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Background: The sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information needs of adolescent girls in developing countries are not being met. Aim: The study explored the sexual and reproductive health information needs, information-seeking behaviour and barriers among adolescent girls in the Western Cape, South Africa. Setting: The study was conducted in the South eastern sub district of Cape Town metropole. Methods: The study was conducted at one of the high schools in a highly populated area in the Cape Town metropole. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 adolescent girls aged 16–17 years, who were recruited using purposive sampling techniques. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis framework. Results: Three themes emerged from the data: (1) adolescent girls exhibit limited awareness and comprehension of sexual and reproductive health; (2) the information-seeking behaviours of adolescent girls regarding sexual and reproductive health and (3) barriers to seeking information. Conclusion: The establishment of primary healthcare facilities that are friendly to adolescents, combined with impactful reproductive health education and improved parent–adolescent girl relations, is crucial for promoting sexual and reproductive health among adolescent girls. Contribution: The study offered valuable insights into the SRH information needs, information-seeking behaviour and barriers faced by adolescent girls in accessing SRH information sources and services. These barriers include lack of knowledge about SRH and contraception, challenges within family dynamics, difficulties accessing friendly healthcare services and encountering negative attitudes from healthcare professionals.

Research has found that when a public figure discloses an illness, it can motivate members of the public to reconsider their own health behaviors, particularly when they have a parasocial relationship with the public figure. When the public figure is a politician, it is possible that partisan differences may also influence emotional, attentional, and behavioral responses to health news. We empirically examined public responses to Democrat John Fetterman’s disclosure of his treatment for depression shortly after he was inducted into the United States Senate as the junior senator from Pennsylvania in 2023. Using a survey of adult Pennsylvania residents who identified as eligible voters in April 2023, we found that 204 respondents were aware of the news of Fetterman’s diagnosis of and treatment for depression. Our data revealed that differences in demographics and parasocial relationships—both positive and negative—with Fetterman predicted different patterns of emotional responses to the news. In addition, age, anger, a negative parasocial relationship, and a positive parasocial relationship were associated with additional outcomes, including attention to news about the disclosure and depression-related information seeking. Mental health advocates could use politicians’ depression disclosures to provide information at a time when people are paying more attention to the condition; however, they may need to find other public figures to counteract negative responses to partisan officials. Policymakers could also consider funding mental health campaigns, which could be launched alongside public figure disclosures.

Abstract The applicability of the main theories of risk information seeking to novel risk scenarios is not well understood. According to Hovick, Kahlor, and Liang (Journal of Health Communication 19:511-527, 2014), this study retested the Planned Risk Information Seeking Model (PRISM) and examined the impact of additional variables on the model in order to investigate the critical factors (expanded PRISM) that affect people’s intention to seek information about COVID-19 risks and determine whether the PRISM model is more appropriate in this context than expanded PRISM based on survey data from 1031 Chinese adults. The results showed that PRISM fit the data better. Furthermore, future study should focus on two new variables: source beliefs and past information seeking. Theoretical and practical implications are considered.

Abstract Many people in the advanced stages of dementia require full-time caregivers, most of whom are family members who provide informal (non-specialized) care. It is important to provide these caregivers with high-quality information to help them understand and manage the symptoms and behaviors of dementia patients. This study aims to evaluate ChatGPT, a chatbot built using the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) large language model, in responding to information needs and information seeking of such informal caregivers. We identified the information needs of dementia patients based on the relevant literature (22 articles were selected from 2442 retrieved articles). From this analysis, we created a list of 31 items that describe these information needs, and used them to formulate 118 relevant questions. We then asked these questions to ChatGPT and investigated its responses. In the next phase, we asked 15 informal and 15 formal dementia-patient caregivers to analyze and evaluate these ChatGPT responses, using both quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interview) approaches. In the interviews conducted, informal caregivers were more positive towards the use of ChatGPT to obtain non-specialized information about dementia compared to formal caregivers. However, ChatGPT struggled to provide satisfactory responses to more specialized (clinical) inquiries. In the questionnaire study, informal caregivers gave higher ratings to ChatGPT's responsiveness on the 31 items describing information needs, giving an overall mean score of 3.77 (SD 0.98) out of 5; the mean score among formal caregivers was 3.13 (SD 0.65), indicating that formal caregivers showed less trust in ChatGPT's responses compared to informal caregivers. ChatGPT’s responses to non-clinical information needs related to dementia patients were generally satisfactory at this stage. As this tool is still under heavy development, it holds promise for providing even higher-quality information in response to information needs, particularly when developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals. Thus, large language models such as ChatGPT can serve as valuable sources of information for informal caregivers, although they may not fully meet the needs of formal caregivers who seek specialized (clinical) answers. Nevertheless, even in its current state, ChatGPT was able to provide responses to some of the clinical questions related to dementia that were asked.

Abstract Background Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) literacy allows young adults to make informed decisions about health outcomes. In Peru, roughly one fifth of the population lives in rural areas, and little is known about where young adults in rural areas get their SRH information. The aim of this study was to identify what motivates and influences young adults to seek information and care related to SRH in three rural communities in the highlands of Northern Peru. Methods Five gender-stratified focus group discussions with a total of 24 participants, and nine follow-up interviews were conducted to generate in-depth narrative data and triangulate data from the target group. Participants were women and men aged 18–24. The focus group discussions and interviews explored sources of reproductive health information, the role of informal social networks, barriers to care, and primary health concerns of the target population. Results Main findings include: (1) The two greatest perceived SRH risks were unwanted pregnancy and abnormal discharge; (2) There appears to be limited concern about HIV or other sexually transmitted infections in the narratives; (3) There is a low quality of information concerning SRH, with discrepancies between the genders; (4) A broad spectrum of sources for SRH information were cited, including Internet, traditional healers, and specialized care; and varied by gender and life experience; (5) Having trust in the information source was the primary variable associated with uptake of services and/or access to information for both men and women. However, men reported more embarrassment around seeking services and information, whereas women faced more physical barriers. Conclusions There is a lack of SRH information among young adults in some communities in the northern highlands of Peru. Both schools and health centers were noted as being trusted and established information sources for all genders so could be a key resource to explore as a way to disseminate information.

IntroductionPrimary emotions among the populace during global health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, provide valuable insights. Guided by appraisal theories of emotions, this study explores emotional segmentation by mapping primary emotions related to COVID-19 and investigating their impact on cognitive and behavioral outcomes, including risk perceptions, efficacy beliefs, behavioral intentions, prevention behaviors, and information seeking/avoidance.MethodsStudy 1 surveyed young adults (N = 1,368) to investigate their emotions about COVID-19 and examine the effect of these emotions on risk perceptions, efficacy beliefs, and behavioral intentions regarding mask-wearing and physical distancing. Study 2 replicated Study 1 with a quota-based national sample of U.S. adults (N = 8,454) and further tested the effect of primary emotions on preventive behaviors and information seeking/avoidance.ResultsResults indicated that most people experienced negative emotions, such as sadness, anger, and anxiety. These emotions were associated with varying levels of risk perceptions, efficacy beliefs, behavioral intentions, actual behaviors, and information seeking/avoidance. Notably, across both studies, anxious individuals demonstrated more favorable health-related perceptions and behavioral outcomes compared to those experiencing anger.DiscussionThese findings offer insights into the emotional experiences of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the significant impact of these emotions on risk perceptions and health-related behaviors. Understanding these emotional responses can inform public health strategies and communication efforts during health crises.

