Misinformation messages shared via WhatsApp in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory study.

Little is known about the role of WhatsApp in spreading misinformation during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. The aim of this study is to analyze the message content, format, authorship, time trends and social media distribution channels of misinformation in WhatsApp messages in Mexico. From March 18 to June 30, 2020 the authors collected all WhatsApp messages received via their personal contacts and their social networks that contained information about COVID-19. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the scientifically inaccurate messages and the relationship between variables, respectively. Google image and video searches were carried out to identify sharing on other social media. Out of a total of 106 messages, the most frequently mentioned COVID-19 related message topics were prevention (20.0%), conspiracy (18.5%), therapy (15.4%) and origin of the virus (10.3%), changing throughout the pandemic according to users' concerns. Half of all WhatsApp messages were either images or videos. WhatsApp images were also shared on Facebook (80%) and YouTube (~50%). Our findings indicate that the design of information and health promotion campaigns requires to be proactive in adapting to the changes in message content and format of misinformation shared through encrypted social media.

As an encrypted social media platform with hardly accessible content, little is known about the role of WhatsApp in spreading misinformation messages (either false or misleading information) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. In this study, researchers studied the content, format, time and channel of distribution of WhatsApp messages containing information about COVID-19 collected via their personal contacts and their social networks from March 18 to June 30, 2020. Half of all messages were visually-appealing and the content changed according to the population´s concerns. WhatsApp messages were also distributed in several other social media platforms. Understanding the format and content of misinformation may help to design dynamic health information and promotion campaigns against it. Regulations of public social media such as Youtube can have a positive impact on WhatsApp.

Impacts of social isolation and risk perception on social networking intensity among university students during covid-19.

This paper aims to examine the impacts of social isolation and risk perception on social networking intensity during COVID-19. Data was gathered from 345 university students. The present study empirically analyzed the data through a partial least squares methodology. The analysis showed that perceived behavioral control positively impacts social networking intensity. Affective risk perception positively affects subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Cognitive risk perception has a significant association with both subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Moreover, cabin fever syndrome serves as the key determinant of both sub-scales of risk perception. This study is novel in that it organically examines the effects of risk perception, social action, and closure on social networking. The current research and findings will offer useful implications for service providers in the social network industry.

HPV vaccine narratives on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic: a social network, thematic, and sentiment analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased online interactions and the spread of misinformation. Some researchers anticipate benefits stemming from improved public awareness of the value of vaccines while others worry concerns around vaccine development and public health mandates may have damaged public trust. There is a need to understand whether the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine development, and vaccine mandates have influenced HPV vaccine attitudes and sentiments to inform health communication strategies. METHODS: We collected 596,987 global English-language tweets from January 2019-May 2021 using Twitter's Academic Research Product track. We determined vaccine confident and hesitant networks discussing HPV immunization using social network analysis. Then, we used a neural network approach to natural language processing to measure narratives and sentiment pertaining to HPV immunization. RESULTS: Most of the tweets in the vaccine hesitant network were negative in tone (54.9%) and focused on safety concerns surrounding the HPV vaccine while most of the tweets in the vaccine confident network were neutral (51.6%) and emphasized the health benefits of vaccination. Growth in negative sentiment among the vaccine hesitant network corresponded with legislative efforts in the State of New York to mandate HPV vaccination for public school students in 2019 and the WHO declaration of COVID-19 as a Global Health Emergency in 2020. In the vaccine confident network, the number of tweets concerning the HPV vaccine decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic but in both vaccine hesitant and confident networks, the sentiments, and themes of tweets about HPV vaccine were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Although we did not observe a difference in narratives or sentiments surrounding the HPV vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a decreased focus on the HPV vaccine among vaccine confident groups. As routine vaccine catch-up programs restart, there is a need to invest in health communication online to raise awareness about the benefits and safety of the HPV vaccine.

Outline of a project for nursing health education on the Instagram social network.

