Be Careful Whom You Trust with Your Health Online

Identifying misinformation and disinformation

_{Jessica Davis RDH, BSDH}

Misinformation about COVID-19 was more likely to be reshared or retweeted on social media than information provided by credible sources.

Borah, et al., 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted pretty much everyone.  More people turned to online sources than ever to learn about the pandemic and how to prevent themselves and their loved ones from getting sick. Social media accounts run by organizations like the CDC and WHO saw a rise in followers and reshares during the early months of the pandemic, but so did other accounts that posted about the COVID-19 pandemic, and not all of the posts were helpful. Some posts did more harm than good.

Studies have found that over half of the COVID-19 related misinformation online was about prevention and treatment, and another 42% was about COVID-19 vaccinations (Smith, et al., 2023).  To add to it, 36% of the misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines spoke to the safety, effectiveness, and need for the COVID-19 vaccination (Smith, et al., 2023). To make matters worse, misinformation about COVID-19 was more likely to be reshared or retweeted on social media than information provided by credible sources (Borah, et al., 2021). That means a lot of people were getting conflicting messages, which makes it that much harder to know what messaging to trust.

Other hopes were misplaced in treatments like hydroxychloroquine and Quinine due to misinformation. Other ways misinformation causes harm it damages people’s trust in more reliable sources. It changes our views, or attitudes, maybe even how we make decisions about our health.

In a systemic review of 21 studies looking at the health literacy, or health knowledge and understanding, of university students it was found that the health literacy of university students was insufficient (Kühn, et al., 2022).  They also found that the health literacy of students was related to a couple different factors.

Know where you are most at risk for encountering misinformation and disinformation.

Misinformation and disinformation can be found everywhere. Health information can be politicized as it was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interest groups, non-governmental organizations, media and the government all can spread misinformation and disinformation. Media can also share misinformation and disinformation on TV, in podcasts, in online articles, and social media posts and forums. Friends and family can also be sources of misinformation and disinformation.

Understand how misinformation and disinformation affect you.

When considering your health, using misinformation and disinformation to make decisions can have a negative effect. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals aged 18 to 25 had the highest rate of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and social media use in the US. Trusting misinformation and disinformation can increase an individual’s perceived risk, and therefore increase their fear, anxiety, and stress about a particular health topic impacting their decision-making capabilities. This can also lead to negative mental health outcomes.

Be aware of your personal vulnerability to misinformation and disinformation.

College aged adults are vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation due to their high prevalence for social media use, 89% reporting it as their primary source of news. Students who attend classes on campus are part of a densely populated community where information can spread rapidly. College aged adults are more likely to follow internet personalities on social media, like influencers, and value their opinions regardless of their credibility in a given field of expertise.

Follow these steps to avoid misinformation and disinformation

• Consider the source of health information.

_{Polls and surveys conducted by media outlets usually contain some form of bias. Personal accounts and experiences are not facts and can be misleading.}

• Pick a reliable authority or expert to get your health information.

_{For example, the World Health Organization or the CDC are considered credible and reliable and hold authority over health information.}

• Check the supporting data.

_{What research was conducted, and by who? Does the research actually say what the reporter is saying it does?}

• Ask if the message is trying to get an emotional response from you or inform you.

_{Often, health information includes emotional appeals, intended to trigger viewers to respond in a certain way emotionally and to attract readers. Misleading and dramatic headlines are a good indications of misinformation and disinformation.}

• Verify the information with credible sources like health experts with an authority in the field or authoritative organization.

_{Always verify health information with credible sources like the World Health Organization of the CDC. You can also consider talking to your primary care provider about information you find online.}

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References

^{Borah, P., Irom, B., & Hsu, Y. C. (2021). ‘It infuriates me’: examining young adults’ reactions to and recommendations to fight misinformation about COVID-19. Journal of Youth Studies, 25(10), 1411–1431. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2021.1965108}

^{Kühn, L., Bachert, P., Hildebrand, C., Kunkel, J., Reitermayer, J., Wäsche, H., & Woll, A. (2022). Health Literacy Among University Students: A Systematic Review of Cross-Sectional Studies. Frontiers in public health, 9, 680999. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.680999}

^{Smith, R., Chen, K., Winner, D., Friedhoff, S., & Wardle, C. (2023). A Systematic Review Of COVID-19 Misinformation Interventions: Lessons Learned: Study examines COVID-19 misinformation interventions and lessons learned. Health Affairs, 42(12), 1738–1746. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00717}

^{Takemasa, H. (2024a, May 16). Marketing to Gen Z – US – 2024. Mintel. https://clients-mintel-com.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/report/marketing-to-gen-z-us-2024?fromSearch=%3FcontentType%3DReport%26filters.consumer-segment%3D15%252C12%26last_filter%3Dconsumer-segment%26resultPosition%3D8}