This study integrates SOR (Stimuli-Organism-Response) theoretical framework and rational behavior theory within a theoretical framework, incorporating group norms as a moderating factor to investigate the psychological mechanisms influencing Chinese college students' online rumor-refutation behavior amidst public health crises. Using the structural equation modeling research method, data was collected via questionnaires from 1,254 participants in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings indicate that both online and offline information seeking are positively correlated with college students' attitudes and subjective norms. Moreover, the attitudes and subjective norms of college students are positively correlated with the online rumor refuting behavior. Furthermore, group norms serve to strengthen the connection between college students' attitudes and their engagement in online refuting rumors. These results illuminate the psychological underpinnings driving college students' online rumor-refuting actions, offering practical and policy implications for effectively managing rumor behaviors.

In today’s era dominated by social media, crisis communication has become increasingly complex in the evolving landscape of crisis management, shaped by globalization and technological advancements. The pivotal role of social media in facilitating information seeking and sharing during crises underscores the need to identify factors that enhance resilience in crisis communication. As a result, the study presented herein delves into the intricate interplay between information-seeking, information-sharing, and social media usage factors, examining their influence on resilience within the context of crisis management. Utilizing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), the research creates a comprehensive hierarchical model of these factors and elucidates their priorities through expert pair-wise comparisons. The results reveal that information-seeking factors dominate the ranking, highlighting the paramount importance of understanding how individuals seek and engage with information during crises. Specifically, the findings suggest that factors such as media choice, crisis type, and trust play pivotal roles in resilience building during crisis situations. In the realm of information sharing, the study underscores the significance of factors like sentiment, authority, and relevance in shaping the resonance and effectiveness of shared content. Moreover, the analysis unveils the outcomes of social media usage factors, spotlighting elements such as media exposure, uncertainty, and involvement, and showcasing their role in driving individuals’ engagement with crisis-related content on social platforms. By leveraging the AHP methodology, this research unravels the priorities of factors that underpin the efficacy of Social Media Crisis Communication (SMCC). Accordingly, it underscores the potential of AHP as an invaluable tool for navigating the intricate landscape of SMCC literature, offering fresh perspectives and empirical insights. Embracing the prioritized factors unveiled in this analysis, crisis managers and communicators can tailor their strategies to better align with the dynamics of social media and enhance resilience-building efforts in an ever-evolving crisis landscape.

The perception of health risks can influence people’s health behaviors. However, in the context of modern consumer society, few people delve into in-depth discussions on health consumption as a form of health protection behavior. Inspired by the Health Belief Model and Protection Motivation Theory, this study interprets health consumption behavior as a new form of health protection behavior. A survey was conducted on a sample of Chinese youth (N = 885) to explore the mechanisms of action between health risk perception and health consumption behavior using structural equation modeling. The study found that: (1) health risk perception has a significant positive impact on the health consumption behavior of young people; (2) negative emotions and information seeking play mediating roles respectively in the mechanism of the impact of health risk perception on health consumption behavior; and (3) in addition to their individual mediating roles, negative emotions and information seeking behavior collectively play a chained mediation role in this process. Implications of these results, both theoretical and practical, are further discussed.

IntroductionA large body of work has identified a core sense of number supported by the Approximate Number System (ANS) that is present in infancy and across species. Although it is commonly assumed that the ANS directly processes perceptual input and is relatively independent from affective factors, some evidence points at a correlation between ANS performance and math anxiety. However, the evidence is mixed. We tested whether giving participants active control in completing a numerical task would change the relationship between math anxiety on performance.MethodsAdult participants (N = 103) completed a novel four-alternative-forced-choice non-symbolic numerical comparison task. In a repeated-measures design, participants either passively viewed different dot arrays or actively chose to view each array (i.e., active information-seeking) before deciding on the largest quantity. Participants also provided confidence judgments during the passive version of the task.ResultsWe replicated the ratio-dependent signature in participants’ accuracy in both the passive and active versions of the task using this novel paradigm, as well as in trial-level confidence judgments and information-seeking behavior. Participants’ self-reported math anxiety significantly correlated with their accuracy on the passive version of the task. Critically, the correlation disappeared in the active version of the task. Gender also emerged as a predictor of confidence judgments and a moderator of the effect of task on overall accuracy and the effect of active information seeking on accuracy in the active version of the task. Exploratory analysis of estimated Weber Fraction suggests that these results may be driven by auxiliary factors instead of changes in ANS acuity.ConclusionThese findings have implications for understanding the relationship between math anxiety and performance on numerical tasks.

In its broadest sense, curiosity has been described as an intrinsic motivation to acquire novel information; this ‘novelty-seeking’ is notably in the absence of any immediate reward. One way to examine information seeking in animals, has been to present animals with novel objects and measure the way animals gather information through exploration. While this is a standardized and common paradigm, few studies have focused on what factors influence how animals perceive novelty, whilst considering the predicted impacts of an animal’s ‘umwelt’ on exploration. In this study we assessed explorative behaviors in mongooses through both an intra and interspecific view. First, in meerkats (Suricata suricatta) tested in their natural environment, we established that they distinguish familiar from unfamiliar and show increased exploration of novel objects. We also found that odor influenced the meerkats’ explorative action, so that non-odorous items were manipulated longer. Presence of conspecifics influenced approaches to novelty, but not the exploration per se. Human presence interacted with an individual’s level of habituation to impact approaches and exploration of novelty and we found a strong captivity effect on exploration between captive and wild meerkats. Between species analysis showed that yellow mongooses (Cynictis penicillate), a less social mongoose than meerkats, showed higher levels of novelty exploration, when tested within the same habitat. Thus, these findings show that multiple factors, including perceptual abilities (merkwelt) and social factors (sozialwelt), are decisive for when and how animals explore their environment and must be considered both when designing novelty paradigm tests and their interpretations.

Purpose – This research aims to understand how organizational workplace meetings surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic impacted logistics Airmen across the United States Air Force and how these meetings impacted their risk seeking behavior on social media. Design/methodology/approach – This survey research tested an extended Planned Risk Information Risk Seeking Model (PRISM) with organizational meetings as an antecedent to determine if current meetings influenced an Airman's perceived behavioral control, attitude toward seeking, subjective norms, knowledge sufficiency and intention to seek information regarding COVID-19. Findings – Results of the CFA showed that the expanded PRISM model had good model fit. Additionally, using a custom dialog PROCESS macro in SPSS, it was found that perceptions of existing meetings were directly, positively related to attitude toward seeking, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, and indirectly related to knowledge sufficiency threshold and information seeking. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. Originality/value – This research adds to the limited body of knowledge of crisis communication and effectively expands the PRISM model to include an antecedent that helps explain information seeking during times of uncertainty.