OBJECTIVES: to characterize the outline of a project for health education and its contributions to the propagation of information on the Instagram social network. METHODS: exploratory and descriptive research on an Instagram profile called "@resenhadasaude";. Data collection: from July 23, 2020, to April 21, 2021. Interaction metrics were generated on 36 posts. Simple and percentage statistical analysis were applied. RESULTS: there are 1,016 followers in Brazil, with a 206.02% growth. The largest audience is teenagers, young people, and women, with a gender difference of 41.8%. The greatest interest was about covid-19, sexual health, and drugs. Followers' misconceptions reinforce the need for the dissemination of quality information. CONCLUSIONS: Instagram metrics point to the project's validation in terms of audience interest, mostly adolescents and youth. Instagram proved to be powerful for educational purposes and information dissemination, as well as an autonomous field for nursing.

Pediatric allergy and immunology for patients and parents: challenges of developing website and social network during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of a website and the creation of a social network account about pediatric allergy/immunology with reliable information, to promote education and have a channel for patient-doctor contact. METHODS: This is a descriptive study. A survey was conducted with 93 patients (12 years and older) and caregivers of a Pediatric Allergy/Immunology outpatient clinic, to assess internet usage patterns of potential users. A webpage in Portuguese and an Instagram® account were launched in which it was created an area for patient-doctor communication in the pandemic context. RESULTS: Among 93 participants, 77% were female, 82% caregivers. Median age was 33.2 years, family income 403 dollars/month. The internet was accessed via smartphone by 81,7% of the participants; 76% reported using internet to access health information but 72% did not trust on the information from the internet, and 96% believed that an institutional site could provide meaningful information. From the website release in November 6, 2018 to January 20, 2022, it was counted 10,062 page views by 4,896 users; 55% were 18-34 years old, 70.2% female. Instagram® account gathered 882 followers. Website went through a period of instability during which access were not counted. Due to social isolation during COVID-19 pandemic, the website served as a tool for first response to help patients and doctors. CONCLUSIONS: Patients and caregivers of the Pediatric Allergy/Immunology service, consulted about digital tools, considered the information supported by a teaching/research institution timely and relevant. The website and Instagram® account have both performed well and shown good return in relation to hits, and results are continuously being evaluated. During COVID-19 pandemic, the website has been connecting patients/families and doctors.

COVID-19 Risk Perceptions Among College Students: Social Media, National News Media, and Indirect Experience.

This study explored how national news media use and social media use were related to indirect experience of COVID-19 that was associated with higher personal risk perception. Based on a survey of 358 college students, we found that national news media use was unrelated to indirect experience, and its relationship to risk perception was limited to the societal level. Instagram use, in contrast, was related to indirect experience and in turn related to higher personal risk perception. However, without the mediating role of indirect experience, Instagram use was related to lower personal risk perception. Drawing upon these findings, we discuss the importance of social networks (i.e., individuals to whom people are connected in everyday life) in studies of risk perception.

PrEP disclosure and discussions within social networks of people who inject drugs experiencing homelessness: a brief report.

BACKGROUND: In the context of increasing injection-related HIV outbreaks across the United States, particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID) experiencing homelessness, there is an urgent need to expand access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. Peer-based interventions for PrEP could be helpful for promoting PrEP uptake, yet the social experiences of using PrEP among PWID experiencing homelessness have not been thoroughly explored. METHODS: To better understand social experiences surrounding PrEP use among PWID experiencing homelessness, we conducted qualitative interviews from March-December 2020 with current and former PrEP patients of an innovative, low-threshold program implemented by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) in Boston, MA. Thematic analysis of coded interview data explored participants' perspectives and experiences with PrEP disclosure and discussions within their social networks. RESULTS: Among interviews with 21 participants, we identified the following four interrelated aspects of their social experiences using PrEP: (1) participants' were aware of increasing HIV transmission within their social networks, which motivated their PrEP use and disclosure; (2)  participants generally avoided disclosing their PrEP use within public spaces or casual conversations; (3)  participants expressed greater willingness to discuss PrEP with their close social contacts; and (4)  some participants self-identified as leaders or expressed interest in leading the dissemination of PrEP information within their social networks. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the significance of PrEP disclosure and discussions within the social networks of PWID experiencing homelessness, suggesting a need for continued social network and intervention research-particularly to establish the feasibility and acceptability of peer-based interventions for promoting PrEP-with this marginalized population.

Recruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal studies are critical to informing evolving responses to COVID-19 but can be hampered by attrition bias, which undermines their reliability for guiding policy and practice. We describe recruitment and retention in the Optimise Study, a longitudinal cohort and social networks study that aimed to inform public health and policy responses to COVID-19. METHODS: Optimise recruited adults residing in Victoria, Australia September 01 2020-September 30 2021. High-frequency follow-up data collection included nominating social networks for study participation and completing a follow-up survey and four follow-up diaries each month, plus additional surveys if they tested positive for COVID-19 or were a close contact. This study compared number recruited to a-priori targets as of September 302,021, retention as of December 31 2021, comparing participants retained and not retained, and follow-up survey and diary completion October 2020-December 2021. Retained participants completed a follow-up survey or diary in each of the final three-months of their follow-up time. Attrition was defined by the number of participants not retained, divided by the number who completed a baseline survey by September 302,021. Survey completion was calculated as the proportion of follow-up surveys or diaries sent to participants that were completed between October 2020-December 2021. RESULTS: At September 302,021, 663 participants were recruited and at December 312,021, 563 were retained giving an overall attrition of 15% (n = 100/663). Among the 563 retained, survey completion was 90% (n = 19,354/21,524) for follow-up diaries and 89% (n = 4936/5560) for monthly follow-up surveys. Compared to participants not retained, those retained were older (t-test, p <  0.001), and more likely to be female (χ2, p = 0.001), and tertiary educated (χ2, p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: High levels of study retention and survey completion demonstrate a willingness to participate in a complex, longitudinal cohort study with high participant burden during a global pandemic. We believe comprehensive follow-up strategies, frequent dissemination of study findings to participants, and unique data collection systems have contributed to high levels of study retention.

Dreams Shared on Social Networks during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Tower of Babel or Noah's Ark?-A Group-Analytic Perspective.

Dream sharing is a universal practice, and various incentives have been identified, including emotional processing, emotional relief, and demands for containment. Shared dreams can contribute to an individual's understanding of social reality during traumatic and stressful events. The present study examined dreams shared on social network sites (SNS) during the first COVID-19 lockdown, applying a group-analytic approach. A qualitative dream content analysis conducted by a group of researchers analyzed 30 dreams shared on SNS, focusing on their contents, dominant emotions, and unique group processes. The dream content analysis yielded three meaningful and coherent themes: (1) dominant threats: enemy, danger, and COVID-19; (2) emotional fusion: confusion and despair alongside recovery and hope; and (3) group processes characterized by movement between being alone and being together. The results deepen our understanding of both unique social and psychological group processes and of people's main experiences and key psychological coping mechanisms in times of collective trauma and natural disasters. They also demonstrate the transformative potential of dreamtelling for individuals' coping experiences and building hope through the creative social relationships formed within SNS groups.

Nursing Students' Perception about Gender Inequalities Presented on Social Networks: A Qualitative Study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, gender inequalities in nurses have been exacerbated through the images shown on social networks. This study aimed to explore and describe nursing students' experiences and perceptions about gender inequalities in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive qualitative study was carried out in two universities in 264 undergraduate nursing students. The photovoice method was used to guide the study. Results: Two main categories and four subcategories were described from the data: "gender-related stereotypes", with "male leadership in a female profession" and "sexualization of female nurses" and "women's vulnerability in the pandemic" with "the gender gap in the face of increased risk of contagion " and "women's emotional fragility". Over the years, care has been considered a female task, and nursing continues to be thought of in this way. The nurse has been discriminated against, poorly considered as a professional, and, as a woman, subjected to gender roles.

