ArticleInternational journal for equity in health2025
Health conspiracy theories: a scoping review of drivers, impacts, and countermeasures.
Article in International journal for equity in health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Overcoming health misinformation in marginalized groups: a systematic review.International journal for equity in health · 2025Pooled it
- The role of AI in combating misinformation: leveraging text mining and social networking analysis.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Mediation Analysis of the Relationship Between Health Literacy and the French General Population's Opinions on Hepatitis B Vaccination: Representative Cross-Sectional Survey of the SLAVACO Project.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2026Article
- Predatory marketing and false health promotion on social media: risk pathways in diet, fitness, and supplement communication.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- E-health literacy and health system distrust: exploring a nonlinear association in a cross-sectional study.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2026Article
- Perceived Disinformation, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms in the Czech Population: Age-Specific Associations.Depression and anxiety · 2026Article
- Factors associated with risk perception among school and nursery school teachers concerning potential health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Addressing misleading medical information on social media: a scoping review of current interventions.BMJ evidence-based medicine · 2025Article
- 20-minute neighbourhoods, criticisms, conspiracy theories, and health: a critical discourse analysis.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Mothers Marketing to Mothers: An Exploration of Cannabis Use and Constructions of Motherhood on Instagram and Blog Posts.Substance use : research and treatmentArticle
- Fluoride Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors: Adults in Rural Alabama.Journal of primary care & community healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHealth-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.
methodsThis 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.
resultsThe 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.
conclusionHealth-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.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.