What predicts people’s belief in COVID-19 misinformation? A retrospective study using a nationwide online survey among adults residing in the United States

Abstract

Background Tackling infodemics with flooding misinformation is key to managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet only a few studies have attempted to understand the characteristics of the people who believe in misinformation. Methods Data was used from an online survey that was administered in April 2020 to 6518 English-speaking adult participants in the United States. We created binary variables to represent four misinformation categories related to COVID-19: general COVID-19-related, vaccine/anti-vaccine, COVID-19 as an act of bioterrorism, and mode of transmission. Using binary logistic regression and the LASSO regularization, we then identified the important predictors of belief in each type of misinformation. Nested vector bootstrapping approach was used to estimate the standard error of the LASSO coefficients. Results About 30% of our sample reported believing in at least one type of COVID-19-related misinformation. Belief in one type of misinformation was not strongly associated with belief in other types. We also identified 58 demographic and socioeconomic factors that predicted people’s susceptibility to at least one type of COVID-19 misinformation. Different groups, characterized by distinct sets of predictors, were susceptible to different types of misinformation. There were 25 predictors for general COVID-19 misinformation, 42 for COVID-19 vaccine, 36 for COVID-19 as an act of bioterrorism, and 27 for mode of COVID-transmission. Conclusion Our findings confirm the existence of groups with unique characteristics that believe in different types of COVID-19 misinformation. Findings are readily applicable by policymakers to inform careful targeting of misinformation mitigation strategies.

Information Consumption, Trust Dynamics and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Older Adults: Implications for Health Messaging

“…Nevertheless, despite their understandable frustration with the chaotic information landscape during the pandemic, many participants demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of the widespread misinformation. In contrast to past research that suggests demographic factors such as older age, low-income, and belonging to a minority race/ethnicity are associated with a higher tendency to consume and believe in misinformation [24,25], the narratives presented in this study show otherwise. Many participants were aware of current issues, able to discern inaccurate information, and even took further steps to inform others.…”

Vaccine Hesitancy and Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Misinformation in Japanese Youth: The Contribution of Personality Traits and National Identity

“…The Japanese media have also highlighted the importance of debunking SARS-CoV-2 misinformation online such as the belief that vaccination can lead to infertility in women, that the vaccination will make the recipient sick as it contains an active coronavirus, or that the vaccines have not been comprehensively tested due to the speed at which they were developed [97]. It is apparent that SARS-CoV-2 misinformation affects audiences and demographics differently, underscoring the need to customize communication strategies and messaging for specific populations [98].…”

Belief in misinformation and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine boosters: A survey analysis

“…However, data simultaneously show high levels of belief in vaccine-related misinformation, even among those who have completed the primary inoculation series [ 2 , 3 ]. Despite concerted efforts on the part of public health experts to counter the spread of viral misinformation [ 4 , 5 ], recent survey data suggest that several false narratives about the constitution and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines have persisted in spite of significant scientific evidence proving their effectiveness [ 3 , 6 ]. While health officials have emphasized the importance of ongoing vaccine boosters in maintaining immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infections [ 7 ] – and prior research has found trust in health information to be a critical determinant of booster shot acceptance [ 8 , 9 ] – it remains unclear if or to what extent belief in misinformation affects the willingness of previously vaccinated individuals to accept regular COVID-19 booster shots.…”