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Social Networks, Health Information Sharing, and Pandemic Perceptions among Young Adults in Hawai’i during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Michael M. Phillips, Rosana Hernandez Weldon, Anam Maniar, Uday Patil, Uliana Kostareva, Joy Agner, Julia Finn and Tetine Sentell ()
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Michael M. Phillips: Office of Public Health Studies, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Rosana Hernandez Weldon: Office of Public Health Studies, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Anam Maniar: Office of Public Health Studies, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Uday Patil: Office of Public Health Studies, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Uliana Kostareva: Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Joy Agner: Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Julia Finn: Office of Public Health Studies, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Tetine Sentell: Office of Public Health Studies, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-14

Abstract: Limited information exists about social network variation and health information sharing during COVID-19, especially for Native Hawaiians (NH), Other Pacific Islanders (OPI), and Filipinos, who experienced COVID-19 inequities. Hawai’i residents aged 18–35 completed an online survey regarding social media sources of COVID-19 information and social network health information measured by how many people participants: (1) talked to and (2) listened to about health. Regression models were fit with age, gender, race/ethnicity, chronic disease status, pandemic perceptions, and health literacy as predictors of information sources (logistic) and social network size (Poisson). Respondents were 68% female; 41% NH, OPI, or Filipino; and 73% conducted a recent COVID-19 digital search for themselves or others. Respondents listened to others or discussed their own health with ~2–3 people. Respondents who talked with more people about their health were more likely to have larger networks for listening to others. In regression models, those who perceived greater risk of acquiring COVID-19 discussed their health with more people; in discussing others’ health, women and those with chronic diseases listened to a greater number. Understanding young adults’ social networks and information sources is important for health literacy and designing effective health communications, especially to reach populations experiencing health inequities.

Keywords: social networks; distributed health literacy; health literacy; COVID-19; native Hawaiian; Pacific islander; Filipino (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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