Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
Winter 2-12-2021
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This study focused on exploring COVID 19 information seeking behavior of IDPs Nigerian using IDPs in the federal capital territory, Abuja, Nigeria as a case study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Four objectives were laid down for the study and a structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. The findings revealed that the COVID 19 information needs of IDPs are information on symptoms of COVID 19, how it spreads, preventive measures against COVID 19, the causes of COVID 19 and how to get medical attention should anyone be confirmed infected at the IPD camp among others. The study also found that the sources of COVID 19 information available to IDPs include friends and family at the camp; social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp; radio; Internet and health workers i.e. doctors and nurses. The study revealed that the major use COVID 19 information were to know the symptoms of the virus; know to prevent themselves from being infected with the virus; know how to reach out to health workers in case of suspected COVID 19 patients and knowing the drugs combination for self treatment in case of infection. Lack of frequent visitation to the camps by health official, lack of access to television at the camp, distorted information from friends and family, too many information on COVID 19, among others were revealed as the barriers to COVID 19 information seeking and access among the IDPs. The study recommends that efforts should be made by the Federal government of Nigeria to pay special attention to the information needs of the IDPs and devise necessary means of getting timely and accurate information across to them as this will help to keep them up to date about information on COVID 19 among others.