Instagram as an informative tool for the news science project / Instagram como ferramenta informativa do projeto ciência news / Instagram como herramienta informativa para el proyecto ciência news

O presente trabalho traz o relato de experiência da criação de um perfil no Instagram, realizado pela Câmara de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão (CENPEX) da Faculdade Ciências da Vida (FCV) de Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, como meio de disseminar informações científicas ao público interno e externo à FCV. Diante da impossibilidade de se realizar atividades extensionistas no formato presencial, devido à pandemia da Covid-19, o ensino da FCV foi interrompido de modo presencial em março de 2020 e passou a ser remoto. Desta forma, foi criado, pela CENPEX, um projeto de extensão e pesquisa voltado para divulgação científica nas redes sociais envolvendo temáticas na área de saúde, meio ambiente, sustentabilidade e direitos humanos. O grupo de extensão e pesquisa, composto por professores e pesquisadores da FCV, selecionou alunos de diferentes cursos da faculdade e os direcionou à criação de um perfil no Instagram denominado @cenpexfcv que passou a ter o papel principal de difundir informações científicas confiáveis. O objetivo foi de conscientizar a população em geral no entendimento de diferentes temáticas relacionadas especialmente à Covid- 19, em virtude da pandemia, de modo a combater fake news. O perfil disponibiliza posts, animações, informativos, folders, enquetes e lives com profissionais especialistas, que buscam sanar as dúvidas dos seguidores. Ao longo dos oito meses de projetos, já foram montadas 94 formas interativas de divulgação, que, quantitativamente, tem mostrado o crescimento no engajamento, considerado como um aspecto positivo do projeto. Dessa forma, pode-se inferir que o uso de mídias sociais, como o Instagram, quando utilizada de forma direcionada e com informações fidedignas, podem contribuir efetivamente para o desenvolvimento da divulgação científica.

This work presents an experience report of the creation of a profile on Instagram, carried out by the Chamber of Teaching, Research and Extension (CENPEX) of the Faculdade Ciências da Vida (FCV) at Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, as a means of disseminating scientific information to the internal and external public to FCV. Faced with the impossibility of carrying out extension activities in in-campus format, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the face-to-face teaching of FCV was interrupted in March 2020 and became remote. In this way, CENPEX created an extension and research project aimed at scientific dissemination on social networks involving themes in the area of health, environment, sustainability and human rights. The extension and research group, made up of FCV professors and researchers, selected students from different courses at the faculty and directed them to create an Instagram profile called @cenpexfcv, which took on the main role of disseminating reliable scientific information. The objective was to raise the awareness of the general population in understanding different issues related especially to Covid-19, due to the pandemic, in order to combat fake news. The profile provides posts, animations, newsletters, folders, polls and lives with specialist professionals, who seek to resolve the doubts of the followers. Over the eight months of the project, 94 interactive forms of dissemination have already been set up, which, quantitatively, have shown the growth in engagement, considered as a positive aspect of the project. Thus, it can be inferred that the use of social media, such as Instagram, when used in a targeted way and with reliable information, can effectively contribute to the development of scientific dissemination.

Este trabajo trae el informe de la experiencia de la creación de un perfil en Instagram, realizado por la Cámara de Enseñanza, Investigación y Extensión (CENPEX) de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida (FCV) de Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, como medio de difusión de información científica al público interno y externo a la FCV. Ante la imposibilidad de realizar actividades de extensión en formato presencial, debido a la pandemia del Covid-19, la enseñanza en la FCV se interrumpió en modalidad presencial en marzo de 2020 y pasó a ser a distancia. Así, se creó, por parte del CENPEX, un proyecto de extensión e investigación enfocado a la divulgación científica en redes sociales que involucra temas en el área de salud, medio ambiente, sostenibilidad y derechos humanos. El grupo de extensión e investigación, compuesto por profesores e investigadores de la FCV, seleccionó a estudiantes de diferentes cursos de la facultad y los orientó a la creación de un perfil en Instagram llamado @cenpexfcv que comenzó a tener como función principal la difusión de información científica confiable. El objetivo era sensibilizar a la población en general en la comprensión de diferentes temas relacionados especialmente con Covid-19, debido a la pandemia, para combatir las fake news. El perfil ofrece posts, animaciones, boletines, carpetas, encuestas y vidas con expertos profesionales, que buscan responder a las preguntas de los seguidores. A lo largo de los ocho meses de proyecto, ya se han reunido 94 formas interactivas de difusión, lo que, cuantitativamente, ha demostrado el crecimiento del compromiso, considerado como un aspecto positivo del proyecto. Por lo tanto, se puede deducir que el uso de las redes sociales, como Instagram, cuando se utiliza de forma selectiva y con información fiable, puede contribuir eficazmente al desarrollo de la divulgación científica.

