Understanding and Addressing Misinformation Among Populations That Experience Health Disparities

Council Date: February 4, 2022

Objective

This initiative will seek to:

1. Understand the underlying mechanisms of health-related misinformation and disinformation.
2. Test interventions to address and mitigate the impact of health-related misinformation and disinformation on health disparities and the populations that experience health disparities.

Download full concept paper

Description of Initiative

The projects supported by this initiative seek to stimulate multidisciplinary research to understand and mitigate the harmful impacts of misinformation and disinformation among populations that experience health disparities and to inform public health practice. Research is sought to understand how misinformation and disinformation operate as public health threats and the consequences of exposure to that spur distrust in public health and medical practice.

Examples of health topics include:

• COVID-19
• HIV/AIDS
• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Vaccines
• Genetic testing
• Cancer
• Tobacco use and cessation

Outcomes of interest include:

• Excess morbidity and mortality
• Physical and mental health
• Behavior change
• Adherence to evidence-based prevention and treatment guidelines/recommendations

Of particular interest is examining how misinformation and disinformation operate within communities such as:

• Those with limited health and science literacy
• Rural populations
• Immigrant communities
• Racial and ethnic minority groups
• Those with deep distrust in science, expert, and government institutions

This initiative frames misinformation and disinformation as a public health threat, calls for a multidisciplinary effort, and applies a health disparities lens that recognizes the role of psychosocial and cultural factors, structural racism, mistrust, and marginalization of communities.

Page updated July 6, 2023