Table 2 Thematic Analysis of Student Sources for COVID-19 Information
From: Student interest, concerns, and information-seeking behaviors related to COVID-19
Theme | Example of Theme | Exemplar Response | Percentage of Total Respondents (%, N = 224) |
|---|---|---|---|
Health Agencies | CDC, NIH, WHO, Mayo Clinic, hospitals, health institutions | “The sources that are the most important would include any government agencies and medical facilities.” | 19.6 |
Healthcare Professionals | Doctors, nurses, other professionals in health fields | “Doctors and Health departments who know what they’re doing.” | 17.0 |
Friends/Family | People in close contact with student | “Someone who actually has had first or second-hand experience with it. (Ex: my cousin was in the hospital for months dealing with the virus.) I would get information from her or her mother.” | 14.3 |
TV News | CNN, FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC | “I would say cable news channels like Fox or CNN.” | 13.4 |
Social Media | Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube | “I like to use social media like Instagram and Twitter for most of my information.” | 6.7 |
Teachers | Classroom teachers | “My science teacher because she made an effort to inform us on the virus when we had school.” | 6.7 |
Online News Articles | CNN, FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC, New York Times, Washington Post | “I scroll through my phone on Google and see posts from Washington Post or some other major news network.” | 5.8 |