Social Networks May Shape Visually Impaired Older Adults' Occupational Engagement: A Narrative Inquiry.

Age-related vision loss (ARVL) has been shown to interfere with older adults' occupational engagement. The primary purpose was to examine the role social networks play in facilitating/constraining engagement in desired occupations for older adults with ARVL. This study adopted a constructivist narrative methodology. Five older adults, ≥ 60 years of age with ARVL, participated in three virtual interviews, which were coded using thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were identified: (a) Diverse Social Networks Fulfill Different Occupational and Psychosocial Needs, (b) Retaining a Sense of Independence through Seeking Reciprocity in Social Relationships, and (c) Community Mobility and Technology Support as Essential for Preserving Social Relationships. Findings broaden understandings of how informal/formal social networks are involved in shaping visually-impaired older adults' adaptation to ARVL and related occupational changes. Findings may help improve the quality and delivery of low-vision rehabilitation services to optimize their contribution to occupational engagement.

Rompiendo la infodemia: descubriendo el SARS-CoV-2 / Breaking infodemic: discovering SARS-CoV-2

By December 2019, multiple cases of unexplained pneumonia were reported in some hospitals in the city of Wuhan, China. Since then, it had been confirmed that it corresponded to an acute respiratory infection caused by a new coronavirus that spread quickly, becoming pandemic in a very short time. On the other hand, this pandemic forced confinement for months, something unprecedented. In that time, millions of people went online for entertainment, education, etc. Consequently, the use of the Internet increased, bringing, on the one hand, online education, and entertainment on the Internet, ensuring social distancing; and on the other hand, it brought new new risks to human life, among them rumors. In this way and given the large number of publications that could denote the level of misinformation about COVID-19 and the impact it could have on global public health, various scientific publications were analyzed and identified from a bibliometric point of view. Potential relationships between the descriptors obtained from the bibliometric search were identified. The results were conglomerated into 5 clusters: Cluster 1, related to studies on access to information provided on COVID-19; cluster 2 shows the list of studies that have been carried out on the information on the COVID-19 vaccine, cluster 3 analyzes the different responses given by conspiracy theories, rumors and misinformation about COVID-19, the Group 4 shows cross-sectional and longitudinal research on COVID-19 and the information it provides to the health sector, and cluster 5 represents studies on scientific production and communication that have contributed to global health during the pandemic(AU)

Para diciembre de 2019, se registraron múltiples casos de una neumonía inexplicables en algunos hospitales de la ciudad de Wuhan, China. Desde ese momento se había confirmado correspondía a una infección respiratoria aguda causada por un nuevo coronavirus que se propagó rápidamente haciéndose pandémico en muy poco tiempo. Por otra parte, esta pademia obligó a un confinamiento por meses, algo sin precedente. En ese tiempo, millones de personas se conectaron en línea para entretenimiento, educación, etc. En consecuencia, el uso de Internet aumentó trayendo, por una parte, educación online y entretenimiento en Internet asegurando el distanciamiento social; y por otra parte, trajo nuevos nuevos riesgos a la vida humana, entre ellos los rumores. En ese sentido, y ante la gran cantidad de publicaciones que podrían denotar el nivel de desinformación sobre el COVID-19 y el impacto que podría tener en la salud pública mundial, se analizaron e identificaron diversas publicaciones científicas desde el punto de vista bibliométrico. Se identificaron las relaciones potenciales entre los descriptores arrojados de la búsqueda bibliométrica. Los resultados se conglomeraron en 5 clúster: El clúster 1, relacionado con los estudios sobre el acceso a la información proporcionada sobre COVID-19; el clúster 2, muestra la relación de los estudios que se han realizado sobre la información de la vacuna COVID-19, el clúster 3, analiza las distintas respuestas que dan las teorías conspirativas, los rumores y la desinformación sobre el COVID-19, el grupo 4 muestra investigaciones transversales y longitudinales sobre el COVID-19 y la información que brinda al sector salud, y el clúster 5 representa los estudios sobre producción y comunicación científicas que han contribuido a la salud mundial durante la pandemia(AU)

