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The aim of the study was to investigate how general personality traits (Big Five) and maladaptive traits (Personality Inventory for DSM-5) predict specific conspiracy beliefs related to COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukrainian war. 925 participants from Slovakia, recruited via an online panel of a research agency (50.6% women, mean age 50.9 years), were interviewed in October 2021 with the Big Five Inventory Short (BFI-S) and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form (PID-5-BF). Later (July-August 2022 and April-May 2023), they completed the original scales to measure COVID-19 and Russian-Ukrainian war conspiracies. The results showed that after controlling for demographic variables, belief in specific conspiracies was positively predicted by extraversion and negatively predicted by agreeableness. Of the maladaptive traits, only psychoticism was a positive predictor of specific conspiracies. Since the effects were consistent across all types of conspiracies, the results suggest that personality traits may play a role in how people come to believe in specific conspiracies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious and conspiracy beliefs are based on the assumption that a potent force exists which is capable of affecting people's destinies. According to compensatory control theory, the belief in such a potent external agent may serve to alleviate feelings of uncertainty and help restore a sense of control. This is of particular relevance and importance to attitudes and behaviour of religious individuals towards vaccinations during the Covid-19 pandemic, where a belief in such a potent external force controlling events and destinies may have lowered the sense of threat posed by Covid-19 and in turn reduced vaccination uptake. To test this, we conducted a cross-sectional study of highly religious adults in Poland (N = 213) and found that the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses taken was negatively predicted by conspiracy beliefs, perceived closeness to God, and frequency of church attendance, and positively predicted by the perceived COVID-19 threat. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that both conspiracy beliefs and perceived closeness to God were related to a decreased perception of the COVID-19 threat, which in turn led to a decreased number of vaccine doses received. Our study offers important insights for public health professionals and identifies further research pathways on conspiracy and religious beliefs in relation to health-related behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People who hold multiplicistic (multiplist) epistemic beliefs about science tend to believe that scientific knowledge is always subjective and that varying opinions on a scientific matter are equally valid. Research suggests that multiplist epistemic beliefs may be maladaptive and lead to a radically subjective view of science. Little is known about the association between such beliefs and mistrust in science/scientists and the tendency to believe in misinformation. The aims of this study were to examine: (a) the degree to which multiplist epistemic beliefs about science are associated with COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and science-related conspiracy beliefs, (b) the degree to which trust in science mediates the association between multiplist epistemic beliefs about science and conspiracy beliefs, and (c) the extent to which COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and science-related conspiracy beliefs are associated with compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines. Participants were 210 undergraduate students attending a Hispanic-serving institution located in a large city in the southern U.S. Path analysis results indicated that multiplist epistemic beliefs about science were positively associated with science-related conspiracy beliefs after accounting for fundamentalism and conservatism. Moreover, trust in science mediated the positive association between multiplist epistemic beliefs about science and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs. Finally, belief in COVID-19 conspiracies was negatively associated with COVID-19 prevention guideline compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Homosexuality constitutes a topic of ongoing debates not only in lay, but also political and religious discourse. At the same time, conspiracy theories gain more and more popularity and narratives about the hidden gay agenda result in discriminatory behaviors against LGBTQI+ people. This study aims to test (a) the relationship between religiosity and social distance from LGBTQI+ people, and (b) the serial mediating effect of gender conspiracy beliefs and LGBTQI+ conspiracy beliefs in the aforementioned relationship. Methods: N = 703 participants were recruited online in the UK in August 2020. Ethical approval was secured and participants provided their written consent. We measured religious attitudes, gender and homosexuality conspiracy beliefs, and social distance from LGBTQI+ people. Results: People higher in religiosity were more distant from LGBTQI+ people, a relationship that was serially mediated by gender and LGBTQI+ conspiracy beliefs. Conclusion and Policy Implications: Results open up the discussion for policy-making implications reflected, for example, on the need to introduce critical thinking and skills to debunk conspiracy theories even more in workplaces, schools, universities, and