Dataset Information

The sources and correlates of exposure to vaccine-related (mis)information online.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To assess the quantity and type of vaccine-related information Americans consume online and its relationship to social media use and attitudes toward vaccines.

Methods

Analysis of individual-level web browsing data linked with survey responses from representative samples of Americans collected between October 2016 and February 2019.

Results

We estimate that approximately 84% of Americans visit a vaccine-related webpage each year. Encounters with vaccine-skeptical content are less frequent; they make up only 7.5% of vaccine-related pageviews and are encountered by only 18.5% of people annually. However, these pages are more likely to be published by untrustworthy sources. Moreover, skeptical content exposure is more common among people with less favorable vaccine attitudes. Finally, usage of online intermediaries is frequently linked to vaccine-related information exposure. Google use is differentially associated with subsequent exposure to non-skeptical content, whereas exposure to vaccine-skeptical webpages is associated with usage of webmail and, to a lesser extent, Facebook.

Conclusions

Online exposure to vaccine-skeptical content is relatively rare, but vigilance is required given the potential for exposure among vulnerable audiences.

SUBMITTER: Guess AM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7578671 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The sources and correlates of exposure to vaccine-related (mis)information online.

Guess Andrew M AM Nyhan Brendan B O'Keeffe Zachary Z Reifler Jason J

Vaccine 20201022 49

<h4>Objectives</h4>To assess the quantity and type of vaccine-related information Americans consume online and its relationship to social media use and attitudes toward vaccines.<h4>Methods</h4>Analysis of individual-level web browsing data linked with survey responses from representative samples of Americans collected between October 2016 and February 2019.<h4>Results</h4>We estimate that approximately 84% of Americans visit a vaccine-related webpage each year. Encounters with vaccine-skeptical ...[more]

PMID: 33164802

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Project description:BackgroundEffective communication is critical for mitigating the public health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveThis study assesses the source(s) of COVID-19 information among people in Nigeria, as well as the predictors and the perceived accuracy of information from these sources.MethodsWe conducted an online survey of consenting adults residing in Nigeria between April and May 2020 during the lockdown and first wave of COVID-19. The major sources of information about COVID-19 were distilled from 7 potential sources (family and friends, places of worship, health care providers, internet, workplace, traditional media, and public posters/banners). An open-ended question was asked to explore how respondents determined accuracy of information. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA 15.0 software (StataCorp Texas) with significance placed at P<.05. Approval to conduct this study was obtained from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Health Research Ethics Committee.ResultsA total of 719 respondents completed the survey. Most respondents (n=642, 89.3%) obtained COVID-19-related information from the internet. The majority (n=617, 85.8%) considered their source(s) of information to be accurate, and 32.6% (n=234) depended on only 1 out of the 7 potential sources of COVID-19 information. Respondents earning a monthly income between NGN 70,000-120,000 had lower odds of obtaining COVID-19 information from the internet compared to respondents earning less than NGN 20,000 (odds ratio [OR] 0.49, 95% CI 0.24-0.98). In addition, a significant proportion of respondents sought accurate information from recognized health organizations, such as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.ConclusionsThe internet was the most common source of COVID-19 information, and the population sampled had a relatively high level of perceived accuracy for the COVID-19 information received. Effective communication requires dissemination of information via credible communication channels, as identified from this study. This can be potentially beneficial for risk communication to control the pandemic.

Dataset Information

The sources and correlates of exposure to vaccine-related (mis)information online.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

The sources and correlates of exposure to vaccine-related (mis)information online.

Similar Datasets

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