Changes in structure and function of social networks of independently living middle-aged and older adults in diverse sociodemographic subgroups during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Social networks, i.e., all social relationships that people have, contribute to well-being and health. Governmental measures against COVID-19 were explicitly aimed to decrease physical social contact. We evaluated ego-centric social network structure and function, and changes therein, among various sociodemographic subgroups before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Independently living Dutch adults aged 40 years and older participating in the SaNAE longitudinal cohort study filled in online questionnaires in 2019 and 2020. Changes in network size (network structure) and social supporters (network function) were assessed. Associations with risk for changes (versus stable) were assessed for sociodemographic subgroups (sex, age, educational level, and urbanization level) using multivariable regression analyses, adjusted for confounders. RESULTS: Of 3,344 respondents 55% were men with a mean age of 65 years (age range 41-95 in 2020). In all assessed sociodemographic subgroups, decreases were observed in mean network size (total population: 11.4 to 9.8), the number of emotional supporters (7.2 to 6.1), and practical supporters (2.2 to 1.8), and an increase in the number of informational supporters (4.1 to 4.7). In all subgroups, the networks changed to being more family oriented. Some individuals increased their network size or number of supporters; they were more often women, higher-educated, or living in rural areas. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted social networks of people aged 40 years and older, as they increased informational support and reduced the number of their social relationships, mainly in terms of emotional and practical supporters. Notably, some individuals did not show such unfavorable trends and managed to reorganize their networks to attribute social support roles more centrally.

Year 2021: COVID-19, Information Extraction and BERTization among the Hottest Topics in Medical Natural Language Processing.

OBJECTIVES: Analyze the content of publications within the medical natural language processing (NLP) domain in 2021. METHODS: Automatic and manual preselection of publications to be reviewed, and selection of the best NLP papers of the year. Analysis of the important issues. RESULTS: Four best papers have been selected in 2021. We also propose an analysis of the content of the NLP publications in 2021, all topics included. CONCLUSIONS: The main issues addressed in 2021 are related to the investigation of COVID-related questions and to the further adaptation and use of transformer models. Besides, the trends from the past years continue, such as information extraction and use of information from social networks.

Knowledge About COVID-19 in Brazil: Cross-Sectional Web-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a highly transmissible illness caused by SARS-CoV-2. The disease has affected more than 200 countries, and the measures that have been implemented to combat its spread, as there is still no vaccine or definitive medication, have been based on supportive interventions and drug repositioning. Brazil, the largest country in South America, has had more than 140,000 recorded deaths and is one of the most affected countries. Despite the extensive quantity of scientifically recognized information, there are still conflicting discussions on how best to face the disease and the virus, especially with regard to social distancing, preventive methods, and the use of medications. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the Brazilian population's basic knowledge about COVID-19 to demonstrate how Brazilians are managing to identify scientifically proven information. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used. An original online questionnaire survey was administered from June 16 to August 21, 2020, across all five different geopolitical regions of the country (ie, the North, Northeast, Center-West, Southeast, and South). The questionnaire was comprised of questions about basic aspects of COVID-19, such as the related symptoms, conduct that should be followed when suspected of infection, risk groups, prevention, transmission, and social distancing. The wrong questionnaire response alternatives were taken from the fake news combat website of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Participants (aged ≥18 years) were recruited through social networking platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. The mean distributions, frequencies, and similarities or dissimilarities between the responses for the different variables of the study were evaluated. The significance level for all statistical tests was less than .05. RESULTS: A total of 4180 valid responses representative of all the states and regions of Brazil were recorded. Most respondents had good knowledge about COVID-19, getting an average of 86.59% of the total score with regard to the basic aspects of the disease. The region, education level, age, sex, and social condition had a significant association (P<.001) with knowledge about the disease, which meant that women, the young, those with higher education levels, nonrecipients of social assistance, and more economically and socially developed regions had more correct answers. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, Brazilians with social media access have a good level of basic knowledge about COVID-19 but with differences depending on the analyzed subgroup. Due to the limitation of the platform used in carrying out the study, care should be taken when generalizing the study findings to populations with less education or who are not used to accessing social networking platforms.

