{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,11]],"date-time":"2025-09-11T19:52:39Z","timestamp":1757620359436,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":60,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,8]],"date-time":"2025-09-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757289600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Digit. Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>The detrimental effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic have significantly changed the world's view on enacting policies. Egypt has adopted various protocols and measures to control the spread of its causative virus, SARS-CoV-2. This study aims to examine the public trust in decision-makers and help address possible gaps between the sources of information, theoretical guidelines, implementation, and the confidence of youth in response to the pandemic by the main actors involved.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>An online structured cross-sectional survey was conducted among Egyptian youth during the early COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire collected variables, including socio-demographic characteristics, sources of information, and the respondent's confidence in these sources.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Out of 406 online respondents, males and females represented, 41.8% and 58.6%, respectively. Ninety-five percent of the respondents received a university or postgraduate education, of which 63.5% were in the medical field, and 82.3% lived in rural areas. Over forty percent reported their source of information was T.V., and 30.3% relied on social media, despite most of the respondents being unconfident in both. In addition, 12.8% and 5.9% reported that their source of information was the Ministry of Health and the WHO, respectively. Over seventy-seven percent of the respondents were concerned with the decisions taken by key actors in the pandemic situation, while 15% were neutral, and 5.4% were not concerned.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Infodemics is a substantial public health threat. Public health authorities and governments should take action to ensure comprehensive health information literacy and develop information technology strategies that promote access to evidence-based information.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fdgth.2025.1563203","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,8]],"date-time":"2025-09-08T05:47:13Z","timestamp":1757310433000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Youth perspectives on information and trust during COVID-19: evidence from Egypt"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Salma","family":"Seddik","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Ahmed Taha","family":"Aboushady","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Ahmed","family":"Nawwar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Omar","family":"Emam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Mahmoud","family":"Hemida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Mennatallah","family":"Zohny","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Adham","family":"Ramadan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Eslam","family":"Aboismail","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Noha M. 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