Looking for information and avoiding it: Covid-19 and Black Americans

Abstract

This study investigates information avoidance and information seeking behaviors among Black Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. We proposed two distinct research models to examine how COVID-19 vaccine knowledge, eHealth literacy, and experiences with racial discrimination influenced individuals’ propensity to either avoid or seek information related to COVID-19. A national online survey of 222 Black Americans was conducted; data were analyzed using multiple regression and Spearman’s rho. Results from the first regression model indicated that higher COVID-19 vaccine knowledge and eHealth literacy levels were associated with increased information seeking. The second model demonstrated that as an individual’s COVID-19 vaccine knowledge and eHealth literacy increase, they are less likely to avoid information related to COVID-19. Unexpectedly, the models revealed complex relationships with discrimination: individuals experiencing higher levels of everyday discrimination were more likely to actively avoid certain types of information, yet they also tended to engage in increased information-seeking behaviors. This study contributes to the nascent understanding of information behaviors in minoritized populations by elucidating how societal experiences can impact information practices.