Social networking use, mental health, and quality of life of Hong Kong adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents' use of social networking sites/apps has surged, and their mental health and quality of life have also been significantly affected by the pandemic and its associated social-protection measures. The present study first examined the prevalence of social networking sites/apps use and social networking addiction, the mental health status, and the health-related quality of life among Hong Kong adolescent students. We further investigated the associations of the youths' daily use of social networking sites/apps and their social networking addiction with their mental health and quality of life during the pandemic. Methods: A total of 1,147 students (age = 15.20 ± 0.53 years) recruited from 12 randomly selected local secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in a questionnaire survey in classroom settings between January and June, 2020, right after the COVID-19 outbreak. The questionnaire includes demographic characteristics and scales that measure social networking sites/apps use and social networking addiction, mental health, and quality of life. Results: Approximately 46.4% of the participants reported using social networking sites/apps often or very often, and 7.8% met the criteria for social networking addiction using Bergen's Social Media Addiction Scale. The prevalence of mild to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress among the adolescents stood at 39.6, 37.5, 48.8%, respectively, and the participants' physical, social, and school functioning were lower than the norms of healthy adolescents before the pandemic. Participants who used social networking sites/apps but for <3 h per day (excluding students who never used social networking sites/apps) showed significantly fewer problems of depression, anxiety, and stress than did those who spent more than 3 h per day on social networking sites/apps. Social networking addiction was found to be consistently associated with poor mental health and health-related quality of life. Conclusion: This study provides important evidence supporting the potential protective effect of guiding adolescents to use social networking sites/apps appropriately in order to mitigate their negative emotions during contexts such as that of the pandemic; it further points to the need to provide extra support to promote the well-being of young people, especially those in disadvantaged situations (e.g., non-intact family) during and after the pandemic.

Increasing COVID-19 testing and vaccination among Spanish speakers in the USA: protocol for the development and evaluation of the Nuestra Comunidad Saludable intervention using a group-randomised trial design.

INTRODUCTION: Our community-based participatory research partnership aims to expand understanding of the social, ethical and behavioural implications of COVID-19 testing and vaccination to inform the development of an integrated intervention that harnesses community-based peer navigation and mHealth strategies to improve COVID-19 testing and vaccination; test the intervention; and develop and disseminate practice, research and policy recommendations to further increase COVID-19 testing and vaccination among Spanish-speaking Latine communities in the USA. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct 50 individual in-depth interviews with health providers, who have conducted COVID-19 testing and/or vaccination activities within Spanish-speaking communities, and with representatives from Latine-serving community-based organisations. We will also conduct six focus groups with 8-12 Spanish-speaking Latine community member participants each for a total number of about 60 focus group participants. Next, we will develop the Nuestra Comunidad Saludable intervention based on findings from interviews and focus groups and use a longitudinal group-randomised trial design with two arms (intervention and delayed intervention) to evaluate the impact of the intervention. We will recruit, enrol and collect baseline data from 20 community-based peer navigators (Navegantes) and their social network members (n=8 unique social network members per Navegante). Navegantes (coupled with their social networks) will be randomised to intervention or delayed intervention groups (10 Navegantes and 80 social network members per group). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for data collection was granted by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board. Following the description of study procedures, we will obtain consent from all study participants. Study findings will be disseminated through an empowerment theory-based community forum, peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific meetings, and reports and briefs for lay, community and practitioner audiences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05302908.

Acceptance of Social Networking Sites by Older People before and after COVID-19 Confinement: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study in Chile, Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB).

This study aims to examine the capacity of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to explain the intention to use social networking sites by older people in two time periods, before and after confinement due to the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as the evolution of effects (paths) over time of TPB's determinants. Based on interviews from samples of 384 and 383 elderly Chilean adults collected before and after confinement, the evolution of the effects (paths) was analysed using the TPB model applying the PLS-SEM technique. The intention to use social networks and its association with three factors were evaluated: attitude toward the behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived control over the behaviour. The model explains the intention to use social networks by 27% before confinement, increasing its magnitude to 50% after confinement. After the period of confinement, their attitudes become more significant, their perceptions of control become less important, and social pressures remain permanent in predicting the behaviour. In conclusion, better access and greater use of social networks by older people during the lockdown period increased the predictive strength of the attitude towards these technologies.