KJC Korea
Journal Central

This study aimed to clarify the psychological mechanism by which individuals accept health misinformation from social media and how health misperceptions affect subsequent unhealthy behavior in the context of dewormer use. An online survey was conducted with 307 South Korean adults exposed to dewormer use information on social media. The positive association between the respondents’ uncertainty about their health and factual misbeliefs about dewormer use was moderated by their pre-existing attitude toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) vs. standard treatments, suggesting that individuals who are uncertain but more favorable toward CAM tend to accept factual misbeliefs more easily. Individuals’ uncertainty about their health and treatment for the health management was positively associated with conspiracy beliefs. Factual misbeliefs were the key mediator in the association between the interaction of uncertainty and pre-existing attitude toward CAM vs. standard treatments and dewormer-taking intention.

Heat-not-burn tobacco, a novel tobacco product that involves steaming solids instead of burning like traditional cigarettes, has been experiencing a growing demand among consumers. However, concerns about its potential harm and the effectiveness of regulatory policies have arisen. Existing research has predominantly focused on scientific and political aspects, neglecting the perspectives of consumers who are both tobacco consumers and targets of regulation. Thus, this study aimed to explore perceptions of harm associated with various cigarette types and assess the efficacy of current tobacco regulation policies through in-depth interviews with smokers and non-smokers. Participants evaluated the harmfulness of heat-not-burn tobacco and traditional cigarettes based on smell, personal health experiences, and addiction potential, despite acknowledging the lack of scientific evidence. Furthermore, they deemed current tobacco regulation policies ineffective and expressed the need for purpose-driven policies based on objective grounds. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners by offering a consumer-centric comparative analysis of different tobacco products and relevant regulatory policies.

This study aimed to examine the visual image aspects of TV news related to COVID-19 vaccines in the re-proliferation of COVID-19, and the differences in news characteristics and frames between terrestrial and comprehensive channels. In addition, it was studied whether the corresponding news image frame type actually affects the recipients' intention to re-vaccinate COVID-19. As a result of analyzing a total of 357 articles, both terrestrial and comprehensive channels were focusing on the re-proliferation of COVID-19 and the 4th vaccination in terms of news topics. Regarding the tone of the news, the terrestrial broadcasters showed a neutral tone, while the comprehensive channels showed a negative tone. In addition, news types in the form of straight articles and on-site interviews were common in terrestrial broadcasting, and comprehensive channels were mostly planning, in-depth articles, and reportage. The results of the types of reporter and information sources showed clear differences in between terrestrial broadcasters and comprehensive channels. In terms of frame types, terrestrial broadcasters had more policy and crisis frames, while comprehensive channels had more information and policy frames. In addition, as a result of examining the effect of the benefit and efficacy of vaccination on the intention to re-vaccine with 660 recipients, it was found that the order of crisis, hope, and persuasion frames had an effect on the creation of intention to re-vaccine, and had a positive effect on the intention to re-vaccine. Therefore, the media should reflect the results of these recipients and effectively use the frame of crisis, hope, and persuasion in the right place to draw out the intention to re-vaccinate.