Prevalence of misinformation and factchecks on the COVID-19 pandemic in 35 countries: observational infodemiology study

Cha, Meeyoung and Cha, Chiyoung and Singh, Karandeep and Lima, Gabriel and Ahn, Yong Yeol and Kulshrestha, Juhi and Varol, Onur (2021) Prevalence of misinformation and factchecks on the COVID-19 pandemic in 35 countries: observational infodemiology study. JMIR Human Factors, 8 (1). ISSN 2292-9495

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by an infodemic, in which a plethora of false information has been rapidly disseminated online, leading to serious harm worldwide. Objective: This study aims to analyze the prevalence of common misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted an online survey via social media platforms and a survey company to determine whether respondents have been exposed to a broad set of false claims and fact-checked information on the disease. Results: We obtained more than 41,000 responses from 1257 participants in 85 countries, but for our analysis, we only included responses from 35 countries that had at least 15 respondents. We identified a strong negative correlation between a country’s Gross Domestic Product per-capita and the prevalence of misinformation, with poorer countries having a higher prevalence of misinformation (Spearman ρ=–0.72; P<.001). We also found that fact checks spread to a lesser degree than their respective false claims, following a sublinear trend (β=.64). Conclusions: Our results imply that the potential harm of misinformation could be more substantial for low-income countries than high-income countries. Countries with poor infrastructures might have to combat not only the spreading pandemic but also the COVID-19 infodemic, which can derail efforts in saving lives.
Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Coronavirus; COVID-19; Infodemic; Infodemiology; LMIC countries; Misinformation; Vulnerability
Divisions: Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences > Academic programs > Computer Science & Eng.
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Depositing User: Onur Varol
Date Deposited: 18 Aug 2022 13:30
Last Modified: 18 Aug 2022 13:30
URI: https://research.sabanciuniv.edu/id/eprint/43319

Actions (login required)

View Item
View Item