Medical Misinformation on Social Media and Its Impact on Public Health Campaigns: A Global Review of Challenges, Determinants, and Communication Strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64784/246Keywords:
Medical misinformation, Social media, Public health campaigns, Health communication, Infodemic, Vaccine hesitancy, Digital health literacy, Infectious diseases, Public health, Health education, Fact-checking, Vaccination, Risk perception, Digital communication, Global healthAbstract
Medical misinformation disseminated through social media has become a major global public health challenge, influencing health behaviors, public trust, vaccination acceptance, and the effectiveness of health communication strategies. The rapid expansion of digital platforms has facilitated unprecedented access to health information while simultaneously increasing exposure to inaccurate, misleading, and scientifically unsupported content. This review aimed to analyze the global impact of medical misinformation on public health campaigns and identify evidence-based strategies capable of mitigating its effects. A structured review of scientific literature was conducted using publications indexed in major international databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The evidence examined demonstrated that misinformation significantly affects vaccination programs, adherence to preventive measures, trust in healthcare institutions, risk perception, and healthcare-seeking behaviors. Vaccine-related misinformation emerged as the most prevalent category, followed by false preventive recommendations, conspiracy theories, unsupported treatments, and misleading information regarding infectious diseases. Social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and X were consistently identified as major channels for misinformation dissemination. Evidence from Latin America, including Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador, revealed patterns similar to those observed globally, although local sociocultural and educational factors influenced vulnerability and response capacity. The literature further highlighted digital health literacy, fact-checking initiatives, institutional communication, healthcare professional engagement, and accuracy-promoting interventions as effective approaches for reducing misinformation-related harms. The findings emphasize the need for multidisciplinary collaboration and sustained investment in evidence-based communication strategies to strengthen public trust, improve health literacy, and enhance the effectiveness of future public health campaigns.
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