Trust and Public Health Communication
Led by Drs. Traci Hong and Veronika Wirtz
Trust in science and in public health institutions and organizations is essential to effectively mobilize citizens to respond to threats to public health and safety. However, over the last few decades, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, public opinion of science has gradually diminished the ability of organizations and institutions to translate science into practical guidance to promote public health.
The CEID Core on Trust and Public Health Communication, through transdisciplinary research, works to identify the best policies and practices a) to share information with the general public as well as specific stakeholders before and during a fast moving infectious diseases crisis, and b) to build trust in science and public health institutions and organizations, especially as they relate to infectious diseases control.
Research
Social Media Analysis of Misinformation and Vaccine Hesitancy in Three Middle-Income Countries
Overview
Misinformation fuels vaccine hesitancy across the world, but the mechanism by which misinformation inhibits vaccine uptake is largely under-studied, specifically in middle-income countries. The slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in middle-income countries presents fertile ground for misinformation to proliferate. Moreover, social media usage in middle-income countries is projected to grow whereas usage has plateaued in high-income countries. Political leaders as well as religious personalities play a critical role in health decision making and dissemination of health information. Anecdotal evidence suggests that when some religious personalities espouse views contrary to science, it can have significant consequences to the wellbeing of large segments of the population, but this has not been empirically demonstrated. These conditions present a unique opportunity to study the impact of social media misinformation from key influencers on vaccine hesitancy in middle-income countries.
This research project will develop a big data methodology to measure Twitter-based COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and related political- and religious-based COVID-19 vaccine misinformation for three middle-income countries: Brazil, Indonesia and Nigeria. The researchers will also identify shared misinformation themes across the three foci countries, and use mediation analysis to test the hypothesis that vaccine hesitancy mediates the relationship between misinformation and vaccine uptake and other behaviors related to COVID-19. This research builds on CEID’s core pillar of trust.
Faculty & Collaborators
- Traci Hong, MA, PhD, Associate Professor, Media Science
Boston University College of Communication, CEID Faculty
- Derry Wijaya, PhD, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Boston University College of Arts and Sciences
- Veronika J. Wirtz , MSc, PhD, Professor, Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, CEID Faculty
Principles of Rapid Public Health Literacy During EID Outbreaks
Overview
Supported by a CEID pilot grant, this research seeks to identify best practices in public health literacy within the context of emerging infectious disease outbreaks. This research builds in part on the experience of BU COVID Epi Corps and is led by Dr. Jennifer Weuve and Dr. Ellie Murray.
Faculty & Collaborators
- Jennifer Weuve, MPH, ScD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health
- Ellie Murray, ScD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health
External resources
Recommended reading on the role of communication and trust (last updated February 12, 2024)
Kennedy, B., Tyson, A., & Funk, C. (2022, February 15). Americans’ trust in scientists, other groups declines. Pew Research Center Science & Society.
Bell, P., Dear, M., Essing, P., Sillito, L., Persand, I., Pentelow, L., Palmer, E., Kindell, R., & Freeman, T. (2021, November 29). Wellcome Global Monitor: How Covid-19 affected people’s lives and their views about science. Wellcome Global Monitor.
World Health Organization. (2023). WHO Strategic Communications Framework. World Health Organization
Calanan, R. M., Bonds, M. E., Bedrosian, S. R., Laird, S. K., Satter, D., & Penman-Aguilar, A. (2023, July 6). CDC’s guiding principles to promote an equity-centered approach to public health communication. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Larson, H., Karafillakis, E., Yiangou, A., Fogd, J., Kurz, X., Swierzewski, R., Bauchau, V., Derrough, T., Plebani, G., Nohynek, H., Mollema, L., Sturkenboom, M., Htar Myint, T. T., & Perez Gomez, J. (2017, October 4). Accelerated Development of Vaccine benefit-risk Collaboration in Europe: Deliverable 1.12 Developing communication strategies on vaccine benefits and risks: Guidance for public-private collaborations. ADVANCE.