Beliefs in misinformation about COVID-19 and dengue in a sample of the Rio de Janeiro State

Authors

  • Dr. Cardoso Federal Fluminense University
  • Dr. Thaiane Federal Fluminense University
  • Ketlin da Rosa Tagliapietra Federal Fluminense University
  • Dr. Massarani National Institute for the Public Communication of Science and Technology, Casa de Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, CDHS
  • Dr. Machado Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul

Keywords:

Misinformation, Vaccine Hesitancy, Political Ideology, Ivermectin, Genetically Modified Organisms

Abstract

Considering the dengue epidemic in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and the widespread dissemination of misinformation related to COVID-19 and dengue, this study aims to investigate in a sample of the RJ State: 1) possible differences in levels of belief in misinformation about COVID-19 and dengue; 2) associations between sociodemographic, health-related outcomes and beliefs in misinformation; 3) reasons to believe in misinformation. We performed a cross-sectional opinion online survey using quantitative and qualitative data retrieved from 180 adults who live in RJ. Participants answered a self-report questionnaire about sociodemographic and health-related outcomes. Next, they rated as true or false and inform why they believe or not in six misinformation. Our findings indicate that RJ population believe more in COVID-19 than dengue misinformation. Furthermore, for each unity increase in number of received COVID-19 vaccine doses, there is an increase of 277% in the odds of the individuals not believing in misinformation about COVID-19. Right-wingers and individuals who do not intent to receive or administer vaccines in their child, are moderately to strongly more prone to believe in misinformation. The main reasons for believing or not in the misinformation were associated with trust in vaccines and health professionals.

Author Biographies

Dr. Cardoso, Federal Fluminense University

Psychologist (ULBRA/2017), master in psychology (PUCRS/2019) and PhD in psychology (PUCRS/2022). He completed a post-doctorate in psychology (PUCRS/2022-2023) with an emphasis on economic psychology and financial well-being. He is currently doing a post-doctorate in communication at the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) with an emphasis on combating disinformation. He has research cooperation with international higher education institutions (HEIs) in Italy (Universita Degli Studi InternaziollnalidiRoma) and the United States (Duke University). It also has partnerships with national research groups at the following HEIs: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (ESPM/SP) and Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV/SP). He has experience in economic psychology and financial well-being, with an emphasis on the construction and adaptation of psychometric instruments. She works mainly on the following topics: Data analysis, Network analysis, Systematic reviews and meta-analyses, Financial well-being, Behavioral finance, Decision making and Cognitive biases associated with misinformation.

Dr. Thaiane, Federal Fluminense University

PhD in Communication from the Fluminense Federal University. Coordinator of the Science, Innovation, Technology and Education Research Laboratory (Cite-Lab). Researcher at the INCT on Disputes and Informational Sovereignty (DSI), the INCT on Conflict Management (Ineac), the INCT on Public Communication of Science (CPCT), the Unesco Chair on Multilingualism and the National Science for Education Network. Founder of the Latmétricas Network. Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC). Member of the Global Artificial Intelligence Network for Social Good, of UNESCO's Information For All Program. Founder of the Latmetrics network, consolidated in 2018, which brings together more than 200 researchers from Latin America to discuss and develop alternative metrics and indicators for evaluating science. She has been researching disinformation related to science, global, political and epistemic disputes over scientific information and the interactional processes in the production of knowledge, from a perspective focused on the strategic development of communication and technology to tackle disinformation. Her current research interests are: science-related disinformation, disputes over scientific information and communication, science education and the circulation and evaluation policies of knowledge production.

Ketlin da Rosa Tagliapietra, Federal Fluminense University

Graduated in Psychology from the Lutheran University of Brazil (2018). Postgraduate in Neuropsychology from Uniasselvi (2021). Training in cognitive-behavioral therapy in childhood and adolescence (Instituto Vila Elo). She has an interest in and academic experience with disinformation related to health and the environment.

