AUDIENCE EXPOSURE, AWARENESS AND COMPLIANCE WITH COVID-19 PANDEMIC MESSAGES IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF RESIDENTS OF ANAMBRA STATE

Chinwe Elizabeth Uzochukwu, Chibuike Julius Nwosu, Adaobi Olivia Okeke

Abstract


The study investigated the audience exposure, awareness and compliance with COVID-19 pandemic messages among Anambra state residents. It was guided by four research questions, and anchored on the Health Belief Model. It adopted a survey method and had 400 respondents as the selected sample size. The researchers found out that the residents of Anambra state were significantly exposed to messages on COVID-19 pandemic; it also discovered that the social media was the most predominant media platform that Anambra residents used in accessing media messages on COVID-19 pandemic; this was closely followed by the television and the radio. The study also observed that Anambra people were appreciably aware of media messages on COVID-19. Surprisingly, the study showed that irrespective of the fact that Anambra residents were exposed to COVID-19 campaign messages, they did not really comply with them. Finally, the study found that a number of factors like: religion, disbelief in federal government, fear of dying from COVID-19 vaccines and the residents’ perception of COVID-19 as hoax played key roles in the non-compliance position taken the respondents.   

 


Keywords


COVID-19; Exposure; Compliance; Awareness; Health messages;

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.47851/naujocommed.v2i2.127

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Department of Mass Communication. Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.

ISSN:2756-486X (Online)