How Media Literacy and Science Media Literacy Predicted the Adoption of Protective Behaviors Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9604100 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1087-0415 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 10810730 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Health Commun

Publication: Apr./June 1998- : Philadelphia : Taylor & Francis
Original Publication: Washington, DC : Taylor & Francis, c1996-

Health Behavior* ; Health Literacy* ; Mass Media*; COVID-19/*epidemiology ; Pneumonia, Viral/*epidemiology; Communicable Disease Control ; Humans ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral/virology ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; United States/epidemiology

Individuals must navigate complex media environments filled with frequently changing and varyingly credible information to acquire and apply health information during times of uncertainty and danger. A process model tested in two U.S. national surveys in spring (N = 1220) and summer (N = 1264) of 2020 tested how three media literacy constructs (about sources, content, and science information) predicted the adoption of behaviors protective for COVID-19. Results showed that the three media literacy constructs were mediated by knowledge of COVID-19 (wave 1 TE = 0.190; wave 2 TE = 0.190) and expectancies (wave 1 TE = 0.496; wave 2 TE = 0.613). The model was confirmed as largely consistent across the two waves of data collection with independent samples. Results show the importance of expectancies for mediating the effects of media literacy, efficacy, and knowledge on behavior. The study suggests that media literacy and science media literacy skills aid health behavior adoption by contributing to knowledge gain and expectancies.

Date Created: 20210430 Date Completed: 20210701 Latest Revision: 20210701

20221213

10.1080/10810730.2021.1899345

33928871