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Media Dependency, Third-Person Perception, and Influenza Vaccination Intention

Mon, May 29, 17:00 to 18:15, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Floor: 3, Aqua 305

Abstract

Limited research has focused on how media dependency may affect health behaviors during an influenza outbreak. Similarly, how the relationship between perceptions of media influence on others’ health behavior may affect one’s own health behavior has yet to be more fully explored. The current study examines the potential effects of both media dependency and third-person perception – via online news and social media – on young adults’ intentions to receive the H1N1-flu vaccine. A survey was conducted using a sample of 515 college students. Findings show that information dependency on online news instead of social media positively predicts an individual’s vaccination intention, aside from risk knowledge and the interaction between exposure to online news and social media. While perceived others’ vaccination intention mediates the relationship between perceived others’ online media dependency and one’s own vaccination intention, perception of others’ vaccination intention significantly predicts one’s own vaccination intention.

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