In recent years, the TikTok platform has made a significant impact in the social media market worldwide, now holding a large market share in the short video service market popular with young people. Despite all this success, there is little research on how Internet users become loyal to TikTok. Hence, this study proposes a framework based on the use and gratification theory to evaluate the antecedents of adolescents’ continuous use motivations and behavior, and how they influence teenagers’ continuous use of TikTok. The survey population for this study was reached both online and offline. A total of 362 adolescent Chinese users of the TikTok platform were surveyed. The results show that self-expression, entertainment, information seeking, communication, and passing time were derived as adolescents’ motivations to use TikTok. Among these motivations, entertainment, communication, and passing time positively affect user satisfaction with TikTok. Furthermore, user satisfaction and loyalty positively affect the intention to continue using TikTok. Finally, this study advances understanding of adolescents’ use motivation of TikTok and provides new reference material for the continuous innovation of the short video format. AcknowledgmentThis study appreciated the partial financial support from Research Project of Anhui University of Science and Technology in 2023 (Project topic: Research on the construction and improvement strategy of mobile shopping experience evaluation system from the perspective of experience economy; Grant number: 2023yjrc30) and Key Research Projects of Humanities and Social Sciences in Colleges and Universities in Anhui Province (Project topic: Research on the Management Mechanism and Practical Path of Anhui Free Trade Zone; Grant number: SK2020A0199).

Motivationally salient stimuli, such as those associated with reward, can automatically gain attentional prioritisation – even when individuals are motivated to ignore such stimuli. This ‘attentional bias for reward’ has often been interpreted as evidence for involuntary Pavlovian ‘sign tracking’ behaviour. The prioritisation of reward-signalling distractors may additionally reflect a drive to gain information about the state of the world, irrespective of the particular reward that is being signalled. In the current study we assessed whether forewarning participants on each trial as to the upcoming features of a distractor would reduce reward-related attentional capture. This manipulation reduces the information provided by the distractor, without affecting the magnitude of the signalled reward. Using eye tracking in Experiment 1, we found that reward-related attentional capture was virtually eliminated when participants were informed of the upcoming distractor colour (relative to the baseline condition when no information was provided). In Experiment 2, using a response-time version of the task, we again found a significant reduction in reward-related attentional capture when participants received information about the colour of an upcoming distractor, or information about the value of the upcoming reward. Finally, in Experiment 3 we assessed whether participants were using the pre-trial information to strategically inhibit attention to the upcoming distractor colour. The results of these experiments are discussed within the context of information-seeking accounts of reward-related attentional capture effects.

Abstract Background Understanding factors that influence information seeking, assessment of risk and mitigation behaviors is critical during a public health crises. This longitudinal study examined the influence of self-reported mental health during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic on information seeking, risk perception and perceived mask wearing ability. Mental health screener items included fear, anger, and hopelessness in addition to avoidance, diminished functional ability and global distress. Theoretical models inform hypotheses linking mental health items and outcomes. Methods The research employed a longitudinal 6-state 3-wave online panel survey, with an initial sample of 3,059 participants (2,232 included in longitudinal analyses). Participants roughly represented the states’ age, race, ethnicity, and income demographics. Results Women, those who identified as Hispanic/Latinx, Black Americans and lower income participants reported higher overall rates of distress than others. Information seeking was more common among older persons, Democrats, retirees, those with higher education, and those who knew people who had died of COVID-19. Controlling for such demographic variables, in multivariable longitudinal models that included baseline mental health measures, distress and fear were associated with increased information seeking. Distress and fear were also associated with increased risk perception, and feelings of hopelessness were associated with lower reported mask-wearing ability. Conclusions Results advance understanding of the role mental health can play in information seeking, risk perception and mask wearing with implications for clinicians, public health practitioners and policy makers.

ObjectivesTo understand the attitudes and health behaviors of middle-aged and older adults in China after receiving elevated results of tumor markers (TMs) test in the annual health examinations (AHEs) and explore the influencing factors.MethodsA three-section online questionnaire survey was conducted from March 1 to April 30, 2020 in Hangzhou, China, to people who were aged 45 and older and had at least one elevated result of TMs test. Clinical information was collected from the online survey and medical records. Descriptive statistics were carried out followed by regression analyses.ResultsOf 380 participants, 76.1% were unwilling to quit the TMs test in AHEs, whereas 75.3% would take the doctor’s advice and quit unnecessary TMs test; 67.4% felt stressed about their TMs. Among participants with elevated TMs, 76.8% changed lifestyle to keep healthy, 74.2% sought health information, 58.9% requested a TMs retest, and 50.3% did further tests to confirm a diagnosis. Family history of cancer was associated with lifestyle changing; education level, area of residence and health insurance were associated with health information seeking; comorbidity were associated with retests and sequential confirming tests.ConclusionThe application of the TMs test in AHEs among Chinese people may lead to positive and negative behavioral consequences and psychological distress. Doctors have a significant impact on patients’ health behaviors. Accurate indications and adequate communication with patients before and after the TMs test are in great need.

Abstract Background In the European Union (EU), there are over half a million medical devices, varying from pacemakers to software. Medical devices play an important role in health care as they are used in diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, prediction, prognosis, treatment, or to alleviate disease. Medical devices are regulated in the EU by the Medical Device Regulation (MDR), which came into force on 25 April 2017 and into application on 26 May 2021. The demand for regulation arose from the need to establish a transparent, robust, predictable, and sustainable regulatory framework. This study aims to examine how the managers and regulatory professionals in health technology enterprises perceived the application of the MDR and what were their information needs regarding the MDR. Methods A link to an online questionnaire was sent to 405 managers and regulatory professionals representing health technology enterprises in Finland. The study included 74 respondents. Descriptive statistics were used to describe and summarise the characteristics of the dataset. Results Information related to the MDR was fragmented and the necessary information was sought from multiple information sources, while the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea) was regarded as the most important source of information and training provider. To some extent, the managers and regulatory professionals expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance of Fimea. The managers and regulatory professionals were not very familiar with the ICT systems provided by the EU. The size of an enterprise affected how many medical devices it manufactures and generally affected the views about the MDR. Conclusions The managers and regulatory professionals understood the role of the MDR regarding the safety and transparency of medical devices. The available information regarding the MDR did not properly fit the needs of users and there seemed to be a gap in information quality. The managers and regulatory professionals had some difficulties understanding the available information. Based on our findings, we believe it is paramount to evaluate the challenges faced by Fimea and how it could improve its performance. To some extent, the MDR is regarded as a burden for smaller enterprises. It is important to highlight the benefits of ICT systems and to develop them to better meet the information needs of enterprises.

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are next-word predictors built on large language models (LLMs). There is great interest within the educational field for this new technology because AI chatbots can be used to generate information. In this theoretical article, we provide educational insights into the possibilities and challenges of using AI chatbots. These insights were produced by designing chemical information-seeking activities for chemistry teacher education which were analyzed via the SWOT approach. The analysis revealed several internal and external possibilities and challenges. The key insight is that AI chatbots will change the way learners interact with information. For example, they enable the building of personal learning environments with ubiquitous access to information and AI tutors. Their ability to support chemistry learning is impressive. However, the processing of chemical information reveals the limitations of current AI chatbots not being able to process multimodal chemical information. There are also ethical issues to address. Despite the benefits, wider educational adoption will take time. The diffusion can be supported by integrating LLMs into curricula, relying on open-source solutions, and training teachers with modern information literacy skills. This research presents theory-grounded examples of how to support the development of modern information literacy skills in the context of chemistry teacher education.

