Could Belief in Fake News Predict Vaccination Behavior in the Elderly?

Pakalniškienė, Vilmantė; Kairys, Antanas; Jurkuvėnas, Vytautas; Mikuličiūtė, Vita; Ivleva, Viktorija

doi:10.3390/ijerph192214901

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Individuals aged 50 and over, as well as those between 30 and 49 years, demonstrated a greater inclination to believe in conspiracy theories compared to younger people. This finding could be explained by varying levels of exposure and attitudes toward vaccination, or it might suggest that aging is linked to decreased receptivity to information [55,56].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Belief in Conspiracy Theories about COVID-19 Vaccines among Brazilians: A National Cross-Sectional Study

Camargo,

Ribeiro,

Santos

et al. 2024

COVID

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Background: Vaccine hesitancy is a complex challenge that demands a comprehensive approach, one that not only acknowledges legitimate concerns within communities but also actively confronts misinformation. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines among Brazilians, seeking to understand the factors associated with this behavior. Method: Utilizing a national online survey conducted between May and August 2020, with a sample of 4247 participants, we conducted multivariate analysis to identify the independent determinants of this adherence, calculating adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) and their 95% confidence intervals. Results: It was revealed that 27.7% of participants believed in at least one conspiracy theory. Factors associated with a higher level of adherence included agreement with at least one piece of COVID-19 misinformation on social media (APR: 3.65; 95% CI: 3.07–4.34), lack of difficulty accessing leisure activities during the pandemic (APR: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.85–5.24), age 50 years or older (APR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.49–1.94), absence of difficulty accessing protective measures (APR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.26–1.72), use of face masks (APR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.33–1.97), non-use of at least one traditional media source for information (APR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.26–1.72), female gender (APR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.25–1.60), and age between 30 and 49 years (APR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.19–1.52). Conclusions: Our findings highlight that it is crucial to recognize that vaccine hesitancy is not merely an isolated phenomenon but often rooted in a complex interplay of social, cultural, psychological, and political factors. There is a need for multifaceted strategies to combat vaccine hesitancy, effectively address conspiracy theories, and consider the various factors associated with their prevalence.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Belief in Conspiracy Theories about COVID-19 Vaccines among Brazilians: A National Cross-Sectional Study

Camargo,

Ribeiro,

Santos

et al. 2024

COVID

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“…Sharing or belief in fake news has the potential to negatively impact health behaviors, as does belief in conspiracy theories. For instance, there is a negative association between belief in fake news containing vaccine‐related conspiracy theories and vaccination (Pakalniškienė et al., 2022). In this research, we found that a large portion (92/170) of the fake news spread during the crisis period (COVID‐19) included information about social identities, and that, in general, determining the accuracy of such news may be related to ingroup identification and perceived outgroup threat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Focusing on fake news’ contents: The association between ingroup identification, perceived outgroup threat, analytical‐intuitive thinking and detecting fake news

Çoksan,

Yilmaz

2023

Anal Soc Iss & Public Policy

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This study aims to reveal the fake news content in the context of the social identity approach and to examine the mediating role of perceived outgroup on the association between ingroup identification and detecting fake news blaming ingroup, outgroup, or fictional groups. Study 1 found that fake news could be gathered under six themes: contacted‐outgroup blaming, represented‐outgroup blaming, outgroup derogation, outgroup appreciation, ingroup glorification, and phantom‐mastermind blaming. In preregistered Study 2 with representative non‐weird participants (N = 216), we examined the mediating role of perceived outgroup threat on the association between ingroup identification and detecting fake news revealed in Study 1. Perceived outgroup threat was only mediating for detecting outgroup‐blaming fake news when intuitive and analytical thinking styles were controlled. Detecting ingroup‐blaming fake news was associated with ingroup identification. Analytical thinking predicted only detecting phantom‐mastermind‐blaming fake news. Findings demonstrated that the contents of fake news play a vital role in detecting them, and variables pointing to content (i.e., ingroup identification for ingroup‐blaming fake news, and perceived outgroup threat for outgroup‐blaming fake news) are predictive for detecting fake news.

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“…Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, new conspiracy theories have surfaced, such as microchip injection, unchecked adverse effects, absence of safety assessment before vaccine distribution, and unproven vaccine effectiveness. Studies indicate that exposure to fake news diminishes the intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine [ 24 ]. Even brief exposure to false information has been shown to potentially modify or influence human behavior [ 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even brief exposure to false information has been shown to potentially modify or influence human behavior [ 22 ]. As a result, conspiracy beliefs, trust in information, and brief exposure to online news can impact individuals’ vaccination choices [ 24 ]. Findings from a randomized controlled trial by Loomba et al [ 25 ] indicated that exposure to online disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines led to a significant decline in vaccination intent, in the samples from both the United States (6.4% points) and the United Kingdom (6.2% points).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical Misinformation in Polish on the World Wide Web During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period: Infodemiology Study

Chlabicz,

Nabożny,

Koszelew

et al. 2024

J Med Internet Res

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Background Although researchers extensively study the rapid generation and spread of misinformation about the novel coronavirus during the pandemic, numerous other health-related topics are contaminating the internet with misinformation that have not received as much attention. Objective This study aims to gauge the reach of the most popular medical content on the World Wide Web, extending beyond the confines of the pandemic. We conducted evaluations of subject matter and credibility for the years 2021 and 2022, following the principles of evidence-based medicine with assessments performed by experienced clinicians. Methods We used 274 keywords to conduct web page searches through the BuzzSumo Enterprise Application. These keywords were chosen based on medical topics derived from surveys administered to medical practitioners. The search parameters were confined to 2 distinct date ranges: (1) January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021; (2) January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Our searches were specifically limited to web pages in the Polish language and filtered by the specified date ranges. The analysis encompassed 161 web pages retrieved in 2021 and 105 retrieved in 2022. Each web page underwent scrutiny by a seasoned doctor to assess its credibility, aligning with evidence-based medicine standards. Furthermore, we gathered data on social media engagements associated with the web pages, considering platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, and Twitter. Results In 2022, the prevalence of unreliable information related to COVID-19 saw a noteworthy decline compared to 2021. Specifically, the percentage of noncredible web pages discussing COVID-19 and general vaccinations decreased from 57% (43/76) to 24% (6/25) and 42% (10/25) to 30% (3/10), respectively. However, during the same period, there was a considerable uptick in the dissemination of untrustworthy content on social media pertaining to other medical topics. The percentage of noncredible web pages covering cholesterol, statins, and cardiology rose from 11% (3/28) to 26% (9/35) and from 18% (5/28) to 26% (6/23), respectively. Conclusions Efforts undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic to curb the dissemination of misinformation seem to have yielded positive results. Nevertheless, our analysis suggests that these interventions need to be consistently implemented across both established and emerging medical subjects. It appears that as interest in the pandemic waned, other topics gained prominence, essentially “filling the vacuum” and necessitating ongoing measures to address misinformation across a broader spectrum of health-related subjects.

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Could Belief in Fake News Predict Vaccination Behavior in the Elderly?

Cited by 7 publications

References 56 publications

Belief in Conspiracy Theories about COVID-19 Vaccines among Brazilians: A National Cross-Sectional Study

Belief in Conspiracy Theories about COVID-19 Vaccines among Brazilians: A National Cross-Sectional Study

Focusing on fake news’ contents: The association between ingroup identification, perceived outgroup threat, analytical‐intuitive thinking and detecting fake news

Medical Misinformation in Polish on the World Wide Web During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period: Infodemiology Study

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