Misinformation about COVID-19 among middle-aged and older migrants residing in Brazil and Portugal

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 misinformation among migrants aged 50 or older residing in Brazil and Portugal. Method: This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted among migrants from Portuguese-speaking countries living in Brazil and Portugal, who were 50 years of age or older. The prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated using the Poisson regression model. Results: Out of the 304 participants included in the study, 188 (61.8%) agreed with at least one piece of misinformation. Factors such as having a religious affiliation (aPR: 1.24), higher educational attainment (aPR: 1.17), knowing someone who died from COVID-19 (aPR: 1.78), and having no intention to get vaccinated (aPR: 1.36) were associated with a higher likelihood of agreeing with COVID-19 misinformation. Conclusion: The findings suggest that access to misinformation was influenced by social, economic, and religious factors among elderly migrants with low digital literacy, thus contributing to the dissemination of false content within this population.

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

“…This is essential for building trust in public health initiatives such as vaccination. Including topics related to conspiracy theories in the training curricula for health professionals and creating strategies to popularize science among the general public, particularly among groups more prone to consuming health misinformation, are vital tools [8].…”

“…Conspiracy theories and misinformation about health pose threats to health literacy and belief systems, significantly impacting adherence to this preventive strategy [5][6][7][8].…”