Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/10
Browse
2 results
Search Results
Item Restricted Providing Arabic Online Health Information to the Public in Saudi Arabia: Scoping review and Qualitative Exploration of consumer preferences and content creator experience.(University College London, 2024-07-12) Alturkistani, Saffanah; Stevenson, Fiona; Hamilton, Fiona; Goodfellow, HenryBackground Saudi Arabia, home to 33 million people, is a nation undergoing rapid transformation driven by the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030. The country’s predominantly young population relies heavily on the internet as an information source for news and otherwise. However, due to the generally low English proficiency, most online activity occurs in Arabic. The quality of health information available in Arabic is often subpar. This means that information is mediated by healthcare professionals and not easily accessible to the public. Addressing the need for accurate Arabic online health information is crucial for empowering the Saudi public and supporting the healthcare transformation goals set by Vision 2030. Aim To propose key elements to consider when creating online Arabic health information for the public in Saudi Arabia. Objectives 1. Identify what is known about the use of online health information (OHI) in Saudi Arabia. 2. Explore the perceptions and preferences of consumers when using the Internet for health information. 3. Explore the experience of Arabic OHI content creators and their decision- making processes when creating and providing their content. Methods Methods were selected to match objectives: first objective was addressed with a systematic scoping review. For the second and third objectives, qualitative interviews with consumers and content creators of Arabic OHI in Saudi Arabia were conducted, respectively. Results The scoping review indicated a significant demand for Arabic OHI in Saudi Arabia. Approximately a third of the population identified the Internet as a source of their health information knowledge. Younger, educated women with higher incomes, and individuals with chronic diseases were more likely to use the internet for health information. Interviews with consumers of Arabic OHI revealed a gap between consumers’ expectation and needs; and the currently available Arabic OHI content. Interviews with content creators elucidated the benefits and struggles of the decision-making processes involved in providing OHI in Arabic. Conclusion This thesis provides the foundation for providing OHI in Arabic for population of Saudi Arabian population. The establishment of a comprehensive and credible digital health information infrastructure is of paramount importance. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders and adhering to ethical standards, we can create a more informed and healthier society.13 0Item Restricted FACTORS INFLUENCING INFORMATION ADOPTION FROM SOCIAL MEDIA: THE CASE OF HEALTH INFORMATION IN SAUDI ARABIA.(Aston University, 2024) Almalki, Saad; Uren, Victoria; Hull, MatthewThe current study aimed to further understand attitudes toward source credibility by studying it in the context of social media use as a health information source among social media users in Saudi Arabia. During COVID-19 outbreak, the social isolation that people experienced led to social media being widely used as a medium for disseminating health information, and this has now become increasingly prevalent. Specifically, this study set out to identify which factors influenced the positive adoption of health information from social media platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study adopted a mixed methods design through using an online questionnaire, incorporating a novel vignette design, to gather quantitative data, and follow- up interviews for collecting qualitative data. The designed vignettes were a set of verified and unverified profiles on social media belonging to medical and non-medical experts. Based on collecting data from 397 participants to the questionnaire and 23 interviews, interesting findings were revealed. The study provides empirical support for the influence of source characteristics as heuristics to guide information adoption. Characteristics including sources’ knowledge, qualifications, verification mark and similarity between receiver and sender influence people’s attitudes towards source credibility. Furthermore, the findings confirmed that characteristics of information/content have a significant influence on participants' use of social media platforms as a health information sources. Timeliness, completeness, relevance and accuracy, are confirmed to influence people's attitudes toward adopting health information from social media platforms. It is believed that the current study is one of the few empirical studies to have examined the factors influencing the adoption of social media information by implementing a novel vignette design within a questionnaire. Hence, this study might make a methodological contribution with regard to using vignette design within quantitative methods. Furthermore, there also practical contributions can be made to policy makers with regard to employing social media to convey health and other types of information to the Saudi population..28 0