Twitter Communication During an Outbreak of Hepatitis A in San Diego, 2016–2018

Bibliographic Data

ID11022181
AuthorsEyal Oren (0000-0001-7817-3516, Eyal Oren, Purva Jain, Taufa Ahmed, and Intan Purnajo are with the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. Lourdes Martinez and R. Eliza Hensley are with the School of Communication, San Diego State University. Atsushi Nara and Ming-Hsiang Tsou are with the Department of Geography, San Diego State University.), Lourdes Martínez (Eyal Oren, Purva Jain, Taufa Ahmed, and Intan Purnajo are with the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. Lourdes Martinez and R. Eliza Hensley are with the School of Communication, San Diego State University. Atsushi Nara and Ming-Hsiang Tsou are with the Department of Geography, San Diego State University.), Lourdes S Martinez (0000-0001-8011-120X, San Diego State University), R Eliza Hensley (Eyal Oren, Purva Jain, Taufa Ahmed, and Intan Purnajo are with the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. Lourdes Martinez and R. Eliza Hensley are with the School of Communication, San Diego State University. Atsushi Nara and Ming-Hsiang Tsou are with the Department of Geography, San Diego State University.), Purva Jain (0000-0001-5236-8809, Eyal Oren, Purva Jain, Taufa Ahmed, and Intan Purnajo are with the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. Lourdes Martinez and R. Eliza Hensley are with the School of Communication, San Diego State University. Atsushi Nara and Ming-Hsiang Tsou are with the Department of Geography, San Diego State University.), Taufa Ahmed (0009-0003-3568-1010, Eyal Oren, Purva Jain, Taufa Ahmed, and Intan Purnajo are with the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. Lourdes Martinez and R. Eliza Hensley are with the School of Communication, San Diego State University. Atsushi Nara and Ming-Hsiang Tsou are with the Department of Geography, San Diego State University.), Intan Purnajo (0000-0001-9381-5644, Eyal Oren, Purva Jain, Taufa Ahmed, and Intan Purnajo are with the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. Lourdes Martinez and R. Eliza Hensley are with the School of Communication, San Diego State University. Atsushi Nara and Ming-Hsiang Tsou are with the Department of Geography, San Diego State University.), Atsushi Nara (0000-0003-4173-7773, Eyal Oren, Purva Jain, Taufa Ahmed, and Intan Purnajo are with the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. Lourdes Martinez and R. Eliza Hensley are with the School of Communication, San Diego State University. Atsushi Nara and Ming-Hsiang Tsou are with the Department of Geography, San Diego State University.), Ming-Hsiang Tsou (0000-0003-3421-486X, Eyal Oren, Purva Jain, Taufa Ahmed, and Intan Purnajo are with the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. Lourdes Martinez and R. Eliza Hensley are with the School of Communication, San Diego State University. Atsushi Nara and Ming-Hsiang Tsou are with the Department of Geography, San Diego State University.)
Year2020
Volume110
IssueS3
PagesS348-S355
Publication date2020-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2020.305900
PMID33001731
OpenAlexW3090317204
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited25

Objectives. To examine how and what information is communicated via social media during an infectious disease outbreak. Methods. In the context of the 2016 through 2018 hepatitis A outbreak in San Diego County, California, we used a grounded theory–based thematic analysis that employed qualitative and quantitative approaches to uncover themes in a sample of public tweets (n = 744) from Twitter, a primary platform used by key stakeholders to communicate to the public during the outbreak. Results. Tweets contained both general and hepatitis A–specific information related to the outbreak, restatements of policy and comments critical of government responses to the outbreak, information with the potential to shape risk perceptions, and expressions of concern regarding individuals experiencing homelessness and their role in spreading hepatitis A. We also identified misinformation and common channels of content driving themes that emerged in our sample. Conclusions. Public health professionals may identify real-time public risk perceptions and concerns via social media during an outbreak and target responses that fulfill the informational needs of those who seek direction and reassurance during times of uncertainty

Computer security · Context (archaeology) · Environmental health · Geography · Government (linguistics) · Hepatitis · Hepatitis A · Misinformation · Outbreak · Pathology · Political science · Public health · Public relations · Qualitative research · Social media · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Computer Science · Disaster Management and Resilience · Medicine · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Risk Perception and Management · Virology

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