Health information disorders types and origins in health communication: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Health information disorders (HIDs) are becoming increasingly prevalent and can have detrimental effects on individuals and society. This study aimed to identify the types and origins of HIDs through a qualitative content analysis of interviews. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was cond...

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Main Authors: Amir Zalpour, Ehsan Geraei, Mohammadreza Hashemian, Firoozeh Zare-Farashbandi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-04-01
Series:Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jehp.jehp_2091_23
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author Amir Zalpour
Ehsan Geraei
Mohammadreza Hashemian
Firoozeh Zare-Farashbandi
author_facet Amir Zalpour
Ehsan Geraei
Mohammadreza Hashemian
Firoozeh Zare-Farashbandi
author_sort Amir Zalpour
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUND: Health information disorders (HIDs) are becoming increasingly prevalent and can have detrimental effects on individuals and society. This study aimed to identify the types and origins of HIDs through a qualitative content analysis of interviews. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted with a qualitative method through contractual content analysis. The 26 participants were health professionals, medical librarians and information specialists, patients, and media members in the field of health. The accuracy and robustness of the data were ensured by the triangulation technique using multiple sources and methods in data extraction, interviews with different groups, reminders, and domains. RESULTS: For HIDs types, four main categories and 12 subcategories emerged: sender (includes public, patients, specialists, and media professionals); message or content (includes misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, pseudo-information); channel (type of media and information dissemination); and receiver (includes literacy, communicative language, reading comprehension). The origins of HIDs have emerged into four main categories and 12 subcategories: sender (includes purpose and motivation, educational issues, psychological issues); message or content (includes content validity, content type); channel (includes media, access issues, type and manner of information dissemination); and receiver (includes educational issues, psychological issues, personal issues, social issues). CONCLUSION: It seems for a clear health communication process without any information disorder, it is necessary for the situation of each component of this process to include the sender, the content, the channel, and the receiver is properly considered and executed to ensure the accurate and intended transfer of health information.
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spelling doaj-art-e343e94edf9f4b4580066a5d83f16c452025-08-20T03:10:54ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Education and Health Promotion2277-95312319-64402025-04-0114113813810.4103/jehp.jehp_2091_23Health information disorders types and origins in health communication: A qualitative studyAmir ZalpourEhsan GeraeiMohammadreza HashemianFiroozeh Zare-FarashbandiBACKGROUND: Health information disorders (HIDs) are becoming increasingly prevalent and can have detrimental effects on individuals and society. This study aimed to identify the types and origins of HIDs through a qualitative content analysis of interviews. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted with a qualitative method through contractual content analysis. The 26 participants were health professionals, medical librarians and information specialists, patients, and media members in the field of health. The accuracy and robustness of the data were ensured by the triangulation technique using multiple sources and methods in data extraction, interviews with different groups, reminders, and domains. RESULTS: For HIDs types, four main categories and 12 subcategories emerged: sender (includes public, patients, specialists, and media professionals); message or content (includes misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, pseudo-information); channel (type of media and information dissemination); and receiver (includes literacy, communicative language, reading comprehension). The origins of HIDs have emerged into four main categories and 12 subcategories: sender (includes purpose and motivation, educational issues, psychological issues); message or content (includes content validity, content type); channel (includes media, access issues, type and manner of information dissemination); and receiver (includes educational issues, psychological issues, personal issues, social issues). CONCLUSION: It seems for a clear health communication process without any information disorder, it is necessary for the situation of each component of this process to include the sender, the content, the channel, and the receiver is properly considered and executed to ensure the accurate and intended transfer of health information.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jehp.jehp_2091_23disinformationhealth communicationmalinformationmisinformationpseudo-information
spellingShingle Amir Zalpour
Ehsan Geraei
Mohammadreza Hashemian
Firoozeh Zare-Farashbandi
Health information disorders types and origins in health communication: A qualitative study
Journal of Education and Health Promotion
disinformation
health communication
malinformation
misinformation
pseudo-information
title Health information disorders types and origins in health communication: A qualitative study
title_full Health information disorders types and origins in health communication: A qualitative study
title_fullStr Health information disorders types and origins in health communication: A qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed Health information disorders types and origins in health communication: A qualitative study
title_short Health information disorders types and origins in health communication: A qualitative study
title_sort health information disorders types and origins in health communication a qualitative study
topic disinformation
health communication
malinformation
misinformation
pseudo-information
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jehp.jehp_2091_23
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AT ehsangeraei healthinformationdisorderstypesandoriginsinhealthcommunicationaqualitativestudy
AT mohammadrezahashemian healthinformationdisorderstypesandoriginsinhealthcommunicationaqualitativestudy
AT firoozehzarefarashbandi healthinformationdisorderstypesandoriginsinhealthcommunicationaqualitativestudy