Software developers new to creating Augmented Reality (AR) experiences often gravitate towards simplified development environments, such as 3D game engines. While popular game engines such as Unity and Unreal have evolved to offer extensive support and functionalities for AR creation, many developers still find it difficult to realize their immersive development projects. We ran an observational study with 12 software developers to assess how they approach the initial AR creation processes using a simplified development framework, the information resources they seek, and how their learning experience compares to the more mainstream 2D development. We observed that developers often started by looking for code examples rather than breaking down complex problems, leading to challenges in visualizing the AR experience. They encountered vocabulary issues and found trial-and-error methods ineffective due to a lack of familiarity with 3D environments, physics, and motion. These observations highlight the distinct needs of emerging AR developers and suggest that conventional code reuse strategies in mainstream development may be less effective in AR. We discuss the importance of developing more intuitive training and learning methods to foster diversity in developing interactive systems and support self-taught learners.

ObjectiveThe rise of online platforms like Douyin, Baidu, and other Chinese search engines has changed how gynecologic oncology patients seek information about their diagnosis or condition. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with information seeking among these patients and to evaluate their predictive performance.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 199 gynecologic oncology patients at a single hospital in China. The patients’ demographic characteristics and scores on the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S and STAI-T) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A and HADS-D) were compared between those who sought information online and those who did not. Logistic regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed.ResultsThe patients’ age, marital status, STAI-S scores, and HADS-A scores were significantly associated with online information seeking. The combined model that included these factors showed good predictive performance with an area under the ROC curve of 0.841.ConclusionThe combination of demographic and psychological factors can be used to predict the likelihood of gynecologic oncology patients seeking information online. These findings can help healthcare providers understand their patients’ information-seeking behaviors and tailor their communication strategies accordingly.

Certain segments of the population reply on charitable or other non-governmental organizations as their main source of support, with these organizations largely funded by those in society who can afford to give. The present study investigated to what extent information transparency influences donation decisions, and whether specific preferences for charities influences information seeking behavior. We recruited 114 participants via Prolific and employed a binary online Dictator Game to address these two study objectives. The results showed that participants’ actual donation behavior was not influenced by their charity preference or the level of information transparency. However, they were more prone to seek out additional information when deciding about the most preferred category of charity. These results raise important questions as to whether the perceived anonymity of online choices may differ from choices carried out in person.

Background: Medical students must develop self-directed information-seeking skills while they are learning vast amounts of foundational and clinical skills. Students will use different resources for different phases of their training. Information literacy training provided to students will be more impactful when it is embedded into courses or assignments that mimic real-world scenarios. The retention of these skills is also improved by early and frequent instruction sessions, paired with formative feedback from librarian-educators. Case Presentation: Librarians received student responses to an information literacy question during two cycles of a Grand Rounds activity. Data were analyzed as follows: sources were grouped according to resource type and assessed for quality, and search terms were aggregated and analyzed to determine frequency of use. A librarian-educator presented the compiled data, making suggestions for improving searching and clarifying expectations for how to improve their resource choices for a second Grand Rounds session. Comparing the M2 Grand Rounds case to the M1 case of the same cohort, the frequency of evidence summary and diagnostic tool use increased and the frequency of search engine, textbook/lecture material, and journal article/database use decreased. Discussion: In the real-world application of back-to-back Georgetown University’s Medical Center Grand Rounds exercises, librarian-led instruction on clinical-specific resources appears to be correlated with an improvement in medical students’ searching behavior. This trend supports the argument that introducing students early to librarian-led education on clinical-specific resources, and providing feedback on their searches, improves students’ information-seeking behavior.

Abstract In 2019, Hurricane Dorian affected Atlantic Canada with widespread impacts across the region. In the days preceding landfall, there was a great deal of discussion about the storm and its potential impacts. This discussion also extended onto Twitter, which provided a platform for users to engage with storm‐related information. In this research, we disseminated a questionnaire to residents of Atlantic Canada from late September to late October through Qualtrics, an online survey provider. The questionnaire explored how Twitter influenced respondents' (n = 1218) self‐reported informational behaviors (i.e., searching, sharing, and processing) and behavioral responses before, during, and after the storm. The results demonstrate that users' informational needs and preferences were closely related to their online behaviors. For example, conduits (i.e., those who both searched for and shared information) were highly proactive users who disseminated information about evacuations, recommended protective actions, and other official guidance more so than others. Conduits were also the most likely to heed official guidance in terms of their own preparedness and response. Amplifiers (i.e., those who only share information) and consumers (i.e., those who only search for information) were also motivated to take action by information they saw online, albeit at lower rates than conduits. Lastly, the results demonstrate that users can be positively influenced by information they see online even if they do not actively engage with it. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that Twitter users may interact with storm‐related information in more nuanced and complex ways than previously understood.

Abstract The Covid‐19 pandemic produced a complex combination of intense negative emotions among the general public, influencing people's coping reactions toward the pandemic. Yet each discrete emotion may affect people's behaviors in different ways. Unveiling the specific emotion–behavior relationships can provide valuable implications for designing effective intervention programs. Through the lens of the appraisal theory of emotion, we assessed the relationships between negative emotions and pandemic‐related behaviors among the Chinese population midst the early outbreak of the pandemic. An anonymous online survey was distributed to mainland Chinese participants (n = 2976), which assessed individuals' emotional states and behavioral reactions to the pandemic. Consistent with the differential appraisal theme underlying each negative emotion as delineated by the appraisal theory, mixed relationships between emotions and pandemic‐related behaviors were revealed. Specifically, anxiety was positively associated with behaviors of seeking pandemic‐related information, sharing such information, and stockpiling preventive goods, yet, contrary to prediction, anxious people were reluctant to adopt preventive measures, which is maladaptive. Sad people sought information less frequently and exhibited lower intention to stockpile preventive goods; but, opposing prediction, they shared information less frequently. Angry people were more active in sharing information and in stockpiling preventive goods. These findings suggest that public health practitioners can utilize the emotion–behavior relationships to identify the vulnerable individuals who tend to adopt maladaptive coping behaviors, help them address emotional distress, and encourage their adoption of effective coping behaviors.

In the post-internet era, the Web has become a conventional Medium for information seeking. Due to the pervasive role of the web in information seeking many scholars have studied its different aspects. The purpose of this study is to further extend the scope of information seeking research by examining the role of the characteristics of the Web (e.g., ease of navigation, ease of searching), properties of information (e.g., organization of information, quality of information, amount of information), and demographic factors in information seeking on the Web. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from participants at a regional university. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were used to analyze the responses. Notable impact of demographics such as gender and age was found in the use of the Web for information seeking. Specifically, it was found that females used the Web for information surfing more than the male participants and also preferred more the availability of information in different media formats. Age was found to be a significant influencer in terms of the importance placed on properties of information (e.g., quality of information) and characterizes of the Web (e.g., ease of search). Contrary to the common perceptions, it was found that as knowledge about computers increased the importance placed on convenience in finding information on the Web decreased. Authoritative offline information sources were still considered highly important in information seeking. The findings of this study will inform research on information seeking and will help information professionals to better facilitate users' seeking of information on the Web.

