Social patterning of health misinformation in two Eastern Mediterranean populations

Abstract Background Health misinformation, the spread of false or misleading information relevant to health, has been proposed as a major global public health thread by the WHO. We aimed to identify the major social determinants of health misinformation in the general Greek and Cypriot populations. Methods Following proportional quota sampling we recruited a nationwide sample of 585 adults from Greece and Cyprus between January 2022 and May 2023. A newly developed, culturally adopted questionnaire comprising 48 items, was used to assess misinformation on COVID-19 vaccines and the pandemic. Sociodemographic determinants of interest included gender, age, marital status, area of residence, educational attainment, and income. Multiple linear regression was used to determine associations between the aforementioned social factors and the two dimensions of health misinformation, applying mutual adjustment. Results Misinformation about both vaccination and the pandemic was higher in younger age groups (p-trend 0.026 and 0.007, respectively), among those separated, divorced, or widowed (mean difference, 95% CI compared to those single: 9.73, 0.45, 19.01), and among those living in semi-urban compared to urban areas (11.14, 1.32; 20.97 and 9.44, 1.96; 16.92, respectively). We also detected strong inverse socioeconomic gradients in health misinformation based on educational attainment and income (p-trend <0.001, for both). Conclusions Younger individuals, those living alone, those residing in semi-urban areas, and those with lower educational attainment and income are particularly prone to health misinformation. Our adjusted models show that this social phenomenon is not simply explained by differences in education, hence more complex, cultural, political, perceptual, and psychosocial dynamics might be in place. Addressing the social patterning of health misinformation would help manage the issue more effectively and also reduce health inequalities. Key messages • Health misinformation is strongly socially patterned in two Eastern Mediterranean European populations. • Targeting efforts to tackle health misinformation to those more vulnerable, would render such programmes more effective, also helping reduce social inequalities in health.