Editorial: Inclusive health communication: strategies for equitable information dissemination

Health and risk communication is a rapidly evolving field that plays a decisive role in shaping public health outcomes. In recent years, new methodologies have enabled a more precise analysis of how health information circulates and how it is interpreted by different publics and communities. Among these methodological advances, the Social Impact in Social Media (SISM) approach stands out. SISM analysis showed that false health news circulated more widely in Western digital environments than in those analysed in China; however, science-based evidence was also shared more often in Western contexts than in Chinese ones [1]. Additionally, recent applications of SISM have identified distinct interaction patterns depending on the type of content: fake health information elicits more aggressive responses; evidence-based messages with demonstrable social impact generate more respectful and transformative exchanges; and deliberative interactions in social media can help counteract the spread of false information [2].Although these advances open promising avenues, persistent inequalities affect the capacity of different groups to access, understand, and participate in health communication. Even as more inclusive methodologies emerge, particularly relevant for communities with lower educational and socioeconomic status, there remains a need for strategies that help reduce these gaps and ensure equitable access to evidence-based health information [3].In this context, this Research Topic examines the multifaceted nature of health and risk communication, with particular attention to how health information is disseminated and received across diverse communities. The contributions are organized around four main thematic axes: (a) the analysis of misinformation, institutional distrust, and the cognitive processes that shape responses to health messages; (b) strategies for adapting health communication to culturally and educationally diverse audiences; (c) the dynamics of health information diffusion on digital platforms and the factors that influence public engagement; and (d) methodological innovations for evaluating, planning, and enhancing health communication interventions.A first thematic axis addresses misinformation, institutional distrust, and cognitive mechanisms that shape how different publics process health information.