May 10, 2021

The Role of Media Sources for COVID-19 Information on Engaging in Recommended Preventive Behaviors among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged ≥ 65 Years

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice

Keywords (Tags): public health

• Most participants (59%) in a survey of Medicare beneficiaries over age 65 (n = 8,050) administered between June and July 2020 reported relying on traditional news sources (TV, radio, websites, newspapers) for COVID-19 information; other less commonly reported sources included healthcare providers (11%), government officials (11%), webpages/internet (9%), friends/family members (9%), and social media (1%). Participants who relied on government officials for COVID-19 information (vs. traditional news sources) were more likely to engage in preventive behaviors (OR = 1.7), while those who relied on information from friends/family were less likely to engage in preventive behaviors (OR = 0.6).

Ng and Park. (May 2021). The Role of Media Sources for COVID-19 Information on Engaging in Recommended Preventive Behaviors among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged ≥ 65 Years. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab083