IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i21p8228-d441325.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Information in Spanish on the Internet about the Prevention of COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Ignacio Hernández-García

    (Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Lozano Blesa University Clinical Hospital of Zaragoza, Calle San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Teresa Giménez-Júlvez

    (Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Miguel Servet University Hospital of Zaragoza, Paseo Isabel la Católica 1, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

Abstract

Objective . Our objective was to analyze the evolution of the information in Spanish online about the prevention of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods . On 1 March and 13 July 2020, two searches were conducted on Google with the terms “Prevencion COVID-19” and “Prevencion Coronavirus”. In each stage, a univariate analysis was performed to study the association of the authorship and country of origin with the basic recommendations to avoid COVID-19 provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). Results . A total of 120 weblinks were evaluated. The recommendation found most frequently in both stages was “wash your hands frequently” (93.3% in March vs. 90.0% in July). There was a significant increase in the detection of the following recommendations: “avoid touching your face” (56.7% vs. 80.0%) and “stay at home if you feel unwell” (28.3% vs. 63.3%). Weblinks of official public health organizations more frequently provided the advice to “seek medical advice if you develop a fever/cough or have difficulty breathing”. Furthermore, in July, such weblinks provided recommendations to “avoid touching your face” and “maintain a distance of one meter” more frequently than the mass media (OR = 11.5 and 10.5, respectively). In March, the recommendation to “maintain a distance of at least 1 m” was associated with the weblinks from countries with local transmission/imported cases (OR = 8.1). Different/ambiguous information regarding the WHO recommendations was detected in four weblinks. Conclusion . The availability of information in Spanish online on basic prevention measures has improved over time, although there is still room for improvement. It is necessary to promote the use of the websites of official public health organizations among Spanish-speaking users.

Suggested Citation

  • Ignacio Hernández-García & Teresa Giménez-Júlvez, 2020. "Information in Spanish on the Internet about the Prevention of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-11, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8228-:d:441325
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/8228/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/8228/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bach Xuan Tran & Anh Kim Dang & Phong Khanh Thai & Huong Thi Le & Xuan Thanh Thi Le & Toan Thanh Thi Do & Tu Huu Nguyen & Hai Quang Pham & Hai Thanh Phan & Giang Thu Vu & Dung Tri Phung & Son Hong Ngh, 2020. "Coverage of Health Information by Different Sources in Communities: Implication for COVID-19 Epidemic Response," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-12, May.
    2. Huong Thi Le & Diep Ngoc Nguyen & Ahmed Sam Beydoun & Xuan Thi Thanh Le & Thao Thanh Nguyen & Quan Thi Pham & Nhung Thi Kim Ta & Quynh Thi Nguyen & Anh Ngoc Nguyen & Men Thi Hoang & Linh Gia Vu & Bach, 2020. "Demand for Health Information on COVID-19 among Vietnamese," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-12, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiaodong Yang & Lai Wei & Zhiyue Liu, 2022. "Promoting COVID-19 Vaccination Using the Health Belief Model: Does Information Acquisition from Divergent Sources Make a Difference?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-15, March.
    2. Jessica Hammersley & Carey Mather & Karen Francis, 2021. "Lessons for Workforce Disaster Planning from the First Nosocomial Outbreak of COVID-19 in Rural Tasmania, Australia: A Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Ignacio Hernández-García & Teresa Giménez-Júlvez, 2020. "Characteristics of YouTube Videos in Spanish on How to Prevent COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-10, June.
    4. Zeyu Liu & Huijun Geng & Hao Chen & Meng Zhu & Tingshao Zhu, 2020. "Exploring the Mechanisms of Influence on COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors in China’s Social Media Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-14, November.
    5. Young-Jae Kim & Seung-Woo Kang, 2020. "The Quality of Life, Psychological Health, and Occupational Calling of Korean Workers: Differences by the New Classes of Occupation Emerging Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-14, August.
    6. Sutham Nanthamongkolchai & Pimsurang Taechaboonsermsak & Kanasap Tawatting & Wanich Suksatan, 2022. "Health-Risk Behaviors, COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors, and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Working-Age Population of Bangkok, Thailand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-10, October.
    7. Yujia Sui & Bin Zhang, 2021. "Determinants of the Perceived Credibility of Rebuttals Concerning Health Misinformation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-17, February.
    8. Chunphen Upake & Sutham Nanthamongkolchai & Pimsurang Taechaboonsermsak & Korravarn Yodmai & Wanich Suksatan, 2022. "Factors Predicting the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Preventive Behaviors of Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bangkok, Thailand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-10, August.
    9. Weidan Cao & Qinghua Yang & Xinyao Zhang, 2023. "Understanding Information Processing and Protective Behaviors during the Pandemic: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Carlos de las Heras-Pedrosa & Carmen Jambrino-Maldonado & Dolores Rando-Cueto & Patricia P. Iglesias-Sánchez, 2022. "COVID-19 Study on Scientific Articles in Health Communication: A Science Mapping Analysis in Web of Science," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-29, February.
    11. Bandar Alsaif & Najm Eldinn Elsser Elhassan & Ramaiah Itumalla & Kamal Elbassir Ali & Mohamed Ali Alzain, 2021. "Assessing the Level of Awareness of COVID-19 and Prevalence of General Anxiety Disorder among the Hail Community, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-10, June.
    12. Hnin Nu Nu Lwin & Prattana Punnakitikashem & Trin Thananusak, 2023. "E-Health Research in Southeast Asia: A Bibliometric Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-19, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8228-:d:441325. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.