Department of Management, Islamic Azad University (Khorasgan Branch), Isfahan, Iran.
Health Information Technology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Community Health Equity Res Policy. 2023 Apr;43(3):283-291. doi: 10.1177/0272684X211022155. Epub 2021 Jun 7.
Misinformation refers to unclear information from unreliable resources, and it is a common phenomenon of society; it can even constitute a part of family and social conversations due to the relative damages. Misinformation dissemination under the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic can be considered a cause of health-related anxieties and severe harm to the countries. The present study aims to explain factors related to the dissemination and acceptance of coronavirus misinformation in Iran.
This qualitative study was carried out through content analysis in the year 2020. The population included Iranian experts in Information and Communication Sciences, among whom 19 experts were selected through the purposive sampling method. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through Continuous Thematic Analysis. Such criteria authenticated data trustworthiness as credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability proposed by Guba and Lincoln.
Based on the experiences of participants, six major categories and 18 subcategories were identified regarding the major theme. The major categories included the official news and informing system, misinformation nature, users, media, misinformation source, and social determinants.
Concurrent with the Covid-19 outbreak, a sort of information tsunami occurs. Unavoidably, a significant amount of misinformation regarding the various aspects of the virus, such as its origin, transmission methods, control, and treatment, are published. In many cases, the spreading information is not checked and verified in terms of accuracy and authenticity. The spread and acceptance of Covid-19 related misinformation happen under the impact of various factors. Being familiar with these factors will boost the culture of health and pave the path toward establishing evidence-based information public awareness schemes.
错误信息是指来源不可靠的不清晰信息，它是社会的一种普遍现象；由于相对的损害，它甚至可能构成家庭和社会对话的一部分。在 COVID-19 大流行的情况下，错误信息的传播可以被认为是与健康相关的焦虑的一个原因，并且对各国造成严重危害。本研究旨在解释与伊朗冠状病毒错误信息传播和接受有关的因素。
这是一项 2020 年进行的定性研究，通过内容分析法进行。研究对象包括伊朗信息和通信科学专家，其中通过目的抽样法选择了 19 名专家。数据通过半结构化访谈收集，并通过连续主题分析进行分析。Guba 和 Lincoln 提出的可信度、可确认性、可靠性和可转移性等标准验证了数据的可信度。
根据参与者的经验，确定了六个主要类别和 18 个子类别，作为主要主题。主要类别包括官方新闻和告知系统、错误信息性质、用户、媒体、错误信息来源和社会决定因素。
随着 COVID-19 的爆发，出现了一种信息海啸。不可避免地，大量关于病毒的各个方面的错误信息，如起源、传播方式、控制和治疗等，被发布。在许多情况下，传播的信息在准确性和真实性方面没有经过检查和核实。COVID-19 相关错误信息的传播和接受受到各种因素的影响。熟悉这些因素将促进健康文化的发展，并为建立基于证据的信息公众意识计划铺平道路。
