When it comes to engaging with health information in their daily lives, people face different challenges. In the context of COVID-19, the aim of this study is to determine whether health information literacy can assist people in making informed health-related decisions. An empirical study was conducted to investigate such an effect. Building on a dataset composed of 155 respondents, the research model was examined through structural equation modelling. The results showed that health information literacy – as an individual ability – not only influences health decision making but also has a direct impact on the awareness of the challenges imposed by the current pandemic situation. In addition, the results show that too much information leads to information fatigue, and consequently negatively impacts decision making. The findings of this paper show that the concept of health information literacy should be understood and developed separately from the health literacy concept. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Female refugees and immigrants face various challenges in accessing, using, and sharing information during their integration process. In the context of COVID-19, this study aims to identify the user information satisfaction of female refugees and immigrants living in Finland and Sweden. Using a dataset comprising 232 respondents, the research model was examined through structural equation modelling. The results show that information overload in social media streams has an impact on information fatigue and consequently on the information avoidance behaviour of the target group. The results also show that information literacy helps to avoid social media information overload, in addition to its direct effect on user information satisfaction. Being familiar with the perceived COVID-19 challenges also positively impacts user information satisfaction. In view of the fact that European countries are receiving an ever-increasing number of refugees and immigrants, the findings of this study provide both theoretical and practical contributions.