institutions, which are supposed to foster diversity among their members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a global health crisis, COVID-19 has led to a rise in overall stress levels. Concurrently, conspiracy beliefs regarding the origin and spread of the disease have become widespread. Engaging in such beliefs can be explained as a form of coping in order to deal with elevated levels of stress. The present study investigated the indirect effects of coping strategies in the association between perceived chronic stress and COVID-related conspiracy beliefs. We report data from an online survey (N = 1,354 individuals: 807 female; 508 male; 8 diverse; 6 not specified; mean age 39.14 years) in German-speaking countries collected between January and March 2021. Our results indicate that people who felt more stressed were more prone to conspiracy beliefs. Coping via acceptance and self-blame was associated with decreased tendencies towards COVID-related conspiracy beliefs, while people who used denial as a strategy were more prone to these beliefs. These findings emphasize the need for stress management interventions and effective coping strategies during times of crisis in order to reduce chronic perceived stress, promote adaptive coping, and ultimately reduce conspiracy beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined how conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines specifically relate to symptoms of fear of COVID-19 in a sample of four South American countries. A total of 1785 people from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru participated, responding to a sociodemographic survey, the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19 S) and the Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale-COVID-19 (VCBS-COVID-19). Network analysis identified the most important symptoms of fear and conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines (nodes) and the associations between them (edges). In addition, the robustness of the network of these indicators of centrality and the possible differences in the structure and connectivity of the networks between the four countries were evaluated. The results suggest that the nodes with the highest centrality were items 2 and 5 of the FCV-19 S and item 2 of the VCBS-COVID-19. Likewise, item 6 is the belief that most predicts conspiracy beliefs about vaccines against COVID-19; while item 6 was the symptom that most predicts fear of COVID-19. The findings strongly support cross-cultural similarities in the networks across the four countries rather than differences. Although it was expected that a higher presence of symptoms of fear of COVID-19 may lead people to compensate for their fear by believing in conspiratorial ideas about vaccines and, consequently, rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine, the results do not clearly show this relationship. This could lead other researchers to generate evidence to explain the differences between Latin American countries and countries in other contexts in terms of vaccination rates. This evidence could be useful to develop policies favoring vaccination against COVID-19 that are more contextualized to the Latin American region, characterized by social instability and economic recession during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify predictors of intention to be vaccinated against Monkeypox (Mpox) in a sample of Peruvian citizens. Methods: A set of sociodemographic and psychological predictors were used, such as sex, sexual orientation, educational level, previous diagnosis of COVID-19, marital status, complete vaccination against COVID-19, employment status, living with vulnerable people, presence of chronic disease, area of residence, perceived usefulness of COVID-19 vaccines, fear of Mpox, conspiracy beliefs about Mpox, among others. A total of 472 Peruvian adults participated, selected by non-probabilistic snowball convenience sampling. A sociodemographic survey, the Mpox Fear Scale, was used. Conspiracy Beliefs about Mpox was assessed using three questions created specifically for this study. For inferential purposes, simple ordinal regressions ("crude models") were performed between each factor and the outcome. Results: Regarding their intention to be vaccinated against Mpox, more than 60% expressed clear approval. Being non-heterosexual, having greater emotional fear of Mpox, and perceiving some potential for this disease to become the next pandemic were related to greater intention to vaccinate. On the other hand, being older, having low perceived usefulness of COVID-19 vaccines, and having higher conspiracy beliefs about Mpox were associated with lower intention to vaccinate. Conclusion: The study provides initial information for future research seeking to better analyze Mpox vaccination intention. In addition, cross-sectional data are provided that can be used to develop public health policies that target subgroups with low prevalence of intention to vaccinate against Mpox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hardly a day passes without seeing the negative consequences of conspiracy beliefs manifest in headline news. While a great deal of research has examined the causes and consequences of believing conspiracy theories, relatively little research has examined the reaction to one's belief in conspiracy theories from one's social network. We asked participants to indicate how they would react if a family member, friend, or co-worker believed a series of conspiracy theories (e.g., Would they be willing to