Comparison of Online Health Information Utilization, Online Shared Identity, and Online Shared Information Usage in Different Levels of COVID-19 Anxiety

During the COVID-19 epidemic, different individuals experience different levels of anxiety associated with COVID-19, and many of them cite the Internet and online health information. The aim of the present study was to compare the online health information utilization, online shared identity, and online shared information usage in different levels of COVID-19 anxiety. In this causal-comparative study, the statistical population of the study consisted of college students of Faculty of Literature and Humanities of Guilan University during COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Among them, 387 students were selected by convenience sampling method and responded to COVID-19 Anxiety Questionnaire, Online Health Information Utilization Questionnaire, and Identity Bubble Reinforcement Scale. Considering the high and low total scores of the COVID-19 Anxiety Questionnaire, participants were divided into high-level COVID-19 anxiety (n=100) and low-level COVID-19 anxiety (n=100) groups. The results indicated individuals with high level of COVID-19 anxiety got higher scores in online health information utilization and online shared identity compared to individuals in low-level COVID-19 anxiety group (p <0/01). Admittedly, online shared identity is more prominent in individuals in high-level COVID-19 anxiety group and they rely more on health information available on the Internet.