Many still struggle with health misinformation, according to new survey results
While not a new phenomenon, healthcare misinformation has become even more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new poll by KFF shows that many Americans are still frequently confronted with misinformation and don’t know whether to believe it. Just over 2,000 adults took part in the survey, which was conducted between May 23 and June 12. Participants were asked about ten false health claims related to COVID-19, reproductive health and gun violence. Related video above: Can Doctors Spread Misinformation? 47% said the statement was definitely wrong. But about 20% of respondents said it was definitely or likely to be the case. When it comes to reproductive health, only 30% of respondents said the statement “Sex education that includes information about contraception and birth control increases the likelihood of young people becoming sexually active” is definitely wrong. Looking at gun violence, only 22% said the statement “People who have firearms in their home are less likely to be killed by a gun than people who don’t have a firearm” is definitely wrong. Relatively few people said the false claims were “definitely true,” the study authors noted. At the same time, however, about half to three quarters of the participants were not entirely sure whether each claim was true, only labeling it as “probably true” or “probably false”. The report also asked respondents where they had heard or read misinformation about health issues and who they trusted most when that information was spread. 81 percent of respondents said they would at least somewhat trust health information reported by local TV news channels, followed by national news channels. like ABC, CBS or NBC, at 72%; local newspapers at 71%; and online news aggregators like Apple, Yahoo or Google News with 64%. People who relied on Newsmax, OANN, Fox News or social media for their health information were more likely to have heard at least one of the five false COVID-19 claims in the survey. About a quarter of participants (24%) said they use social media at least weekly to “find health information or advice.” This group included primarily Hispanics and Blacks, and people from low-income households. Of the people who used the social news aggregation and discussion site Reddit each week, one in six said they trusted the health information they found there very much. Weekly TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter users also expressed high confidence in the health information they see on these platforms. “Adults who frequently use social media to find health information and advice are more likely to believe that certain misstatements about COVID-19 and reproductive health are definitely or probably true,” the report’s authors write. Of all the information sources surveyed in the survey, many people said they trust their doctors the most, with 93% of respondents saying they trust them “at least somewhat” for “amount” of health information and recommendations. US surgeon Dr “A serious public health threat. It can create confusion, spread distrust, harm people’s health and undermine public health efforts. Limiting the spread of health misinformation is a moral and civic duty that requires a societal effort,” he said. Misinformation can take the form of weird memes circulating online, misleading graphics, or carefully curated statistics Department of Health and Human Services a Community Health Misinformation Toolkit that provides guidance to people who see or hear health-related content they are unsure about. The agency recommends checking with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or your local health department to see if the claim could be true. You can also ask your doctor if they have more information. Search online to find out if the claim has been backed up by a credible source, such as government agencies or peer-reviewed medical journals. If the information is on a website, check the About Us page to see if it could be credible. Ultimately, HHS says, if you are unsure about the content you see online, do not share it with others.
While not a new phenomenon, healthcare misinformation has become even more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new poll by KFF finds that many Americans are still frequently confronted with misinformation and don’t know whether to believe it.
Just over 2,000 adults took part in the survey, which was conducted between May 23 and June 12. Participants were asked about ten false health claims related to COVID-19, reproductive health, and gun violence.
Related video above: Can Doctors Spread Misinformation?
At least four in 10 people said they heard each statement, the report said.
When presented with the statement, “More people have died from the COVID-19 vaccines than from the COVID-19 virus,” 47% said it was clearly false. But about 20% of respondents said this was definitely or probably true.
When it comes to reproductive health, only 30% of respondents said the statement “Sex education, which includes information about contraception and birth control, increases the likelihood of young people becoming sexually active” was definitely wrong.
Looking at gun violence, only 22% said the statement “People who have firearms in their home are less likely to be killed by a gun than people who don’t have a firearm” was definitely wrong.
Relatively few people said that any of the false claims were “definitely true,” the study authors noted. However, about half to three quarters of the participants were not entirely sure whether each claim was true, only labeling it as “probably true” or “probably false”.
The report also asked respondents where they had heard or read misinformation about health issues and who they trusted most to disseminate that information.
81 percent of those surveyed said they would have at least some trust in health information from local television news channels, followed by national news channels such as ABC, CBS or NBC at 72 percent. local newspapers at 71%; and online news aggregators like Apple, Yahoo or Google News with 64%.
People who relied on Newsmax, OANN, Fox News, or social media for their health information were more likely to have heard at least one of the five false COVID-19 claims in the survey.
About a quarter of participants (24%) said they use social media at least weekly to “find health information or advice.” This group included primarily Hispanics and Blacks, and people from low-income households.
Of the people who used the social news gathering and discussion site Reddit each week, one in six said they trusted the health information they found there very much. Weekly TikTok, YouTube and Twitter users also expressed high confidence in the health information they see on these platforms.
“Adults who frequently use social media to find health information and advice are more likely to believe that certain misstatements about COVID-19 and reproductive health are definitely or probably true,” the report’s authors write.
Of all the information sources surveyed in the survey, many people said they trusted their doctors the most. 93% of respondents said they trust them “at least a reasonable amount” for health information and recommendations.
The US Surgeon General Dr. In a 22-page opinion, Vivek Murthy has called health misinformation “a serious public health threat” and urged individuals to take responsibility to curb the spread of misinformation.
“Health misinformation poses a serious threat to public health. It can create confusion, breed mistrust, harm people’s health and undermine public health efforts. Limiting the spread of health misinformation is a moral and civic mandate that requires all of society’s effort,” he said.
Misinformation can come in the form of weird memes online, misleading graphics, or carefully curated statistics.
In 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a Health Misinformation Community Toolkit that provides guidance for people who see or hear health-related content they are unsure about.
The agency recommends checking with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or your local health department to see if the claim could be true. You can also ask your doctor if they have more information.
Search online to see if the claim has been backed up by a credible source, such as government agencies or peer-reviewed medical journals.
If the information is on a website, check the About Us page to learn more about whether it might be credible.
Ultimately, the HHS says, if you are unsure about the content you see online, do not share it with others.