Background Investigating perceptions of control over mortality risk may be fundamental to understanding health behaviours and tackling socioeconomic gradients in health. Few studies have explored perceptions of control over different causes of death and there is a lack of qualitative risk research. Our aim was to examine participants’ perceptions of control over potential causes of death and the sources that inform perceptions of risk.Method We conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 participants (14 female and 10 male) and conducted a template analysis to analyse the transcripts.Findings We identified six themes to represent participants’ perceptions of control over potential mortality risks and the sources that inform these perceptions: Health-Related Mortality Risks, External Causes of Risk, Finding Balance, Family Medical History, Online Sources of Risk and Health-Related Information, and Health Misinformation. Dying from heart disease was broadly reported as being a controllable risk, whereas cancer was mostly discussed as uncontrollable. Gender-specific cancers were perceived as posing a significant risk to life, however controlling this risk was discussed in terms of screening and treatment, not prevention. Family medical history was discussed as an informative source for longevity predictions, but less so for specific causes of death. Most risk information is retrieved from ‘Dr Google’, though trusted sources, such as NHS websites, are used for validation. Health misinformation online was seen as a problem experienced by other people, rather than the individual.Conclusions Causal pathways between behaviours and specific cancers may not be obvious to individuals. Messages emphasising the broader links between diet, alcohol and general cancer risk may highlight the controllability of cancer risk through improved health behaviours. Furthermore, given the rise in health misinformation, and the belief that it is other people not ourselves that are typically susceptible to believing misinformation online, further attempts are needed to combat this growing ‘infodemic’.

Objective: Parents may use various information sources to obtain information about sport-related concussions (SRC). This study examined SRC-related information sources used by parents of United States middle school children (age: 10–15 years). Methods: A panel of 1083 randomly selected U.S. residents, aged ≥18 years and identifying as parents of middle school children, completed an online questionnaire capturing parental and child characteristics, and utilization and perceived trustworthiness of various sources of SRC-related information. Multivariable logistic regression models identified factors associated with utilizing each source. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) excluding 1.00 were deemed significant. Results: Doctors/healthcare providers (49.9%) and other healthcare-related resources (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WebMD) (37.8%) were common SRC-related information sources; 64.0% of parents utilized ≥1 of these sources. Both sources were considered “very” or “extremely” trustworthy for SRC-related information among parents using these sources (doctors/healthcare providers: 89.8%; other healthcare-related resources: 70.9%). A 10-year increase in parental age was associated with higher odds of utilizing doctors/healthcare providers (adjusted odd ratio (ORadjusted) = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.02–1.16) and other healthcare-related resources (ORadjusted = 1.11, 95%CI: 1.03–1.19). The odds of utilizing doctors/healthcare providers (ORadjusted = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.40–0.84) and other healthcare-related resources (ORadjusted = 0.64, 95%CI: 0.44–0.93) were lower among parents whose middle school children had concussion histories versus the parents of children who did not have concussion histories. Conclusion: One-third of parents did not report using doctors/healthcare providers or other healthcare-related resources for SRC-related information. Factors associated with underutilization of these sources may be targets for future intervention. Continuing education for healthcare providers and educational opportunities for parents should highlight accurate and up-to-date SRC-related information.

Binyam Tariku Seboka,1 Samuel Hailegebreal,2 Misrak Negash,3 Tizalegn Tesfaye Mamo,1 Helen Ali Ewune,1 Girma Gilano,2 Delelegn Emwodew Yehualashet,1 Gelila Gizachew,3 Abel Desalegn Demeke,4 Aynadis Worku,5 Habtamu Endashaw,1 Chalachew Kassawe,3 Endris Seid Amede,3 Reta Kassa,1 Getanew Aschalew Tesfa1 1School of Public Health, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia; 2Department of Health Informatics, Arbaminch University, Arbaminch, Ethiopia; 3Department of Psychiatry, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia; 4Department of Nursing, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia; 5Department of Health Informatics, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Binyam Tariku Seboka, School of Public Health, Dilla University, P.O Box: 419, Dilla, Ethiopia, Tel +251 920612180, Fax +251 46-331-2568, Email bini555tar@gmail.comBackground: This paper investigated mental health literacy level and information seeking behavior, and mental health-related information sources in limited-resource settings, in the case of Ethiopian university students.Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered web-based survey was conducted among Dilla University students, from 1 January to 29 February 2022, with a total of 780 respondents. We presented descriptive statistics using mean, standard deviations, and proportions. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were employed to identify factors associated with mental health literacy and information seeking behavior of students. Further, path analysis was also employed.Results: The result showed 71 (9.1%) respondents had a diagnosed history of mental illness. Overall, 397 (50.9%) respondents were identified as having adequate mental health literacy and 420 (53.8%) sought mental health information. In multivariate analysis, mental health literacy was significantly associated with: being female (AOR = 2.8; 95% CI (1.5– 5.4)), higher digital health literacy (AOR=2.8; 95% CI (1.5– 5.4), seeking mental health-related information (AOR=1.6; 95% CI: (1.1– 2.5)), having family with mental illness, and students in health-related programs (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI (1.0– 4.2)). Furthermore, health-related programs, level of mental health literacy, exposure to mental health problems in the family, and were associated with information seeking behavior regarding mental health. Further, path analysis revealed significant positive associations of information seeking behavior and digital health literacy with mental health literacy.Conclusion: The result indicated the status of university students’ mental health literacy level and information seeking behavior were low and inadequate. This study suggests the need to improve students’ digital health competencies by designing mental health literacy programs by collaboration of different stakeholders, and mental health literacy programs need to optimize access to internet and online resources in the university settings.Keywords: mental health, mental health literacy, information seeking, information source, university students

Researchers are increasingly examining whether hope can motivate action on climate change, or conversely, whether it might demotivate such action. We present a meta-analysis (k = 46) of quantitative studies examining the relationships between measures and manipulations of hope with climate engagement. On average, measured hope was associated with greater climate engagement (r = 0.18); however, this effect differed based on the target of hope. Hope regarding the possibility of respondents taking action was particularly strongly associated with greater engagement (r = 0.40), while in contrast, hope grounded in climate change not being a problem was associated with less engagement (r = −0.40). Hope in response to climate change generally, and domain-general hope, were only weakly associated with greater engagement (rs = 0.13, 0.20). On average, hope manipulations fostered increased engagement, though the increase was small (Cohen’s d = 0.08). Subgroup analyses suggested two promising types of hope manipulations warranting future research: personal efficacy (k = 2, d = 0.18) and in-depth (k = 2, d = 0.49). In contrast, messages suggesting societal efficacy (i.e., providing a sense of possibility that climate change could be addressed) did not significantly or substantially boost (nor discourage) engagement (d = 0.05), and status quo-framed messages (i.e., messages highlighting that environmental conditions could stay the same if climate action is taken) had a marginally significant negative effect on engagement (d = −0.18). After excluding a single outlier, the extent to which manipulations increased hope were not correlated with increases in climate engagement, suggesting the possibility that hope might be incidental to the success of some manipulations rather than a necessary component for promoting engagement. Overall, our meta-analysis does not suggest that increasing hope decreases climate engagement, with the possible exceptions of denial hope and status quo framed messages. Conversely, however, results provide partial yet inconclusive evidence for the hypothesis that increasing hope increases climate engagement. Given the existing published literature, we argue that future researchers should consider study designs that align with theoretical perspectives on how hope promotes climate engagement (e.g., longitudinal designs) and also consider directly assessing populations of interest (e.g., climate activists).

