The evolving landscape of health disinformation
insights from recent literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24208/rebecin.v13.433Keywords:
Health desinformation, Public trust, Health literacy, Digital media, MisinformationAbstract
This study addresses health disinformation (HD) as a growing societal issue, fuelled by declining public trust, the widespread use of digital media, and public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to review literature published between 2013 and 2022, identifying research methods and disciplinary fields, understanding the motivations behind HD creation and dissemination, assessing its negative impacts, and examining proposed responses. A comprehensive literature review was conducted. Strategies to combat HD were categorised into prevention and correction. Among prevention efforts, machine learning algorithms for automated detection show promise, while the effectiveness of media literacy initiatives remains inconsistent. Correction strategies, both direct (explicitly labelling information as false) and indirect (challenging the logic behind HD), produced mixed results, depending on factors such as format, source, and credibility. Trust in professional health institutions (e.g., the CDC and WHO) emerged as crucial for successful interventions. The findings underscore the central role of trust and health literacy in the HD cycle, both of which are shaped by structural inequalities that increase the vulnerability of historically marginalised communities. The study concludes that addressing HD requires a structural and multidisciplinary approach, prioritising trust-building and informational empowerment, particularly in Global South contexts. HD poses an ethical and political challenge demanding critical, transdisciplinary engagement
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