Communication Channels during COVID-19 Public Health Campaigns: Evidence from Imo State, Nigeria
Asuzu Eleanor Nneka *
Department of Public Health, School of Health Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Nwabueze Ndudi Oluchukwu
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Umuagwo, Imo State, Nigeria.
Joy Adaku Mbachu
Department of Public Health, School of Health Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Nwokoro Roseline O.
Department of Nursing Science, Rhema University, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: The effectiveness of a public health campaign depends not only on the content of its messages but also on the channels through which information is delivered, the credibility of the messenger, and communities' ability to access and engage with the information.
Aim: This study examined the communication channels used during COVID-19 public health campaigns in Imo State, Nigeria, with particular attention to reach, trust, feedback, timeliness, message clarity, and barriers to effective communication.
Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 400 valid respondents selected across nine Local Government Areas in the Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe zones of Imo State. Qualitative data were obtained through 15 in-depth interviews involving healthcare workers, community leaders, and policymakers. Respondents assessed the communication channels through which they received messages, the information they trusted, the feedback they provided, and the timeliness and clarity of messages. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and percentages, while qualitative responses were thematically analysed.
Results: Religious centres were the most frequently reported source of regular campaign messages (30.5%), followed by social media (26.5%), television (21.5%), and community leaders/town criers (13.8%). Television was the most trusted communication channel, reported by 50.0% of respondents, followed by health workers (18.0%) and social media (12.0%). Radio (38.0%) and social media (37.0%) were the leading channels for providing feedback. Television was the leading channel for timely information (44.0%), while social media (29.5%), television (29.3%), and radio (27.8%) were similarly represented for clarity and consistency. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of religious institutions, local-language communication, and trusted community leadership, while identifying rural access limitations, misinformation, mistrust, concerns about vaccine side effects, and message fatigue as continuing challenges.
Conclusion: No single communication channel performed equally well across all dimensions of campaign effectiveness. The findings support a multi-channel communication strategy that combines the reach of religious and community platforms with the trust and timeliness of television and the feedback capacity of social media and interactive radio.
Keywords: COVID-19, public health campaigns, communication channels, mass media, social media, religious institutions, message credibility, risk communication, community engagement