Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Masresha Derese Tegegne; Berhanu Fikadie Endehabtu; Jorn Klein; Monika Knudsen Gullslett; Tesfahun Melese Yilma

doi:10.1177/20552076221113394

Use of social media for COVID-19-related information and associated factors among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Digit Health. 2022 Jul 11:8:20552076221113394. doi: 10.1177/20552076221113394. eCollection 2022 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Masresha Derese Tegegne¹, Berhanu Fikadie Endehabtu¹, Jorn Klein², Monika Knudsen Gullslett², Tesfahun Melese Yilma¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
² Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Drammen, Norway.

Abstract

Background: Social media has become an alternative platform for communication during medical crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess social media usage for COVID-19-related information among health professionals.

Method: A quantitative cross-sectional study design was conducted among 370 health professionals. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 software. Data were collected using a semi-structured, self-administered, and pre-tested questionnaire. Descriptive and binary logistic regression analysis techniques were used to describe respondents' social media usage for COVID-19 information and identify its associated factors.

Results: About 54% (95% CI: 48-58%) of the participants had good social media usage for COVID-19-related information. Age≤30 (AOR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.14-3.58), Wi-Fi/broadband Internet access (AOR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.38-4.33), taking computer training (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.37-4.85), basic computer skill (AOR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.71-6.29), and usefulness of social media (AOR = 3.56, 95% CI: 1.57-8.04) were found to be the significant factors associated with usage of social media for COVID-19-related information.

Conclusion: The present study confirms that more than half of health professionals had good social media usage for COVID-19-related information. This shows that social media platforms can be used as a source of COVID-19-related information for health professionals if basic computer training is offered, internet connection is available in the workplace, and the usefulness of social media is emphasized.

Keywords: COVID-19; Ethiopia; Social media usage; health information; health professionals.