Is the information on infection prevention measures against COVID-19 reaching the target audience? A cross-sectional survey among eating and drinking services in Tokyo, Japan

Ayako Shiozawa; Shinji Ogihara; Yoshikazu Ishii; Kazuhiro Tateda

doi:10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100357

Is the information on infection prevention measures against COVID-19 reaching the target audience? A cross-sectional survey among eating and drinking services in Tokyo, Japan

Public Health Pract (Oxf). 2023 Jan 14:5:100357. doi: 10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100357. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Authors

Ayako Shiozawa¹, Shinji Ogihara¹, Yoshikazu Ishii¹, Kazuhiro Tateda¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Collaborative Regional Infection Control, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Abstract

Objectives: The study aims to evaluate information gathering behaviour (IGB) and its effectiveness in eating and drinking services for infection control during COVID-19.

Study design: A cross-sectional survey using anonymous self-administered questionnaires was conducted in October 2021. Participants were asked what IGB they use to obtain infection control measures, to what extent they understand the measures (and, if they do not understand them, what inhibits their comprehension), and which IGBs they do not currently use and why.

Methods: The sample included 957 eating and drinking services in Ota City, Tokyo. The response rate was 14.5%. Binomial logistic regression was used to analyse the factors associated with the baseline characteristics using Stata v.17.0.

Results: The highest proportion of respondents used television (88.0%); another large proportion (38.9%) used guidelines. Regarding difficulty in understanding the retrieved information, 'difficulty in coming up with specific actions' had the highest ratio for every IGB. Regarding reasons for not currently using IGB, 'it takes too much time to extract the necessary information' showed the highest ratios of all IGBs. Individuals over 60 years had a negative relationship with the use of guidelines and the Internet. Participants also advised that they did not use time-consuming guidelines.

Conclusion: Current information dissemination methods for information on COVID-19 infection control may not successfully convey information or reach their target populations. This study indicates the need for specific expressions and layouts to effectively share information on COVID-19. Also, special means of communication must be established to cater to individuals aged 60 and above.

Keywords: COVID-19; Information gathering behaviour; Services.