Background: Low levels of Health Literacy (HL) are a global concern as it is unrecognized and widespread. The objective of this review was to identify various community interventions that improved HL rates among the Indian population and to document their health outcomes as reported. Methods: The scoping review was guided by Arskey and O'Malley scoping review methodology. The search was conducted in six databases. Articles were screened at title-abstract and full-text and data was abstracted by two individuals independently. The review was reported according to the (PRISMA- ScR). Intervention data was captured according to the TiDER checklist. Results: A total of nine studies were included from the searches conducted in databases. Of these, five focused on the change in behaviour and four identified the importance of education in improving HL among people in the community. The interventions included: traditional interventions, art-based interventions, interactive learning-based interventions, and technology-based interventions. Conclusion: There are few community-based interventions to improve the health literacy of the population. It is essential to empower communities in making well-informed health decisions. It is important to include healthcare workers in designing and implementing health literacy interventions to improve the outcomes.

Abstract Background Previous studies have identified substantial unmet information needs in people with depression and anxiety. Sufficient information about the disorder, treatment, available services, and strategies for self-management is essential as it may influence quality of care and patients’ quality of life. This scoping review aimed to provide a broad overview of information needs of people with depression and anxiety as well as the sources that they use to seek this information. Methods We included all primary research published in English that investigated information needs or information sources in people with depression or anxiety, with no restrictions imposed on the study design, location, setting, or participant characteristics. Six electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, LISTA, Web of Science) and the grey literature (Google and Google Scholar) were searched for relevant studies published up to November 2021. Two reviewers independently screened articles and extracted data. Narrative synthesis was performed to identify key themes of information needs and information sources. Factors associated with information needs/sources such as demographic variables and symptom severity were also identified. Results Fifty-six studies (comprising 8320 participants) were included. Information needs were categorised into seven themes, including general facts, treatment, lived experience, healthcare services, coping, financial/legal, and other information. The most frequently reported needs in both people with depression and anxiety were general facts and treatment information. Subclinical samples who self-reported depressive/anxious symptoms appeared less interested in treatment information than patients with clinical diagnoses. Information sources were summarised into five categories: health professionals, written materials, media, interpersonal interactions, and organisational resources. Health professionals and media (including the internet) were the most frequently adopted and preferred sources. Although few studies have examined factors associated with information needs and information sources, there is preliminary evidence that symptom severity and disease subtypes are related to information needs/sources, whereas findings on demographic factors were mixed. Conclusions Information needs appear to be high in people with depression and anxiety. Future research should examine differences between subgroups and associated factors such as the treatment course. Personalised information provision strategies are also needed to customise information according to individual needs and patient profiles. Trial Registration The protocol of this scoping review was registered on Open Science Framework (OSF; link: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/DF2M6 ).

Aim: Information and communication behavior of people in the health crisis plays a crucial role in crisis management and affects public perception and interpretation of crises. One of the research gaps is the lack of tools to study the information behavior of the health crisis in Iranian society. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to create and validate a crisis information behavior questionnaire in Iranian society with an emphasis on public crises.Methodology: This research is of mixed type (qualitative and quantitative) which has been designed with the tool-making approach. The present study population was citizens of Ahvaz. Four hundred and ten people participated in this study. Questionnaire construction methods such as apparent validity, content, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess the validity of the structure. Cronbach's alpha was also used to examine the internal consistency of the factors.Findings: In order to evaluate the content validity of the Information Behavior Questionnaire in Crisis, we asked twenty-one university professors to comment on the relevance of each item on a scale of 1 to 4. Quantitative I-CVI and S-CVI indices were extracted from their comments. The impact score index for the apparent validity of all items was an acceptable value of more than 1.5, and for the content validity index, the optimal value scale was 0.92. In load factor, all factors were confirmed with a good explanation in factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha for all factors was acceptable from 0.7 to 0.9. The S-CVI value for the whole questionnaire was calculated at 0.92, which seems to be desirable for the whole scale. I-CVI value was also obtained above 0.79. All items in this questionnaire have a good relationship with the structure, and according to experts, the items measure the same purpose for which they were designed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the construct validity of this questionnaire. Perfect fit and incremental fit indices for the developed structural model indicate the appropriate fit of the model with the experimental data. The values obtained for fitting the model to the experimental data are acceptable, and this indicates that the structural model developed by the items and their related structures have a good fit with the data.In factor analysis, all factors were confirmed with a reasonable explanation, and Cronbach's alpha for all factors was acceptable from 0.7 to 0.9.Conclusion: The results indicate that there are four main factors of information behavior in a crisis. Findings of this study, which were performed using confirmatory factor analysis and using the research background on crisis information behavior identified four factors: health crisis information seeking, health crisis information sharing, media credibility, and orientation towards health crisis information. The scale designed to study the information behavior of the Iranian community in times of health crisis is considered appropriate and recommended for its use to measure information behavior during health crises.

Introduction: Foodborne and waterborne illnesses affect billions of people each year and impose a significant burden on public health globally. To reduce the prevalence of foodborne and waterborne illness in resource-constrained settings like Ethiopia, it is essential to recognize and address the factors that influence health literacy and the sources of health information. We explored health literacy and health information sources regarding foodborne and waterborne illnesses among adults in the Gedeo zone. Methods: A community-based quantitative study was undertaken between March and April 2022 in the Gedeo zone in southern Ethiopia. A semi-structured, pretested, and interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 1,175 study participants selected through a systematic sampling technique. Data were entered in Epidata version 4.6 and analyzed in STATA version 14.2. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the associations between variables at a significance level of 0.05. Further, a structural equation model or path analysis was also used in the data analysis. Result: 1,107 (about 51% men) study participants were included in the analysis. About 25.5% of the participants had a foodborne or waterborne illness in the last six months before the survey. Family members and/or close friends were the most-used channel of health information (43.3%), and the internet or online sources were the least-used (14.5%). The result of path analysis shows that seeking health information, having adequate health literacy, and foodborne and waterborne literacy were significantly associated with lower incidences of foodborne or waterborne illness. Conclusion: Our findings showed that individuals with a higher level of health literacy and foodborne and waterborne illness literacy had a lower incidence of foodborne and waterborne illness. Similarly, obtaining health information is positively associated with lowering the incidence of foodborne and waterborne illnesses. Importantly, our findings show mass media has the potential to reach a large audience when educating adults about foodborne and waterborne illnesses.

The purpose of this study was to explore the social networks and interactions between urban producers in Arkansas through a social network analysis. Using a mixed-methods approach, the current study collected data about participants’ social network interactions and methods of seeking information for urban farming. Results indicated how and where participants preferred to obtain information, peer-to-peer interactions within the network, and key players or opinion leaders in the network. The methods used in the current study may serve as an example of social network articulation for populations without a formal network to assist with outreach to communities potentially underserved by Extension.

