The Health Misinformation on Social Media and Preventive Health Behaviors

Abstract

Health misinformation on social media has emerged as a significant public health challenge affecting individuals’ engagement with preventive health behaviors. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp play central roles in disseminating health content, yet they also enable rapid spread of inaccurate, misleading, or unverified information (World Health Organization, 2020). Preventive health behaviors refer to actions individuals take to prevent disease onset or progression, including vaccination, healthy lifestyle practices, screenings, and adherence to public health recommendations. Misinformation can distort perceptions of risk, undermine trust in science and health authorities, and reduce compliance with evidence-based preventive measures. Understanding the relationship between exposure to health misinformation on social media and preventive health behaviors is crucial for designing interventions that enhance public health outcomes. This study examines how health misinformation exposure influences preventive health behaviors and whether mediators such as trust in health authorities and health literacy can mitigate this impact. A conceptual model was developed hypothesizing that higher exposure to health misinformation is negatively associated with preventive health behaviors, while trust and health literacy buffer this relationship. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from adults who regularly use social media for health information. Measures included self-reported exposure to misinformation, frequency of preventive health behaviors, trust in health authorities, and health literacy levels. Structural equation modeling was conducted using SmartPLS to test hypothesized paths. Results indicate that exposure to health misinformation significantly predicts lower engagement in preventive health behaviors (β = –0.48, p < .001). Trust in health authorities positively predicts preventive behaviors (β = 0.36, p < .001) and moderates the misinformation effect, reducing its negative influence. Health literacy also shows a positive association with preventive behaviors (β = 0.29, p < .01) and weakens the misinformation impact. The model explains a substantial proportion of variance in preventive behaviors, suggesting these mediators are important protective factors. These findings highlight that misinformation on social media poses real risks to public health by discouraging evidence-based preventive actions. Interventions that strengthen trust in health institutions and enhance health literacy may reduce susceptibility to misinformation and promote better health outcomes. Public health campaigns, digital literacy programs, and platform-level policies targeting misinformation are recommended to foster an informed public capable of engaging in preventive health behaviors.