kronik Hastalığı Olan Yetişkinlerde Sağlık Haber Algısı ve İnfodemi İlişkisi

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmada amaç, kronik hastalığı olan yetişkinlerde sağlık haber algısı ve infodemi arasındaki ilişkiyi değerlendirmektir.
Yöntem: Çalışma tanımlayıcı ve ilişki arayıcı türdedir. Çalışmanın evrenini yetişkin kronik hastalar oluşturmaktadır. Çalışma kapsamında 332 katılımcıya ulaşılmıştır. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak Tanıtıcı Bilgi Formu, Sağlık Haberleri Algısı Ölçeği, İnfodemi Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Çalışma verilerinin analizinde sayılar, yüzdelikler, ortalama, standart sapma ve pearson korelasyon analizi kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Çalışmaya göre katılımcıların %59,3’ü kadın ve yaş ortalaması 55,05±13,42’dir. Katılımcıların sağlık haber algısı ölçek puanı 80,67±11,35, infodemi ölçek puanı 52,86±6,43’dür.  Katılımcıların sağlık haber algısı puanı arttıkça infodemi puanı artmaktadır. Sağlık haber algısı puanı ile infodemi puanı arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmuştur (p=0,001). Sağlık haber algısı puanı, infodemi puanındaki değişimin %2,8’ini açıklamaktadır. 
Sonuç: Çalışma sonuçları, katılımcıların sağlık haber algısı ve infodemi arasında ilişki olduğunu göstermiştir. Kronik hastalığı olan bireyler, bilgi kaynaklarının güvenilirliğini nasıl değerlendirecekleri ve kaynağı doğrulanmamış sağlık haberlerinden nasıl kaçınacakları konusunda eğitilmelidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sağlık haberleri
• infodemi
• kronik hastalar
• sağlık bilgisine erişim

Kaynakça

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