Abstract Background The health impacts of COVID-19 are not evenly distributed in societies. Chronic patients are highly affected and develop dangerous symptoms of COVID-19. Understanding their information seeking about COVID-19 may help to improve the effectiveness of public health strategies in the future, the adoption of safety measures, and minimize the spread of the pandemic. However, there is little evidence on information seeking specifically on COVID-19 in this study setting. Therefore, this study aimed to assess information seeking about COVID-19 and associated factors among chronic patients. Method An institutional-based cross-sectional study supplemented with qualitative data was conducted at Bahir Dar city public hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia from April 8 to June 15, 2021. A total of 423 chronic patients were selected using systematic random sampling techniques with an interval of 5. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was fitted to identify factors associated with information seeking about COVID-19. A p-value

The recent advancements in the web allow users to generate multimedia content, resulting in multimedia information proliferation. Existing search engines provide access to multimedia content via a disjoint assembly of media-specific results called verticals. However, this decentralized assembly of media contents requires manual aggregation and synthesizing efforts at the user’s end, hindering the information exploration process and subsequently may cause cognitive overload, hence, demanding innovative tools to discover multimedia content. The researchers have devised numerous state-of-the-art approaches; however, analysis to confirm the efficacy has little emphasis. This study investigates users’ complex multimedia information-seeking behavior over state-of-the-art web search systems to unveil the user’s information-seeking issues. Our research employs between-subjects study and post hoc analysis strategies to analyze participants’ information-seeking characteristics. The study design adopted statistical hypothesis testing to consolidate previous user behavioral studies, confirm existing strategies, and present recommended practices for future general-purpose web search engines. The participants were assigned Google and an advanced discovery search system using the same multimedia dataset to ensure the obtained results’ credibility. The primary behavioral parameters include search efforts, multimedia content exploration, search user interface (SUI), information management and presentation, and user cognition. This study uncovers several inadequacies of the search engines in meeting users’ complex discovery needs, including 29.6% less user engagement, 43% system and searching dissatisfaction, and 32% less knowledge acquisition with 63.9% increased clicking effort on traditional search engines. The results confirmed previous user studies and suggest novel research recommendations statistically significant in multimedia information exploration-related endeavors.

Abstract Aim Media use may strengthen parents’ capacities to deal with parenting issues. This study examined which factors are associated with media use for parenting information. Design Cross‐sectional data of 658 parents of children aged 0–8 years, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands, were analysed. Methods Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine which factors were associated with media use for parenting information. Results The mean age of the participants was 33.8 years (SD = 5.0); 94.7% were mothers; 77.4% used media for parenting information. Parents with more questions or concerns (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.59), and parents who received parenting information from their social contacts (OR: 5.57, 95% CI: 3.22, 9.61), had higher odds of media use for parenting information. Older parents (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91, 1.00), and parents of older children (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.95), had lower odds of media use for parenting information.

Providing accurate and timely public health information is an ongoing challenge for public health officials. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated such challenges and presented unique difficulties in providing public health information, through the parallel rise of an “infodemic” of mis/dis-information. Understanding why individuals select, use and change their public health information seeking behaviors around COVID-19, and the relationship of these decisions relative to participant characteristics, is therefore an important step in understanding and responding to infodemics. This study used a qualitative survey (n = 255) and free-text qualitative questions to ask (1) Why participants use an information source, (2) How participants used an information source, and (3) How information seeking behavior has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were primarily women, born in Australia, with de-facto/married relationships, without children at home, with university/college qualifications, and employed full-time or unemployed/retired. Most participants identified “easiness” and “immediacy” as reasons why they chose and used information, with sources primarily used for planning, communication, and decision making. A minority of participants changed their information seeking behavior since the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who did change, desired more immediate and accurate information. Emergent themes of care and anxiety were also noted, raising questions around the impact of mental load and cognitive labor in some female populations. Women may be suffering from increased cognitive labor and a gendering of public health information seeking behavior in the context of COVID-19. The impact of these attributes on women requires greater empirical research and consideration amongst front line practitioners and public health professionals.

The pandemic of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has contributed more challenges for mothers as the family’s primary caregiver in overcoming the widespread infection. Pandemic-related information is essential for mothers to reduce uncertainty as well as to maintain the health of family members during this unprecedented situation. Adopting the framework of the Situational Theory of Problem Solving, this study extends the theory by, first, testing the mediating role of COVID-19 anxiety on mothers’ information seeking and information forwarding, referred to as active communication action of problem solving, as well as preventive behavior; and second, by predicting the effect of information seeking on preventive behavior. Referring to an online survey from 371 Indonesian mothers, the findings suggest that in terms of direct effect, only problem recognition was found to have no significant effect on situational motivation. The results suggest that Indonesian mothers perceive COVID-19 as personally relevant so that they are motivated to solve the problem by seeking and forwarding related information. In addition, COVID-19 anxiety was found to play a significant role in predicting information seeking, information forwarding, and preventive behavior. The result of this study is expected to give insights for risk communicators and health professionals in Indonesia in communicating COVID-19, particularly to mothers.

Abstract Background Emerging research suggests that survivors of childhood and adolescent cancers are at risk for morbidity and mortality associated with air pollutants. However, caregiver perceptions of the effects of air pollution are unknown. Thus, to address this gap we described caregivers’ perceptions of air pollution’s impact on general population health and specifically on childhood cancer survivors, and caregivers’ air pollution information-seeking and exposure reduction behaviors. Methods Participants were Utah residents, ≥18 years, and caregiver of a childhood cancer survivor who had completed treatment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with caregivers to describe their perspectives on air quality, how air pollution impacts health (general population and survivor health), and their information seeking and exposure reduction behaviors. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed through two rounds of structured coding. Results Caregivers (N = 13) were non-Hispanic white and primarily females (92.3%) between 30 and 49 years old (46.2%). Most families lived within the Wasatch Front (69.2%), the main metropolitan of Utah. Two categories emerged pertaining to caregiver’s perceptions of air pollution: 1) Limited awareness about the health effects of air pollution, and 2) Unsuccessful information seeking and minimal exposure reduction behaviors. All caregivers held negative perceptions of air pollution in Utah, but most were unaware of how pollution affects health. While some families limited air pollution exposure by avoiding outdoor activity or physically leaving the region, few practiced survivor-specific exposure reduction. Nearly half of caregivers worried about potential effects of air pollution on survivor health and wanted more information. Conclusions Despite negative perceptions of air pollution, caregivers were divided on whether air pollution could impact survivor health. Few caregivers engaged in exposure reduction for their cancer survivor. As air pollution levels increase in the U.S., continued research on this topic is essential to managing cancer survivor respiratory and cardiovascular health.

This study systematically examined people’s protective behaviors against COVID-19 in China, and particular attention was given to people’s perceived threat and information-processing strategies. This study constructed a conceptual model and used structural equation modeling to explore this issue, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data involving 4,605 participants during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The results showed that people’s initial information acquisition played an essential role in their behavioral responses; acquiring more initial information about COVID-19 would make them perceive a higher threat and present a higher demand for information, then making them more likely to seek and process information, and subsequently motivating their protective behaviors. In addition to increasing people’s information needs, the perceived threat could also strengthen the analytical assessment and affect protective behavior positively but failed to predict the experiential assessment. Driven by information need, information seeking significantly influenced protective behavior; it also facilitated analytical assessment and decreased experiential assessment, thus predicting people’s protective behaviors. Protective behaviors were spurred by analytical assessment but negatively influenced by the experiential assessment.