tolerate those beliefs? Would they be willing to confront those beliefs?). Also, we examined the role of Actively Openminded Thinking (AOT; Svedholm-Hakkinen & Lindeman, 2018) to examine the extent to which it predicted the belief in conspiracy theories and the acceptance of those beliefs in others. Study 1 and Study 2 were nearly identical, except the former consisted of an internet sample and the latter consisted of college students. Together, the data from these studies revealed that conspiracy beliefs that had direct consequences for the participant were less likely to be tolerated and more likely to be confronted. The closer the relationship of the believer to the participant, the more likely the participant was to tolerate and confront the belief. Finally, AOT scores were associated with a decreased tendency to believe in conspiracies and an increased tendency to confront those beliefs in others. These data inform our understanding of social and individual factors that lead to confrontation of conspiracy beliefs and increase our understanding of the AOT construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research aimed to better understand individual differences in attitudes towards emotions with a focus on anger. We report findings of four studies conducted with American and Polish individuals. Results showed that individuals who have more positive attitudes toward anger are higher in trait anger (Studies 1–4), are more likely to think about getting revenge (Study 1), and expect that getting revenge will make them feel good (Studies 1–2). In addition, these individuals are lower in agreeableness and lower in the tendency to engage in avoidance when angered (Studies 1–4). They score lower in humility (Studies 3–4), lower in secure romantic attachment but higher in anxious and avoidance attachment (Study 3). Finally, they are more likely to believe a wide range of conspiracies (Studies 2–4). Discussion focuses on the implications of these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization has designated vaccine hesitancy and vaccine confidence among the most pressing issues in global health. The COVID-19 pandemic has made vaccine hesitancy and vaccine confidence particularly salient and urgent. The purpose of this special issue is to highlight a broad range of perspectives on these critical issues. We have included a total of 30 papers that address issues related to vaccine hesitancy and vaccine confidence across multiple levels of the Socio-Ecological Model. We have organized the empirical papers into the following sections: individual-level beliefs, minority health and health disparities, social media and conspiracy beliefs, and interventions. In addition to the empirical papers, three commentaries are included in this special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccine confidence has emerged as one of the most relevant psychological factors implied in the worldwide affecting the fight against COVID-19—as well as public trust in doctors, medicine, and science. Indeed, the vaccine confidence is crucial to maximize the trust in vaccines and their use for prevention, with several implications for public health. This study aimed to analyse the relationships among between vaccine confidence, conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19, and satisfaction with science and medicine in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. A longitudinal observational survey was administered to a convenience sample (n = 544; mean age 52.76 y.o., SD = 15.11; females 46.69%) from the Italian general population. A two-waves mediation model—a structural equation model technique—was used. The survey was part of a larger international project (https://osf.io/qy65b/). The model highlighted that the conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 had a negative effect on the satisfaction with medicine and science (β = − 0.13, se = 0.03, p <.001). The latter, in turn, had a positive effect on vaccine confidence (β = 0.10, se =.05, p <.001). Interestingly, the effect of conspiracy beliefs on vaccine confidence was completely mediated by the scientifical-medical satisfaction (β = − 0.02, se = 0.01, p <.05). These results highlight how the scientifical-medical satisfaction can fully mediate the relationship between conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 and vaccine confidence. These findings about vaccine hesitancy and confidence and disclose have implications for psychological and social interventions that could promote vaccine confidence by targeting the satisfaction with science and medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although anecdotal evidence suggests that control-threatening situations are associated with an increase in conspiracy beliefs, existing research does not support this "compensatory control" hypothesis. In the current study, we test a more refined hypothesis: that the link between control threat and conspiracy beliefs is domain specific, such that perceived control in a particular domain should lead to conspiracy beliefs pertaining to that domain only. Moreover, given that conspiracy beliefs are stigmatized (i.e., not socially acceptable), we propose that they should be endorsed only when other compensatory systems are frustrated. We test these ideas in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants from North Macedonia and New Zealand, who differed in perceived government effectiveness, filled in a questionnaire measuring domain-specific and domain-general perceived control, as well as domain-specific