Table 1.
Characteristics of COVID-19 misinformation exposure by respondents’ demographics, and sociobehavioral and psychological symptoms (N=1049).
| Variables | Participants, n (%)a | Weighted valuesb, n (%)a | Misinformation | P valuec,d | ||
|
|
N=1049 | N=1049 | Not exposed (n=338) | Exposed (n=711) |
|
|
| Sex | ||||||
|
|
Male | 446 (42.52) | 525 (50.04) | 179 (53.08) | 346 (48.60) | .15c |
|
|
Female | 603 (57.48) | 524 (49.96) | 158 (46.92) | 366 (51.40) | .15c |
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 39.51 (10.47) | 43.60 (12.87) | 45.86 (13.01) | 42.53 (12.67) | .02d | |
|
|
20-29 | 198 (18.88) | 196 (18.69) | 48 (14.09) | 149 (20.87) | .06c |
|
|
30-39 | 351 (33.46) | 219 (20.85) | 65 (19.25) | 154 (21.61) | .06c |
|
|
40-49 | 311 (29.65) | 243 (23.17) | 78 (23.14) | 165 (23.18) | .06c |
|
|
50-59 | 148 (14.12) | 236 (22.54) | 74 (22.11) | 162 (22.74) | .06c |
|
|
60-69 | 41 (3.91) | 154 (14.75) | 72 (21.41) | 82 (11.59) | .06c |
| Education | ||||||
|
|
High school or below | 233 (22.21) | 263 (25.06) | 92 (27.13) | 171 (24.08) | .83c |
|
|
Tertiary or above | 816 (77.79) | 786 (74.94) | 246 (72.87) | 540 (75.92) | .83c |
| Household arrangement | ||||||
|
|
Living alone | 142 (13.54) | 121 (11.50) | 32 (9.55) | 88 (12.43) | .10c |
|
|
Living with others | 907 (86.46) | 929 (88.50) | 306 (90.45) | 623 (87.57) | .10c |
| Monthly personal income, KRW (US $) | ||||||
|
|
<3,000,000 (<2500)e | 622 (59.29) | 587 (55.95) | 165 (48.78) | 422 (59.35) | .03c |
|
|
3,000,000-4,990,000 (2500-4158) | 264 (25.17) | 261 (24.92) | 99 (29.24) | 163 (22.86) | .03c |
|
|
≥5,000,000 (>4158) | 163 (15.54) | 201 (19.14) | 74 (21.98) | 127 (17.79) | .03c |
| COVID-19 information sourcef | ||||||
|
|
Television, radio, or newspaper (offline) | 999 (95.23) | 998 (95.07) | 316 (93.53) | 682 (95.80) | .40c |
|
|
Television, radio, or newspaper (online) | 1036 (98.76) | 1030 (98.21) | 328 (97.06) | 703 (98.76) | .54c |
|
|
Other internet websites | 864 (82.36) | 842 (80.26) | 262 (77.55) | 580 (81.55) | .44c |
|
|
Social network services | 753 (71.78) | 754 (71.82) | 220 (65.10) | 534 (75.01) | .03c |
|
|
Instant messaging | 873 (83.22) | 868 (82.71) | 262 (77.49) | 606 (85.19) | .011c |
| COVID-19 misinformation belief | ||||||
|
|
No | 604 (57.58) | 618 (58.86) | 291 (86.21) | 326 (45.87) | <.001c |
|
|
Yes | 445 (42.42) | 432 (41.14) | 47 (13.79) | 385 (54.13) | <.001c |
| Anxiety symptom, mean (SD)g | 1.49 (1.60) | 1.51 (1.65) | 3.18 (1.58) | 3.66 (1.66) | <.001d | |
|
|
No | 853 (81.32) | 854 (81.38) | 290 (85.94) | 564 (79.22) | .002c |
|
|
Yes | 196 (18.68) | 195 (18.62) | 48 (14.06) | 148 (20.78) | .002c |
| Depressive symptom, mean (SD)h | 2.02 (1.73) | 2.04 (1.78) | 3.76 (1.78) | 4.17 (1.77) | .001d | |
|
|
No | 738 (70.35) | 739 (70.45) | 253 (74.85) | 486 (68.36) | .01c |
|
|
Yes | 311 (29.65) | 310 (29.55) | 85 (25.15) | 225 (31.64) | .01c |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom, mean (SD)i | 1.43 (1.09) | 1.43 (1.14) | 1.12 (1.04) | 1.57 (1.15) | <.001d | |
|
|
No | 902 (85.99) | 903 (86.05) | 306 (90.52) | 597 (83.92) | .002c |
|
|
Yes | 147 (14.01) | 146 (13.95) | 32 (9.48) | 114 (16.08) | .002c |
| COVID-19 knowledge, mean (SD) | 24.69 (2.56) | 24.65 (2.69) | 24.79 (2.24) | 24.58 (2.88) | .38d | |
|
|
Low (0-24) | 444 (42.33) | 446 (42.55) | 142 (41.97) | 305 (42.82) | .99c |
|
|
High (25-35) | 605 (57.67) | 603 (57.45) | 196 (58.03) | 407 (57.18) | .99c |
| COVID-19 preventive behaviors, mean (SD) | 6.94 (2.42) | 7.01 (2.47) | 7.01 (2.46) | 7.02 (2.48) | .72d | |
|
|
0-6 behaviors | 396 (37.75) | 388 (36.99) | 129 (38.15) | 259 (36.44) | .70c |
|
|
≥7 behaviors | 653 (62.25) | 661 (63.01) | 209 (61.85) | 452 (63.57) | .70c |
aCalculated percentages were rounded off to one decimal place; accordingly, combined percentages can exceed 100%.
bData were weighted by sex and age distribution of the general population in the Seoul metropolitan area.
cP for chi-square (computed using unweighted data).
dP for t test (computed using unweighted data).
eAverage monthly income among employees was KRW 2,970,000 in 2018.
fMultiple responses allowed.
gGeneralized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-2 (GAD-2) score ≥3.
hPatient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) score ≥3.
iPrimary Care Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5) score ≥3.