In uncertain environments, seeking information about alternative choice options is essential for adaptive learning and decision-making. However, information seeking is usually confounded with changes-of-mind about the reliability of the preferred option. Here, we exploited the fact that information seeking requires control over which option to sample to isolate its behavioral and neurophysiological signatures. We found that changes-of-mind occurring with control require more evidence against the current option, are associated with reduced confidence, but are nevertheless more likely to be confirmed on the next decision. Multimodal neurophysiological recordings showed that these changes-of-mind are preceded by stronger activation of the dorsal attention network in magnetoencephalography, and followed by increased pupil-linked arousal during the presentation of decision outcomes. Together, these findings indicate that information seeking increases the saliency of evidence perceived as the direct consequence of one’s own actions.

Overall, pharmaceutical pictograms seem to improve medication adherence. However, little is known about how warning pictograms (e.g., “do not drive after taking”) on medication packages influence patients’ information-seeking strategies such as consulting the package insert (PI) to determine other features such as the correct dosage. In this online study, participants (358 students) were presented with three fictitious scenarios (e.g., headache after alcohol consumption; factor scenario) in which medication use would be contraindicated. Each scenario was accompanied by a visual presentation of a medication package that could contain three possible pictogram selections or arrangements (factor warning); some arrangements contained pictograms relevant to the situation represented by the scenario, while others did not. Participants had to decide which dosage of the represented medication they were allowed to take in the given scenario. In making this decision, they could consult the PI or not. Overall, in two out of the three scenarios (driving and pregnancy), medication packages with relevant pictograms resulted in fewer PI consultations but led to more correct dosage decisions (“no pill”) than packages with irrelevant pictograms. Pictograms generally played no role in either the review of the PI consultation or dosage decisions in the alcohol scenario. Providing warning-relevant pictograms on medication packages can help people know when they should not take medication even without reading the PI.

This work proposes a structural model highlighting the research skills of undergraduate students. Due to the stages in their research project implementation, mentoring students becomes a crucial initiative in higher education institutions. Despite substantial progress in the literature linking mentoring and skills development, there is a lack of greater emphasis on research skills, especially for undergraduate students facing research work for the first time. Consequently, the direct relation between mentoring and research skills may not be straightforward. Thus, driven by social learning theory, the proposed model highlights the mediating effects of information literacy constructs and competency development on the relationship between mentoring and research skills. An empirical study of 539 participants via Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling supports six of the seven hypothesized paths. Three major theoretical contributions arise from the findings. Firstly, mentoring improves information-seeking skills and information-sharing behaviors and facilitates students’ competency development due to the technical knowledge transfer from the faculty mentor to student mentees. Secondly, information literacy constructs and competency development promote research skills, emphasizing that students with those behaviors and capacities will achieve enhanced research skills. Finally, our findings suggest that mentoring does not directly translate to improved research skills; instead, information-seeking and sharing behaviors and competency development fully mediate such a link. Thus, mentors must shape these behaviors for mentoring to develop students’ research skills. Theoretical and practical insights are outlined from these findings for university leadership to inform the design of mentoring initiatives for undergraduate students.

Abstract Background The use of dietary and herbal supplements (DIHES) is widespread among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). PwMS are a highly informed patient group, and they use several types of sources to seek information on subjects related to their disease. However, it is still unknown where PwMS seek information about DIHES. It is important that PwMS make decisions about DIHES based on accurate, useful and accessible information. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore where PwMS seek information on DIHES and how they experience and engage with this information. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eighteen PwMS using DIHES. Participants were selected from a cross-sectional survey. Diversity sampling was used, based on relevant characteristics such as gender and number of DIHES used during the past 12 months. The interviews were conducted face-to-face or over the telephone and lasted between 30 min and 1 hour. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic network analysis in NVivo 12 Pro software. Results Three main themes emerged in the analysis: i) engaging with healthcare professionals (HCPs) regarding DIHES, ii) social networks as a source of information regarding DIHES, and iii) reliance on bodily sensations. Most participants navigated all three types of sources. All participants had at some point discussed DIHES with an HCP. Information from HCPs was considered reliable and valuable, but HCPs were viewed as uncommitted to the dialogue about DIHES. Recommendations from others were often the driver of decisions regarding use of DIHES. However, the information from PwMS’ networks could be overwhelming and difficult to navigate. Finally, PwMS relied on their own experiences regarding DIHES and let their bodily sensations guide their use of DIHES. Conclusions Participants often rely on all three types of information sources to create a nuanced and comprehensive information base. However, PwMS may feel overwhelmed or confused with all the information they have gathered. These findings indicate the need for better guidance for PwMS concerning DIHES and an openness among HCPs to engage in dialogue.

Access to health- and wellness-related resources is unprecedented, and the desire to attain and use that information is high. However, the information is not always accurate, and individuals may be selectively choosing the information they read and follow. Additionally, although Americans have access to more health and wellness information than ever before, rates of obesity, hypertension, and sedentary lifestyles are still high. This study investigated information seeking for health and wellness-related resources by healthy, educated, young adults and their health and wellness perceptions and behaviors. Five focus groups were conducted with 35 young adults to gather information about diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management. The information-seeking skills and skepticism of information were high for this sample. They were more informed and practiced healthier behaviors related to nutrition and exercise than expected. However, they were less knowledgeable about good sleep hygiene and had varying sleep behaviors. The stress management techniques employed were a balance of healthy and unhealthy behaviors. This study’s findings imply that it would be useful for family and consumer sciences educators and Extension professionals to add educational programming about good sleep hygiene and stress management techniques in addition to nutritional and healthy activity education.

This essay discusses the concept of discovery, intended as content discovery, and defines it in the new context of Open Science, with a focus on Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). Starting from the example of Google Scholar, the authors show that this well established service does not address the current needs, practices, and variety of discovery. Alternatives in terms of technical choices, features, and governance, do however exist, offering richer and more open discovery. The paper presents in particular the implementations and research work of the H2020 project TRIPLE (Transforming Research through Innovative Practices for Linked Interdisciplinary Exploration). Dedicated to the building of a discovery platform for the SSH, the project is meant to address the specificities and evolution of discovery in this field. Prevailing scholarly resource platforms like Google Scholar limit discovery by focussing only on publications, and favouring through their algorithm well-cited papers, English content, and discipline-specific resources. A limitation in the context of cross-disciplinary and collaborative Open Science, such a service more specifically hinders discovery in the SSH. Characterized by a fragmented landscape, a variety of languages, data types, and outputs, research in the SSH requires services that fully exploit discovery potentialities. Moreover, a survey conducted within the TRIPLE project showed that most SSH researchers use Google Scholar as their starting point, and that they recognise the lack of control they have with this system. Beyond the extension of features and content, transparency is the other important criterion for the building of an Open Infrastructure actually serving the research community. In light of this, we present in some detail the GoTriple platform, which exploits today’s technological potential and incorporates the best known functionalities in order to unveil more and innovative scholarly outputs and lead to international and interdisciplinary research project collaborations.