and domain-general conspiracy beliefs. As expected, domain specificity of the control threat predicted domain-specific conspiracy beliefs in the Macedonian group only. The results have implication for compensatory control theory, suggesting that the compensatory process may not always be as fluid as believed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conspiracy theories thrive in moments of crises because they provide straightforward answers that assist individuals in coping with threats. The COVID-19 outbreak is such a crisis and is boosted by the political turmoil related to the politicization of the pandemic in some countries. To assess the role of political partisanship, intolerance of uncertainty (IU), and conspiracy beliefs in our two criterion variables (support for COVID-19 prevention measures and compliance with social distancing), we applied an online questionnaire to 662 participants. Our results indicate direct effects of political partisanship on support for COVID-19 prevention measures and non-compliance with social distancing while IU has not directly affected any of them. We have also found a significant effect of political partisanship on conspiracy theory dimensions involving personal wellbeing (PW) and control of information (CI) but not government malfeasance (GM) ones. Moreover, beliefs in CI theories predicted non-compliance with social distancing. Intolerance of uncertainty, on its turn, predicted the three dimensions of conspiracy beliefs. As to interaction effects, belief in GM, PW, and CI conspiracy theories moderated the effect of political partisanship on support for COVID-19 prevention measures whereas only belief in GM and PW theories moderated the effect of IU on past non-compliance with social distancing. Overall, our results suggest the relevance of diminishing politicization around the virus, providing basic scientific knowledge to the general population, and assisting individuals in coping with uncertainty. Besides, these findings provide insights into developing information campaigns to instruct the population to cope with the pandemic, producing behavioral change at societal and individual levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding local worldviews is a challenge during clinical encounters, especially when they involve cultural references without acceptance from the medical community. Gangstalking is a Western cultural notion which refers to systematic harassment, surveillance, and torture from unseen or covert assailants or networks. It is not a ‘real phenomenon’ compared with genuine stalking, but experients report worse depression, post-traumatic symptoms, suicidal ideation, and longer lasting encounters. They report physical pain and impossible feats of espionage technologically orchestrated by unknown malevolent actors. Using conversational data from targeted individual podcasts, I explore gangstalking as a cultural concept of distress (CCD) by highlighting associated explanations, idioms, and symptoms. Clinically, gangstalking is likely diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia. However, its association with frightening events parallels Susto and Nervios. Physical symptoms parallel Open Mole and Brain Fag Syndrome. Like many CCDs, gangstalking is a multi-dimensional phenomenon not neatly mapped onto psychiatric categories. Misinterpreting gangstalking cases as unique or isolated is a likely outcome even when they fit within a well-known Western subculture and techno-science belief system. Moving past prior, outdated notions of folk illnesses and culture-bound syndromes, gangstalking as a CCD helps end the assumption that only the other has exotic or non-psychiatric categories of distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined associations between COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and HIV status neutral care engagement among Black cisgender sexual minority men (BCSMM) and Black transgender women (BTW). Throughout April–July 2020, a total of 226 (222 in the current analysis: 196 BCSMM, 20 BTW, and 6 other) participants in Chicago's Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) cohort study completed virtual assessments. Participants reported their HIV status, changes in the frequency of PrEP/ART use, and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs. Three-quarters of the sample believed at least one conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was either government-created or lab-created accidentally or purposefully. Believing one or more COVID-19 conspiracy theories was significantly associated with better PrEP or ART engagement (using PrEP more frequently or continuously using PrEP/Missing ART less or continuously using ART) (aPR = 0.75 [95% CI 0.56–0.99], p < 0.05). Believing COVID-19 came about naturally was strongly associated with worse PrEP engagement (i.e., use PrEP less or not on PrEP) or worse ART engagement (i.e., missed ART more or not on ART) (aPR = 1.56 [95% CI 1.23, 1.98], p < 0.001). Findings suggested substantial COVID-19 conspiracies among BCSMM and BTW, and this was associated with HIV care engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People may cling to false facts even in the face of updated and correct information. The present study confronted misconceptions about the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and a novel, fictitious Zika vaccine. Two experiments are reported, examining misconceptions as motivated by a poor risk understanding (Experiment 1, N = 130) or the exposure to conspiracy theories (Experiment 2, N = 130). Each experiment featured a Misinformation condition, wherein participants were presented with fictitious stories containing some misinformation (Experiment 1) and rumours focused on conspiracy theories (Experiment 2) that were later retracted by public health experts and a No misinformation condition, containing no reference to misinformation and rumours. Across experiments, participants were more hesitant towards vaccines when exposed to stories including vaccine misinformation. Notwithstanding, our results suggest a positive impact of a trusted source communicating the scientific consensus about vaccines. Zika virus represents a particular case showing how missing information can easily evolve into misinformation. Implications for effective dissemination of information are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Personal characteristics may be associated with believing misinformation and not believing in best practices to protect oneself from COVID-19.To examine the associations of a person’s age, race/ethnicity, education, residence, health literacy, medical mistrust level, and sources of health-related information with their COVID-19 health and conspiracy myth beliefs.We surveyed adults with hypertension in Maryland and Pennsylvania between August 2020 and March 2021. Incorrect responses were summed for eight health (mean = 0.68; range 0–5) and two conspiracy (mean = 0.92; range 0–2) COVID-19 questions. Higher scores indicated more incorrect responses. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and log binomial regression.In total, 561 primary care patients (mean age = 62.3 years, 60.2% female, 46.0% Black, 10.2% Hispanic, 28.2% with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, 42.8% with annual household income less than $60,000) with a diagnosis of hypertension and at least one of five commonly associated conditions.Sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, medical mistrust level, source of health-related information, and COVID-19 conspiracy and health myth beliefs.In multivariable analyses, participants who did not get information from medical professional sources (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.06–1.55), had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.12–1.99), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.02–1.50), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.05–1.69) were more likely to believe any health myths. Participants who had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.02–1.45), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.09–1.34), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.43–2.06) were more likely to believe any conspiracy myths.Lower educational attainment and health literacy, greater medical mistrust, and certain sources of health information are associated with misinformed COVID-19 beliefs. Programs addressing misinformation should focus on groups affected by these social determinants of health by encouraging reliance on scientific sources.Objective: Personal characteristics may be associated with believing misinformation and not believing in best practices to protect oneself from COVID-19.To examine the associations of a person’s age, race/ethnicity, education, residence, health literacy, medical mistrust level, and sources of health-related information with their COVID-19 health and conspiracy myth beliefs.We surveyed adults with hypertension in Maryland and Pennsylvania between August 2020 and March 2021. Incorrect responses were summed for eight health (mean = 0.68; range 0–5) and two conspiracy (mean = 0.92; range 0–2) COVID-19 questions. Higher scores indicated more incorrect responses. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and log binomial regression.In total, 561 primary care patients (mean age = 62.3 years, 60.2% female, 46.0% Black, 10.2% Hispanic, 28.2% with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, 42.8% with annual household income less than $60,000) with a diagnosis of hypertension and at least one of five commonly associated conditions.Sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, medical mistrust level, source of health-related information, and COVID-19 conspiracy and health myth beliefs.In multivariable analyses, participants who did not get information from medical professional sources (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.06–1.55), had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.12–1.99), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.02–1.50), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.05–1.69) were more likely to believe any health myths. Participants who had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.02–1.45), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.09–1.34), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.43–2.06) were more likely to believe any conspiracy myths.Lower educational attainment and health literacy, greater medical mistrust, and certain sources of health information are associated with misinformed COVID-19 beliefs. Programs addressing misinformation should focus on groups affected by these social determinants of health by encouraging reliance on scientific sources.Design: Personal characteristics may be associated with believing misinformation and not believing in best practices to protect oneself from COVID-19.To examine the associations of a person’s age, race/ethnicity, education, residence, health literacy, medical mistrust level, and sources of health-related information with their COVID-19 health and conspiracy myth beliefs.We surveyed adults with hypertension in Maryland and Pennsylvania between August 2020 and March 2021. Incorrect responses were summed for eight health (mean = 0.68; range 0–5) and two conspiracy (mean = 0.92; range 0–2) COVID-19 questions. Higher scores indicated more incorrect responses. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and log binomial regression.In total, 561 primary care patients (mean age = 62.3 years, 60.2% female, 46.0% Black, 10.2% Hispanic, 28.2% with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, 42.8% with annual household income less than $60,000) with a diagnosis of hypertension and at least one of five commonly associated conditions.Sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, medical mistrust level, source of health-related information, and COVID-19 conspiracy and health myth beliefs.In multivariable analyses, participants who did not get information from medical professional sources (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.06–1.55), had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.12–1.99), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.02–1.50), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.05–1.69) were more likely to believe any health myths. Participants who had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.02–1.45), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.09–1.34), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.43–2.06) were more likely to believe any conspiracy myths.Lower educational attainment and health literacy, greater medical mistrust, and certain sources of health information are associated with misinformed COVID-19 beliefs. Programs addressing misinformation should focus on groups affected by these social determinants of health by encouraging reliance on scientific sources.Participants: Personal characteristics may be associated with believing misinformation and not believing in best practices to protect oneself from COVID-19.To examine the associations of a person’s age, race/ethnicity, education, residence, health literacy, medical mistrust level, and sources of health-related information with their COVID-19 health and conspiracy myth beliefs.We surveyed adults with hypertension in Maryland and Pennsylvania between August 2020 and March 2021. Incorrect responses were summed for eight health (mean = 0.68; range 0–5) and two conspiracy (mean = 0.92; range 0–2) COVID-19 questions. Higher scores indicated more incorrect responses. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and log binomial regression.In total, 561 primary care patients (mean age = 62.3 years, 60.2% female, 46.0% Black, 10.2% Hispanic, 28.2% with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, 42.8% with annual household income less than $60,000) with a diagnosis of hypertension and at least one of five commonly associated conditions.Sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, medical mistrust level, source of health-related information, and COVID-19 conspiracy and health myth beliefs.In multivariable analyses, participants who did not get information from medical professional sources (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.06–1.55), had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.12–1.99), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.02–1.50), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.05–1.69) were more likely to believe any health myths. Participants who had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.02–1.45), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.09–1.34), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.43–2.06) were more likely to believe any conspiracy myths.Lower educational attainment and health literacy, greater medical mistrust, and certain sources of health information are associated with misinformed COVID-19 beliefs. Programs addressing misinformation should focus on groups affected by these social determinants of health by encouraging reliance on scientific sources.Main Measures: Personal characteristics may be associated with believing misinformation and not believing in best practices to protect oneself from COVID-19.To examine the associations of a person’s age, race/ethnicity, education, residence, health literacy, medical mistrust level, and sources of health-related information with their COVID-19 health and conspiracy myth beliefs.We surveyed adults with hypertension in Maryland and Pennsylvania between August 2020 and March 2021. Incorrect responses were summed for eight health (mean = 0.68; range 0–5) and two conspiracy (mean = 0.92; range 0–2) COVID-19 questions. Higher scores indicated more incorrect responses. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and log binomial regression.In total, 561 primary care patients (mean age = 62.3 years, 60.2% female, 46.0% Black, 10.2% Hispanic, 28.2% with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, 42.8% with annual household income less than $60,000) with a diagnosis of hypertension and at least one of five commonly associated conditions.Sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, medical mistrust level, source of health-related information, and COVID-19 conspiracy and health myth beliefs.In multivariable analyses, participants who did not get information from medical professional sources (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.06–1.55), had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.12–1.99), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.02–1.50), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.05–1.69) were