COVID-19 misinformation: mere harmless delusions or much more? A knowledge and attitude cross-sectional study among the general public residing in Jordan

Abstract

Since the emergence of the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its spread as a pandemic, media was teeming with misinformation that led to psychologic, social and economic consequences among the global public. Probing knowledge and anxiety regarding this novel infectious disease is necessary to identify gaps and sources of misinformation which can help public health efforts to design and implement more focused interventional measures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and effects of misinformation about COVID-19 on anxiety level among the general public residing in Jordan. An online survey was used that targeted people aged 18 and above and residing in Jordan. The questionnaire included items on the following: demographic characteristics of the participants, knowledge about COVID-19, anxiety level and misconceptions regarding the origin of the pandemic. The total number of participants included in final analysis was 3150. The study population was predominantly females (76.0%), with mean age of 31 years. The overall knowledge of COVID-19 was satisfactory. Older age, male gender, lower monthly income and educational levels, smoking and history of chronic disease were associated with perceiving COVID-19 as a very dangerous disease. Variables that were associated with a higher anxiety level during the pandemic included: lower monthly income and educational level, residence outside the capital (Amman) and history of smoking. Misinformation about the origin of the pandemic (being part of a conspiracy, biologic warfare and the 5G networks role) was also associated with higher anxiety and lower knowledge about the disease. Social media platforms, TV and news releases were the most common sources of information about the pandemic. The study showed the potential harmful effects of misinformation on the general public and emphasized the need to meticulously deliver timely and accurate information about the pandemic to lessen the health, social and psychological impact of the disease.

The Association between Future Anxiety, Health Literacy and the Perception of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Sallam et al observed that among students from Jordan, higher anxiety was associated with the belief that COVID-19 was the result of a global conspiracy [57]. The belief in conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 was also associated with a higher level of anxiety in the country's general population [101]. According to Liu and Tong, the exposure to updates or rumours about COVID-19 was associated with increased anxiety [102].…”

A Review of Misinformation Across Disciplines: Implication for Online Education

“…[4,42] offered an examination of factors contributing to the acceptance of online health misinformation). Lower socioeconomic status, older age, and lower educational level groups are also disproportionally impacted by misinformation [48]. It is worthy to mention that among the results found by this line of research, studies also have shown contradictory results.…”

“…It is worthy to mention that among the results found by this line of research, studies also have shown contradictory results. For example, some study argued that males tend to trust misinformation more than females [48], while other study contended that females accepted more health misinformation than their male counterparts [42].…”

A Review of Misinformation Across Disciplines: Implication for Online Education

“…The field of misinformation is growing. Misinformation research has been growing rapidly on topics such as COVID 19 [2,4,48], vaccine [6; 9, 30, 49], climate change [13,16,36], medical concerns [56], communication [8], memory [22], cognitive impacts on reading [45], new literacies [11], online education [9], political studies [11,1], and diversity [42] etc.…”