The susceptibility to health misinformation depends on the addiction to social media and political views but not on e-health literacy
1
Department of Health Promotion and e-Health, Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3339
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
Background. Susceptibility to health misinformation (SHM)¹⸴² is viewed as a cognitive vulnerability shaped by socio-political orientations and engagement with digital information environments, not only by health-related knowledge. Social media can amplify misleading health narratives, and ideological positioning may shape what is encountered and trusted³⸴⁴. E-health literacy (eHL) is commonly considered protective⁵. This study tested whether social media addiction (SMA) and political views are associated with higher SHM after adjustment for religious practices, sociodemographics, and internet use intensity (IUI), and whether eHL adds independent explanatory value. Methods. We conducted an online survey of Polish adults aged 18–75 years (N=2701) with quota matching by gender, age, education, residence, and NUTS1 region. Participants were recruited through an online panel. SHM was the sum score of responses to 12 false health statements derived from fact-checking websites. Hierarchical linear regression included three blocks: 1) sociodemographics; 2) political preference and religious practices; 3) SMA, IUI, and eHL. Results. Sociodemographics explained a modest share of variance in SHM (R²=0.063). Adding political preference and religiosity produced the largest improvement (ΔR²=0.101). The final block added incremental explanatory value (ΔR²=0.019; final R²=0.182). Political preference remained strongly associated with SHM, with higher SHM among supporters of the main right-wing party versus the centrist one (B=5.35; 95%CI: 4.42 to 6.29). Non-believers had lower SHM than non-practising believers (B=-2.02; 95%CI: -2.93 to -1.11). SMA was an independent correlate of higher SHM (B=0.27; 95%CI: 0.20 to 0.34). Less intensive Internet users reported higher SHM than the most intensive ones (B=1.28; 95%CI: 0.35 to 2.21). eHL was not independently associated with SHM (B=0.013; 95%CI: -0.05 to 0.08). Conclusions. SHM was closely linked to political preference and problematic social media engagement. The absence of an independent association for eHL suggests that perceived online health-information skills may not offset political exposure and high-engagement social media use.
Background. Susceptibility to health misinformation (SHM)¹⸴² is viewed as a cognitive vulnerability shaped by socio-political orientations and engagement with digital information environments, not only by health-related knowledge. Social media can amplify misleading health narratives, and ideological positioning may shape what is encountered and trusted³⸴⁴. E-health literacy (eHL) is commonly considered protective⁵. This study tested whether social media addiction (SMA) and political views are associated with higher SHM after adjustment for religious practices, sociodemographics, and internet use intensity (IUI), and whether eHL adds independent explanatory value. Methods. We conducted an online survey of Polish adults aged 18–75 years (N=2701) with quota matching by gender, age, education, residence, and NUTS1 region. Participants were recruited through an online panel. SHM was the sum score of responses to 12 false health statements derived from fact-checking websites. Hierarchical linear regression included three blocks: 1) sociodemographics; 2) political preference and religious practices; 3) SMA, IUI, and eHL. Results. Sociodemographics explained a modest share of variance in SHM (R²=0.063). Adding political preference and religiosity produced the largest improvement (ΔR²=0.101). The final block added incremental explanatory value (ΔR²=0.019; final R²=0.182). Political preference remained strongly associated with SHM, with higher SHM among supporters of the main right-wing party versus the centrist one (B=5.35; 95%CI: 4.42 to 6.29). Non-believers had lower SHM than non-practising believers (B=-2.02; 95%CI: -2.93 to -1.11). SMA was an independent correlate of higher SHM (B=0.27; 95%CI: 0.20 to 0.34). Less intensive Internet users reported higher SHM than the most intensive ones (B=1.28; 95%CI: 0.35 to 2.21). eHL was not independently associated with SHM (B=0.013; 95%CI: -0.05 to 0.08). Conclusions. SHM was closely linked to political preference and problematic social media engagement. The absence of an independent association for eHL suggests that perceived online health-information skills may not offset political exposure and high-engagement social media use.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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