more likely to believe any health myths. Participants who had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.02–1.45), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.09–1.34), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.43–2.06) were more likely to believe any conspiracy myths.Lower educational attainment and health literacy, greater medical mistrust, and certain sources of health information are associated with misinformed COVID-19 beliefs. Programs addressing misinformation should focus on groups affected by these social determinants of health by encouraging reliance on scientific sources.Key Results: Personal characteristics may be associated with believing misinformation and not believing in best practices to protect oneself from COVID-19.To examine the associations of a person’s age, race/ethnicity, education, residence, health literacy, medical mistrust level, and sources of health-related information with their COVID-19 health and conspiracy myth beliefs.We surveyed adults with hypertension in Maryland and Pennsylvania between August 2020 and March 2021. Incorrect responses were summed for eight health (mean = 0.68; range 0–5) and two conspiracy (mean = 0.92; range 0–2) COVID-19 questions. Higher scores indicated more incorrect responses. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and log binomial regression.In total, 561 primary care patients (mean age = 62.3 years, 60.2% female, 46.0% Black, 10.2% Hispanic, 28.2% with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, 42.8% with annual household income less than $60,000) with a diagnosis of hypertension and at least one of five commonly associated conditions.Sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, medical mistrust level, source of health-related information, and COVID-19 conspiracy and health myth beliefs.In multivariable analyses, participants who did not get information from medical professional sources (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.06–1.55), had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.12–1.99), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.02–1.50), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.05–1.69) were more likely to believe any health myths. Participants who had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.02–1.45), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.09–1.34), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.43–2.06) were more likely to believe any conspiracy myths.Lower educational attainment and health literacy, greater medical mistrust, and certain sources of health information are associated with misinformed COVID-19 beliefs. Programs addressing misinformation should focus on groups affected by these social determinants of health by encouraging reliance on scientific sources.Conclusions: Personal characteristics may be associated with believing misinformation and not believing in best practices to protect oneself from COVID-19.To examine the associations of a person’s age, race/ethnicity, education, residence, health literacy, medical mistrust level, and sources of health-related information with their COVID-19 health and conspiracy myth beliefs.We surveyed adults with hypertension in Maryland and Pennsylvania between August 2020 and March 2021. Incorrect responses were summed for eight health (mean = 0.68; range 0–5) and two conspiracy (mean = 0.92; range 0–2) COVID-19 questions. Higher scores indicated more incorrect responses. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and log binomial regression.In total, 561 primary care patients (mean age = 62.3 years, 60.2% female, 46.0% Black, 10.2% Hispanic, 28.2% with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, 42.8% with annual household income less than $60,000) with a diagnosis of hypertension and at least one of five commonly associated conditions.Sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, medical mistrust level, source of health-related information, and COVID-19 conspiracy and health myth beliefs.In multivariable analyses, participants who did not get information from medical professional sources (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.06–1.55), had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.12–1.99), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.02–1.50), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.05–1.69) were more likely to believe any health myths. Participants who had less than a bachelor’s degree (PR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.02–1.45), were less confident filling out medical forms (PR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.09–1.34), and had higher medical mistrust (PR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.43–2.06) were more likely to believe any conspiracy myths.Lower educational attainment and health literacy, greater medical mistrust, and certain sources of health information are associated with misinformed COVID-19 beliefs. Programs addressing misinformation should focus on groups affected by these social determinants of health by encouraging reliance on scientific sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was focused on examination of conspiracy beliefs in a specific sample of future teachers. The main aims of the study were to explore whether and to what extent endorse future teachers to conspiracy beliefs, and whether cognitive abilities are related to future teachers’ conspiracy beliefs. In two studies 394 future teachers completed Generic Conspiracist