Arab women feelings while seeking information during COVID-19 pandemic: applying PMT constructs
ISSN: 1468-4527
Article publication date: 3 September 2021
Issue publication date: 2 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the effect of protection motivation theory (PMT) constructs on Arab women's feelings while seeking information during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
The study has adopted a mixed-method approach using semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire to explore PMT constructs' impact on women's feelings while seeking information on COVID-19. Several tests, such as standard deviation, mean, skewness, kurtosis and persons, were used to check the reliability of data and inter-relationships between constructs.
Findings
The study results show a significant positive correlation between PMT constructs (perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, response efficacy, self-efficacy and response cost) with the feelings of Arab women during information seeking on COVID-19. However, the relationship between threat appraisal and feelings during information seeking was more substantial than coping appraisal and feelings during information seeking. The researchers hope that this study creates a baseline of cross-cultural studies on PMT constructs' effect on women's feelings while seeking health information.
Research limitations/implications
The current study was conducted on female participants only. While the study intended to examine Arab women's feelings during information seeking with PMT's application, the results may be affected by other factors that were not considered in the current study. Furthermore, the questionnaire was distributed in three Arab countries, which means that the results cannot be generalized in other geographical contexts. Therefore, similar studies need to be conducted in larger geographical areas as cultural factors may produce different results.
Originality/value
This study explores women's feelings while seeking COVID-19 information using the PMT constructs. As far as we know, this study is the first study to investigate Arab women's feelings while seeking health information during pandemics. PMT utilization is considered a new approach to discover and measure informational needs and feelings associated with it during pandemics.
Keywords
Citation
Alwreikat, A., Shehata, A. and Edakar, M.A.M. (2022), "Arab women feelings while seeking information during COVID-19 pandemic: applying PMT constructs", Online Information Review, Vol. 46 No. 3, pp. 525-546. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-09-2020-0419
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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