A brand new KFF survey reveals the broad attain of well being misinformation, with a minimum of 4 in 10 individuals saying that they’ve heard every of 10 particular false claims about COVID-19, reproductive well being, and gun violence.
Comparatively small shares say that every of these false claims are “positively true”, starting from as few as 3% who definitively imagine that COVID-19 vaccines have been confirmed to trigger infertility to as many as 18% who definitively imagine armed faculty guards have been confirmed to forestall faculty shootings.
On the similar time, roughly half to three-quarters of the general public are unsure whether or not every of the ten false claims are true or not, describing them as both “most likely true” or “most likely false.” This implies that even when individuals don’t imagine false claims they hear, it will possibly create uncertainty about difficult public well being subjects.
“Most individuals aren’t true believers within the lies or the details about well being points; they’re in a muddled center,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman mentioned. “The general public’s uncertainty leaves them weak to misinformation however can be the chance to fight it.”
The brand new survey is one part of a brand new KFF program space aimed toward figuring out and monitoring well being misinformation and belief in america, putting specific emphasis on communities which are most adversely affected by misinformation, equivalent to individuals of coloration, immigrants and rural communities.
Alongside at the moment’s survey findings, KFF will quickly launch companion survey studies highlighting the extent of well being misinformation amongst Black and Hispanic adults, in addition to rural residents. KFF may even quickly launch a daily “Well being Misinformation Monitor,” which is able to doc rising well being misinformation, determine its main sources, and study the function that social media and information retailers play in its unfold. Join alerts from KFF on this matter. KFF Well being Information can be increasing its reporting on this matter at the side of the brand new program.
“Whereas many People battle to separate well being data reality from fiction, our survey exhibits that credible sources of data, and messengers, signify a chance to interrupt by means of and assist enhance belief,” mentioned Irving Washington, senior fellow for misinformation and belief at KFF. “We’ll proceed to concentrate on this chance and what sort of efforts could make a distinction.”
The misinformation examined within the survey contains:
- Vaccines. A 3rd (34%) of adults say the false declare that COVID-19 vaccines have brought on 1000’s of sudden deaths in in any other case wholesome individuals is certainly (10%) or most likely (23%) true. Black adults usually tend to imagine this false assertion than White adults, whereas Republicans and independents are extra seemingly than Democrats to take action. Folks with faculty levels are much less seemingly than these with a high-school schooling or much less to say that is true.
- Reproductive well being. A couple of third of adults say the false declare that utilizing contraception such because the capsule or an IUD makes it tougher for most girls to get pregnant as soon as they cease utilizing them is “positively” (5%) or “most likely” true (29%). Adults underneath the age of 65, Republicans, independents, and Black and Hispanic adults usually tend to say this declare is true than their counterparts.
- Gun violence. When requested in regards to the inaccurate assertion that individuals who have firearms at house are much less more likely to be killed with a gun, about 4 in ten (42%) say it’s “positively” (13%) or “most likely” (29%) true. Gun house owners are extra seemingly than non-gun house owners to say that this false declare is certainly or most likely true (55% vs. 37%).
The survey additionally reveals how diversified individuals’s beliefs and perceptions are about what constitutes misinformation. For instance, when requested to explain particular misinformation associated to COVID-19 that they’ve heard, individuals volunteered statements that have been in direct contradiction with each other, together with in regards to the security and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and of sporting masks to forestall the virus’ unfold.
Who Folks Belief for Well being Info
The survey additionally gauges individuals’s belief in varied sources of well being data:
- Docs. Not surprisingly, individuals overwhelmingly say that they belief their very own physician’s suggestions – with 93% saying they belief their medical doctors a minimum of a good quantity.
- Federal businesses. About two thirds of the general public say they’ve a minimum of a good quantity of belief within the Facilities for Illness Management (67%) and the Meals and Drug Administration (65%) to make the appropriate suggestions in relation to well being points. Democrats are extra seemingly than both independents or Republicans to belief the 2 federal businesses. About half of Republicans say they belief each the CDC (49%) and FDA (54%).
- Conventional information sources. The biggest shares of the general public say they’d have a minimum of a bit of belief in well being data reported by their native TV information stations (80%), nationwide community information (72%), and their native newspaper (72%). CNN is probably the most trusted cable information community (58%), with smaller shares trusting MSNBC (52%), Fox Information (49%), Newsmax (25%) or One American Information Community (22%). Fewer than three in ten adults say they’ve “quite a bit” of belief in well being data from any of those media sources.
- Social media sources. A couple of quarter (24%) of adults say that they use social media a minimum of weekly to search out well being data or recommendation, together with bigger shares of Hispanic and Black adults, and other people in low-income households. Of eight particular social media sources, half (52%) would belief details about well being points they noticed on YouTube a minimum of a bit of. Fewer say they’d belief well being data in the event that they noticed it on Fb (40%), Twitter (29%), Instagram (27%), and different platforms. Fewer than one in ten say they’ve lots of belief in well being data from any of those social media sources.
The survey report examines the sources to which individuals go to get their information and their susceptibility to misinformation. Lower than half (45%) of adults say they’ve heard one of many 5 false COVID-19 and vaccine claims and imagine it’s positively or most likely true. That share rises to 76% of normal Newsmax viewers, and 67% of normal OANN viewers, and 61% of normal Fox Information viewers.
Equally, 54% of those that use social media for well being data and recommendation a minimum of weekly say they’ve heard a minimum of one of many false COVID-19 and vaccine claims and suppose it’s positively or most likely true, in comparison with 40% of those that don’t use social media for well being recommendation.
Designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at KFF, the KFF Well being Misinformation Monitoring Ballot Pilot was performed Might 23-June 12, 2023, on-line and by phone amongst a consultant pattern of two,007 U.S. adults. Interviews have been performed in English and in Spanish. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 share factors for the total pattern. For outcomes primarily based on subgroups, the margin of sampling error could also be greater. Help for this work was supplied by the Robert Wooden Johnson Basis (RWJF). The views expressed don’t essentially replicate the views of RWJF. KFF maintains full editorial management over all of its coverage evaluation, polling, and journalism actions.