Belief Scale, Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire, Vienna Matrix Test, Rational-Experiential Inventory, Cognitive reflection test, Slovak Conspiracy Belief Scale. Future teachers had mid-point agreements with conspiracy theories (most often: government conspiracy beliefs, information control beliefs and unnecessary prescription of antibiotics beliefs). Students with low conspiracy beliefs were significantly higher in rational thinking style than those high in conspiracy beliefs, and students reading and watching legitimate media believed significantly more in conspiracy theories than those reading and watching tabloids. Benefits of critical thinking courses as a way of reducing conspiracy beliefs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in the US continues to persist, in particular, among race, sexual orientation, and gender minority populations. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), or using antiretroviral medications for HIV prevention, is an effective option, but uptake of PrEP has been slow. Sociocultural barriers to using PrEP have been largely underemphasized, yet have the potential to stall uptake and, therefore, warrant further understanding. In order to assess the relationships between potential barriers to PrEP (i.e., PrEP stigma and conspiracy beliefs), and interest in PrEP, Black men and transgender women who have sex with men (BMTW, N = 85) and White MTW (WMTW, N = 179) were surveyed at a gay pride event in 2015 in a large southeastern US city. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were completed to examine factors associated with PrEP interest. Among the full sample, moderate levels of PrEP awareness (63%) and low levels of use (9%) were observed. Believing that PrEP is for people who are promiscuous (stigma belief) was strongly associated with lack of interest in using PrEP, and individuals who endorsed this belief were more likely to report sexual risk taking behavior. Conspiracy beliefs related to PrEP were reported among a large minority of the sample (42%) and were more frequently reported among BMTW than WMTW. Given the strong emphasis on the use of biomedical strategies for HIV prevention, addressing sociocultural barriers to PrEP access is urgently needed and failure to do so will weaken the potential benefits of biomedical prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Prior research has documented a high prevalence of conspiracy beliefs about the origin of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the role of the government in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Whether such beliefs are a barrier to participation in HIV prevention research is not known. OBJECTIVE: To understand the prevalence of HIV conspiracy beliefs and their relationship to willingness to participate in HIV vaccine research among three racial/ethnic groups. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred and one community-recruited volunteers (33.0 % White, 32.5 % Mexican American, and 34.5 % African American). MAIN MEASURES: We evaluated the level of agreement with six previously described HIV conspiracy beliefs, trust in medical research, and willingness to participate in HIV vaccine research. Multivariate models were used to compare these parameters among the three racial/ethnic groups while controlling for the potential confounding effects of socioeconomic status, access to health care, and other demographic factors. RESULTS: African Americans, Mexican Americans, and whites had similar levels of distrust in medical research. African and Mexican Americans were more likely to endorse one or more of six HIV conspiracy beliefs than whites (59.0 % and 58.6 % versus 38.9 %, respectively, P < 0.001), but were significantly more willing to participate in HIV vaccine research (ORs 1.58, CI 1.10-2.25 and 2.53, CI 1.75-3.66, respectively). Among respondents of all racial/ethnic groups, endorsing HIV conspiracy beliefs was not associated with willingness to participate in research. CONCLUSIONS: HIV conspiracy beliefs, while common among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, do not preclude willingness to participate in HIV prevention research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines levels and correlates of internalized homophobia among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Pretoria, South Africa. Using respondent-driven sampling, we recruited 324 MSM from February to August 2009. Results were adjusted using RDSAT analysis to yield population-based estimates. High levels of internalized homophobia exist among South African MSM: 10-15% reported 'often/very often' and over 20% reported 'sometimes' having feelings of internalized homophobia. A greater level of internalized homophobia was significantly associated with a lower level of education [Adjusted Odds Ratio = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.1-4.9], a higher level of HIV misinformation [AOR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.3-5.3], bisexual identity (vs. homosexual) [AOR = 5.5; 95% CI: 2.5-12.0], and HIV-related conspiracy beliefs [AOR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.02-5.8]. These findings contribute valuable information to our understanding of internalized homophobia in South Africa, highlighting the need to empower the gay community, promote self-acceptance of homosexual identity, and address conspiracy beliefs among MSM to reduce internalized homophobia and increase access to HIV prevention interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]