Which social media users are more prone to fake news about vaccines

Many people at times believe the misinformation about health issues that circulates on Facebook, Twitter and the internet in general. But some, according to a new US scientific study, have the right “profile” to more often refer to the belief in inaccurate posts, e.g. about the vaccines, reports the RES.

The researchers, led by Dr. Laura Serer of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, conducted the a relevant publication in the journal Health Psychology, surveyed 1,020 people between the ages of 40 and 80 about their reactions to 24 recent social media posts about vaccines, statins (widely prescribed cholesterol drugs) and cancer treatments. For all three of these issues, half of the posts that the participants were deliberately asked to rate were true, while the other half were false.

The aim was to highlight the “profile” of people, who in a larger percentage they tend to believe things that are not true. These people have been found to have lower levels of education, lower literacy in health, a tendency to use alternative medicine (often with fanaticism against classical medicine), and a lack of trust in the health system, pharmaceutical companies and specialists. . People who accept misinformation about a subject (eg vaccines) are more likely to be receptive to untrue information about other medical issues.

“Inaccurate information is a barrier to good health because it can discourage people from taking preventative measures to prevent a disease and be reluctant to seek appropriate medical care when they need it. Identifying those most prone to misinformation can help us better understand how this information is spreading and help us intervene in new ways, which can also have an impact on Covid-19 efforts. We need to reduce the impact and spread of online health misinformation. “Such steps can save countless lives,” said Dr. Serer.