Information Sources Used by Students Regarding COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Reliable and timely sources of information are crucial for improving public knowledge, shaping health beliefs, and promoting preventive behaviors. Unreliable channels often exacerbate mistrust during health crises. Emerging diseases, with their lack of scientific certainty and diverse pathways, complicate public responses and highlight the importance of effective communication strategies. Therefore, this study explores information sources and perceived reliability among Iranian university students — a digitally literate group facing cultural barriers — to inform tailored health approaches. Objectives: To identify primary information sources used by university students during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess their perceived reliability, usefulness, and accessibility, thereby informing the development of targeted health communication strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from July to November 2020 among 391 students from medical and non-medical universities across various cities in Iran. The validated, self-administered questionnaire, designed based on existing literature, was distributed via virtual groups. The sample size was calculated as 384 using Krejcie and Morgan's table, with 400 responses collected and 9 incomplete ones excluded. Results: The findings indicate that international messengers and social media were the most frequently used and accessible sources of information, accounting for 37.60%. In terms of reliability, international scientific websites were considered the most trustworthy at 57.80%, while celebrities, influencers, and freelancers were deemed the least reliable at 66.60%. The most useful sources of information were found to be international scientific websites (46.30%) and healthcare workers (37.60%). The study highlighted that the most common and convenient sources of information for students regarding COVID-19 were international messengers and social media, with 61.40% of participants using these platforms, despite them being considered untrustworthy. Conclusions: The study found that students' primary source of information about COVID-19 was international messengers and social media, which were highly accessible but considered unreliable. We recommend that policymakers use diverse sources to disseminate health information, ensuring timely and accurate updates for various groups.