E-Health: Self-Care of Social Networks Users Concerning COVID-19

This research aimed to study the effect of virtual social networks on self-care of the users concerning COVID-19.

This survey research was conducted from April to June 2020. The study sample included social network users (WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram) in Hormozgan province who were selected by convenience sampling. The measuring instrument was an online questionnaire extracted from Dorthea E. Orem’s self-care model, Gerbner's cultivation theory and Kaplan and Haenlein's media-richness-theory. Modeling was carried out using SPSS 28 and Amos 26 software.

The results of explanation and modeling in the present research not only indicate a significant and direct relationship between the independent variables of Presence and interaction in the social networks and user orientation to the type of social network with the dependent variable of users concerning COVID-19 self-care (p<0.0009), but also, 45% of changes in COVID-19 self-care variable was covered by a set of social networking indices. Structural equation modelling in the self-care variable also showed that independent variables; Presence and interaction in the social networks and user orientation to the type of social network had the highest and lowest effects on the psychological support dimension with a standard coefficient of 0.99 and the dimension of awareness and attention to COVID-19 effects and outcomes with a standard coefficient of 0.95, respectively.

As a result, we suggest that health officials and disease control and prevention centers use the potential of social networks such as WhatsApp and Instagram in self-care of users concerning COVID-19.