Main COVID-19 information sources in a culturally and linguistically diverse community in Sydney, Australia: A cross-sectional survey.
J Ayre, D M Muscat, O Mac and 12 others
PMID 35369997WHAT IT FOUND
In Greater Western Sydney, people from ten language groups mostly used TV, commercial media and social media for COVID-19 information.
Older adults, inadequate health literacy and poor English found it harder to find easy-to-understand English information.
Key findings
01Most common COVID-19 information sources were official Australian/public broadcasters (59.5%), Australian commercial sources (58.9%) and social media (56.2%).
02Older participants, those with inadequate health literacy and those with poor English proficiency reported greater difficulty finding easy-to-understand English-language COVID-19 information.
03Using social media as a main source was associated with higher COVID-19 knowledge and risk perception, while relying on friends or family living in Australia was associated with lower self-reported prevention behaviours.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a convenience sample, and response rate data were not available. Recruitment was lower than anticipated for some language groups, so estimates for those groups may be less reliable. The survey closed before some recruitment targets were reached. Some participants were recruited through health services, which may have overestimated reliance on health professionals. Knowledge and prevention behaviours were self-reported, and the knowledge test was simple, so high scores may not show true understanding or behaviour. The study covered ten language groups in Greater Western Sydney in 2021, so it may not apply to all patients or settings.
Declared interests
No competing interests were stated. The research received no specific grant; academic authors were supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council, Heart Foundation and Western Sydney Local Health District.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that social media caused higher knowledge or that relying on family caused lower prevention behaviours. The survey was cross-sectional and used self-reported information, so it shows associations, not proof that one thing caused the other.