Exploring the relationship between health literacy and attitude to believe fake news about food: a survey among the Italian population
Objectives To examine the correlation between health literacy (HL) and susceptibility to food-related fake news, and to explore the role of social media and influencers in shaping consumers’ food choices.Design Cross-sectional survey conducted via an online questionnaire.Setting Nine community pharm...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
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| Series: | BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health |
| Online Access: | https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2025/08/12/bmjnph-2025-001231.full |
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| Summary: | Objectives To examine the correlation between health literacy (HL) and susceptibility to food-related fake news, and to explore the role of social media and influencers in shaping consumers’ food choices.Design Cross-sectional survey conducted via an online questionnaire.Setting Nine community pharmacies located in northern, central and southern Italy.Participants A total of 2284 consumers recruited between January and March 2024.Results Lower HL levels were significantly associated with poorer self-reported education, health and economic status, as well as precarious employment. These same variables were linked to a higher likelihood of believing and spreading food-related fake news. Individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds were also more likely to trust influencers who influenced their food choices.Conclusions HL plays a key role in reducing the susceptibility to food-related misinformation, particularly in lower socioeconomic groups. Targeted interventions aimed at improving HL may help mitigate the spread of fake news and empower individuals to make healthier food choices. |
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| ISSN: | 2516-5542 |