Adolescents’ experiences of the information they received about the coronavirus (Covid-19) in Norway: a cross-sectional study

Background In the first months of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, many countries took radical prevention measures. Authorities had to communicate with the public regularly to explain and ensure compliance with these measures and promote safety. The information given by authorities was mainly developed for adults, but children and adolescents may have different needs when it comes to information. This study examined how adolescents perceived information about Covid-19 provided by the media and other sources, and about what topics adolescents reported they lacked information during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods Three hundred seventy-seven adolescents in 11th, 12th, and 13th grade in Norwegian upper secondary schools (67% girls) completed an online questionnaire. Analyses included descriptive statistics, in addition to Generalized Linear Mixed Models analyses to examine gender differences in adolescents’ satisfaction with the information provided about Covid-19, to what extent the pandemic affected their everyday life, and to what extent they were concerned about becoming infected with Covid-19. Results The results showed that the majority of adolescents used the internet as the main source of information about Covid-19, followed by (online) newspapers. About half (49%) reported that they were satisfied with the information available, while 39% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 12% were dissatisfied. Adolescents wanted more information about the school situation, as well as virus- and future-related topics. A total of 21% reported that they were concerned about becoming infected with Covid-19. There was no significant gender difference in overall satisfaction with the information provided about Covid-19. Girls reported being significantly more affected by the pandemic than boys, and that they were significantly more concerned than boys about becoming infected with Covid-19. Conclusions This survey provides important knowledge to professionals working with adolescents, as well as to authorities, about what information channels can be used to reach adolescents, and what information they lacked about the Covid-19 pandemic.