Abstract
Information seeking through the media (mainstream and social media) plays a pivotal role in affecting health behavior of a population at risk during a health crisis. Health Belief Model (HBM) has been widely used to understand and analyze health behavior through its variables including (perceived) knowledge, susceptibility, severity, motivation, self-efficacy, benefits, barriers and cues to action. This study investigates the relationship of information seeking through TV and Facebook with various HBM variables on population of province of Punjab (Pakistan) during Covid-19 pandemic 2019-20. Data were collected through modified Champion Scale (Champion, 1993) from a sample of one thousand respondents selected through simple random sampling technique via online google forms. It is found that for both TV and Facebook correlation coefficient is significant between information seeking and all HBM variables except Facebook with perceived knowledge and benefits. The values of coefficient indicate overall weak correlations however TV has more powerful correlation than Facebook. For HBM variables, respondents do not perceive covid-19 as a severe threat. Moreover, it is found that citizens give preference to get information from international sources as compared to governments (federal and provincial) and reporters and anchors that stand last for seeking information to modify health behavior for covid-19 pandemic in Punjab, Pakistan.