* The correlations are significant at thep <0.05 level.
** The correlations are significant at thep <0.001 level.
Table 5 presents the results of simple linear regression analyses
applied to determine the effect of the mean score of the FCV-19S on the
perception of reliability and the use of health information sources.
Based on these results, the effects of fear of COVID-19 on the
perceptions of health information sources’ reliability on radio and
newspaper/journal were statistically significant (p <
0.05). A one-unit increase in fear of COVID-19 caused a 0.60-unit
increase in the perception of radio as a safer source, and it caused a
0.49-unit increase in the perception of newspapers/magazines as a safer
source. All the effects of fear of COVID-19 on the use of health
information sources were statistically significant
(p <0.05). Although the fear of COVID-19 had a negative
effect on internet use, the effects on the use of other health
information sources were positive. Based on these results, a one-unit
increase in fear of COVID-19 decreased internet use by 0.38 units, but
increased television use by 0.44 units, radio use by 0.51 units,
newspaper/magazine use by 0.37 units, scientific article use by 0.39
units, doctor use by 0.54 units, nurse use by 0.83 units, pharmacists
use by 0.77 units, and use of other health professionals by 0.61 units
(p < 0.05).
Table 5. The effects of fear of COVID-19 on reliability
perception and use of health information sources