Scholarlink

Background <p>Health-related conspiracy theories undermine trust in healthcare, exacerbate health inequities, and contribute to harmful health behaviors such as vaccine hesitancy and reliance on unproven treatments. These theories disproportionately impact marginalized populations, further widening health disparities. Their rapid spread, amplified by social media algorithms and digital misinformation networks, exacerbates public health challenges, highlighting the urgency of understanding their prevalence, key drivers, and mitigation strategies.</p> Methods <p>This scoping review synthesizes research on health-related conspiracy theories, focusing on their prevalence, impacts on health behaviors and outcomes, contributing factors, and counter-measures. Using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, a systematic search of six databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus) was conducted. Studies were screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, with thematic synthesis categorizing findings across diverse health contexts.</p> Results <p>The review revealed pervasive conspiracy beliefs surrounding HIV/AIDS, vaccines, pharmaceutical companies, and COVID-19, linked to reduced vaccine uptake, increased mistrust in health authorities, and negative mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression. Key drivers included sociopolitical distrust, cognitive biases, low scientific literacy, and the unchecked proliferation of misinformation on digital platforms. Promising countermeasures included inoculation messaging, media literacy interventions, and two-sided refutational techniques. However, their long-term effectiveness remains uncertain, as few studies assess their sustained impact across diverse sociopolitical contexts.</p> Conclusion <p>Health-related conspiracy theories present a growing public health challenge that undermines global health equity. While several interventions show potential, further research is needed to evaluate their effectiveness across diverse populations and contexts. Targeted efforts to rebuild trust in healthcare systems and strengthen critical health literacy are essential to mitigate the harmful effects of these conspiracy beliefs.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Health conspiracy theories: a scoping review of drivers, impacts, and countermeasures

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年4月3日

查看全文
  • Adnan Kisa,
  • Sezer Kisa

摘要

Background

Health-related conspiracy theories undermine trust in healthcare, exacerbate health inequities, and contribute to harmful health behaviors such as vaccine hesitancy and reliance on unproven treatments. These theories disproportionately impact marginalized populations, further widening health disparities. Their rapid spread, amplified by social media algorithms and digital misinformation networks, exacerbates public health challenges, highlighting the urgency of understanding their prevalence, key drivers, and mitigation strategies.

Methods

This scoping review synthesizes research on health-related conspiracy theories, focusing on their prevalence, impacts on health behaviors and outcomes, contributing factors, and counter-measures. Using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, a systematic search of six databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus) was conducted. Studies were screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, with thematic synthesis categorizing findings across diverse health contexts.

Results

The review revealed pervasive conspiracy beliefs surrounding HIV/AIDS, vaccines, pharmaceutical companies, and COVID-19, linked to reduced vaccine uptake, increased mistrust in health authorities, and negative mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression. Key drivers included sociopolitical distrust, cognitive biases, low scientific literacy, and the unchecked proliferation of misinformation on digital platforms. Promising countermeasures included inoculation messaging, media literacy interventions, and two-sided refutational techniques. However, their long-term effectiveness remains uncertain, as few studies assess their sustained impact across diverse sociopolitical contexts.

Conclusion

Health-related conspiracy theories present a growing public health challenge that undermines global health equity. While several interventions show potential, further research is needed to evaluate their effectiveness across diverse populations and contexts. Targeted efforts to rebuild trust in healthcare systems and strengthen critical health literacy are essential to mitigate the harmful effects of these conspiracy beliefs.