Dr. Massarani, National Institute for the Public Communication of Science and Technology, Casa de Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, CDHS

She has a degree in Social Communication from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (1987), a master's degree in Information Science from the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (1998), a doctorate in the area of Management, Education and Dissemination in Biosciences from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2001), a sandwich doctorate with a Capes scholarship in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London, a post-doctorate at University College London (2013), and a post-doctorate at Oregon State University (2015-2016). She carries out research and practical activities in Science Communication, a field in which she has worked since 1987. She coordinates the National Institute for Public Communication in Science and Technology, based at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). She is the coordinator of SciDev.Net (www.scidev.net) for Latin America and the Caribbean. She supervises doctoral and master's students on three courses: Postgraduate Program in Teaching in Biosciences and Health at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, Postgraduate Program in Education, Management and Dissemination in Biosciences at the Institute of Medical Biochemistry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Academic Master's Program in Dissemination of Science, She led the group that created the Academic Master's Degree in Science, Technology and Health Dissemination at Casa de Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz in 2016, in partnership with UFRJ, the Cecierj Foundation, the Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences and the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, of which she was coordinator from 2016 to 2021. She also led the group that created the Specialization Course in the Dissemination of Science, Technology and Health (lato sensu), located at the Museu da Vida/Casa de Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, also in partnership with Casa da Ciência/UFRJ, Fundação Cecierj, Museu de Astronomia e Ciências Afins and Jardim Botânico. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London. She is a visiting professor at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (September 2021 to January 2022). She was a visiting researcher at the Department of Educational Sciences at the University of Paris 8 (France) in January 2017. She is the leader of the CNPq Science, Communication and Society Research Group. She was a member of the Scientific Committee of the PCST Network, the international network for Public Communication for Science and Technology until April 2023; she is currently an honorary life member of the network.Also in the PCST Network she has been part of the steering committee of the PCST Teaching Forum since 2020. In the European network Ecsite, she has been a member of the evaluation and research steering committee since 2023. Executive Director of RedPOP-UNESCO, the science and technology popularization network for Latin America and the Caribbean, for the 2014-2015 and 2016-2017 periods. Responsible for the Science Communication Area at Faperj 2012-2018. Member of CNPq's Scientific Dissemination Committee 2018-2020. She was coordinator of the Academic Master's Degree in Science, Technology and Health Dissemination at Casa de Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz, created in 2016 in partnership with UFRJ, Cecierj Foundation and the Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences, from its implementation until August 2021. 2014 Mercosur Science and Technology Award (integration category, as group leader). José Reis Award for Science Communication 2016. 2nd place in the 2017 Jabuti Prize for literature, with the children's science book If I were... 14th edition Mulher Imprensa Trophy in the Academic Contribution to Journalism category, in 2020, José Marques de Melo Regional Academic Maturity Award, offered by Intercom (Brazilian Society of Interdisciplinary Communication Studies), in 2023.

Dr. Machado, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul

Productivity Fellow of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Level 2 (PQ-2). Researcher at the National Institute of Science and Technology in Disputes and Informational Sovereignties (INCT/DSI). Lecturer at the School of Health and Life Sciences, in the undergraduate and postgraduate stricto sensu courses in Psychology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). He is involved in the lines of research Assessment and psychological interventions in mental health and Well-being, health and quality of life. He is the coordinator of the Evaluation in Well-being and Mental Health Research Group (ABES). His research projects are organized along three axes: 1) construction and validity of measures in well-being and mental health; 2) predictors and correlates of well-being and mental health; and, 3) innovative methods in well-being and mental health research. He is interested in the areas of psychometrics, well-being, mental health and data science. Coordinator of the lato sensu specialization course Positive Psychology: Science of Well-being and Self-Realization (since 2019). Psychologist (ULBRA, 2008), PhD in Psychology (UFRGS; 2013) and post-doctorate as a consultant in quantitative data analysis and psychometrics (UFRGS, 2015).

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2025-02-11

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Vol. 42 No. 1 (2025): Vol. 42 No 1 (2024): Enero - Abril 2025

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