INFORMATION EXPOSURE BEHAVIORS AND AWARENESS OF UDON THANI STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC.

Abstract

The research study entitled information exposure behaviors and awareness of Udon Thani students during the COVID-19 epidemic aimed to study, first, Udon Thani students’ behavior in receiving COVID-19 information and second, investigate the awareness levels of Udon Thani students towards the COVID-19 epidemic. The data were collected from 1,121 Udon Thani students during April 14-17, 2020
The findings related to Udon Thani students’ behavior in receiving COVID-19 information were as follows: First of all, 57.7 percent of students were found to keep updating the COVID-19 news several times per day and those of 40.6 percent kept updating the news less than 30 minutes per day. Secondly, 79.7 percent of the most accessed source for COVID-19 news was social media as well as 63.8 percent of the most popular social media platform was Facebook. Thirdly, 78.1 percent of students were found to acknowledge the COVID-19 information, then involve in the self-quarantine/self-lockdown campaign. In addition, 73 percent of students were found to leave their houses when being absolutely necessary.
Additionally, the findings related to the awareness levels of Udon Thani students towards the COVID-19 epidemic were revealed that the highest mean score as follows: the score of 4.59 ( = 4.59) was to wear a surgical mask before leaving house, the score of 4.57 ( = 4.57) was to keep update the COVID-19 news and the score of 4.52 ( = 4.52) was to postpone the school’s semester. In addition, there were the high mean score of the following results: the score of 4.49 ( = 4.49) was to follow the quarantine campaign as well as the score of 4.47 ( = 4.52) was to wash hands using soap not less than 20 seconds.
Moreover, the mean score of the problems mostly encountered by students were as follows: The reasonable price of surgical mask could not be found for 76.3 percent. And the government could not aid the difficulties for various occupations during COVID-19 for 65.2 percent.