Social Media and the Influence of Fake News on Global Health Interventions: Implications for a Study on Dengue in Brazil

Abstract

Social media usage is growing globally, with an exponential increase in low- and middle-income countries. Social media changes the ways in which information-sharing occurs, intensifying the population’s exposure to misinformation, including fake news. This has important repercussions for global health. The spread of fake news can undermine the implementation of evidence-based interventions and weaken the credibility of scientific expertise. This is particularly worrisome in countries, such as Brazil, in a sociopolitical context characterized by a lack of popular trust in public institutions. In this project report, we describe our experience with the spread of fake news through the social media platform WhatsApp during the implementation of a cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at reducing dengue incidence in children in Fortaleza (Brazil). During initial visits to selected clusters, the research team was met with resistance. Then, soon after data collection started, fake news began circulating about the study. As a result, the research team developed strategies to dispel suspicion and further promote the study. However, the climate of violence and mistrust, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, forced the interruption of the study in 2019. The lessons learned from our experience in Fortaleza can be useful to other researchers and practitioners implementing large-scale interventions in this era of health-related misinformation.

Exploring Global Impact: The Influence of Social Presence and Online Tutoring in Cultivating a Healthy Social Media Environment

“…The exponential growth of social media has brought about challenges related to cyberbullying (Johanis et al, 2020;Kumar & Bhat, 2022;Nasution et al, 2023), misinformation (Abed, 2021;Aimeur et al, 2023;Gagnon-Dufresne et al, 2023), and other detrimental behaviors. Hence the importance of addressing these challenges to foster a safe and positive online atmosphere.…”

WhatsApp-based intervention in urban Colombia to support the prevention of arboviral diseases: a feasibility study

“…WhatsApp Messenger (WhatsApp Inc.) is one of the most popular mobile applications worldwide, with approximately 2 billion active users [ 19 ]. Although its primary purpose is social networking, the popularity of WhatsApp has meant that it has been widely used as a channel for sharing news and information [ 20 ]. This feature has been leveraged for health systems and programs for improving communication between patients and professionals or health authorities and communities, favoring the spread of health-related information [ 21 ], creating reliable communication channels and promoting healthier behavior in different target populations [ 22 , 23 ].…”