Title: The shaping of public opinion and healthcare influence through mobile-mediated social media: a case study of Azad Kashmir during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors: Raja Gulfraz Ali; Zakir Shah; Jie Li

Addresses: College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China ' College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China ' College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

Abstract: Rumours, infodemics, and vaccine uncertainty related to COVID-19 pose a major global health risk, impacting individuals' psychological state and fear of vaccination. This study, conducted in Azad Kashmir with 663 respondents, examines that mobile-mediated social media, particularly with visual content (e.g., vaccine selfies), which can help combat rumours and shape public opinion towards COVID-19 vaccines. The study uses a conceptual model grounded in the extended parallel process model (EPPM) and appraisal theory, which together explain the cognitive and emotional pathways of persuasion and offer a nuanced understanding of digital health behaviour in the post-pandemic era. The study finds that mobile-mediated social media visuals (MSMV) are significantly associated with risk perception (RP), infodemic rejection (IR), and vaccine hesitancy (VH) during the pandemic, which in turn shape vaccine behaviour (VB). The findings highlight the role of platform-specific dynamics, such as trust and misinformation exposure, on Facebook and WhatsApp. These findings underscore the urgent need for public health authorities and communication strategists to engage public figures and celebrities to promote the sharing of positive content on social media during health crises, thereby encouraging vaccination uptake.

Keywords: mobile-mediated social media visuals; MSMV; infodemic rejection; IR; risk perception; RP; vaccine hesitancy; VH; vaccine behaviour; VB.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2026.154080

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2026 Vol.27 No.4, pp.435 - 456

Accepted: 19 Sep 2025
Published online: 11 Jun 2026 *

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