Abstract
This thesis investigates the determinants of health misinformation-sharing behavior among Bangladeshi social media users. It examines health misinformation as a global challenge, particularly acute in developing countries where low literacy and complex social dynamics heighten vulnerability. Grounded in an extended Theory of Planned Behavior framework, the study explores the roles of content-sharing attitude, digital literacy, trust, social influence, religiosity, and fact-checking behavior, with age and gender included as moderators.The findings reveal that content sharing attitude plays an important role in discouraging the spread of misinformation, as individuals with more cautious views of online content are less likely to share it. However, content sharing attitude does not necessarily translate into deliberate fact-checking, suggesting a gap between evaluative stance and verification practices.
Digital literacy emerges as an important enabler of fact-checking, reinforcing the value of digital competencies for critical engagement. Yet, its direct influence on reducing misinformation sharing is weak, highlighting that skills alone cannot counteract the social and motivational drivers of sharing behavior. Fact-checking itself proves to be the strongest deterrent of misinformation, demonstrating that active verification significantly reduces the circulation of false content.
Social influence is shown to be one of the most powerful predictors of behavior, simultaneously undermining fact-checking while amplifying misinformation sharing. This reflects the effect of social influence in digital environments.
Religiosity is positively associated with misinformation sharing, suggesting that spiritual commitments may intensify confirmation biases and selective exposure to value-congruent content. Trust, often assumed to be protective, demonstrates an ambivalent role. The study finds that trust in platforms can actually facilitate the misinformation sharing behaviour.
Demographic differences provide further nuance. Younger users are more responsive to digital literacy initiatives but are also more vulnerable to social influence, while middle-aged users rely heavily on fact-checking as a strategy to resist misinformation. Gender differences reveal that women are more affected by social influence, whereas men are more influenced by religiosity. These variations highlight the need to understand how demographic factors condition the pathways linking attitudes, norms, and control beliefs to behavior.
The study makes important theoretical contributions by extending TPB with contextually relevant constructs such as digital literacy, religiosity, and trust, offering a more comprehensive explanation of health misinformation sharing in digital environments. It demonstrates that TPB requires adaptation to account for the ambivalent roles of social influence and trust, as well as the cultural salience of religiosity in developing country contexts.
Practically, the research highlights the importance of targeted interventions that go beyond digital literacy training to include strategies that normalize fact-checking and harness the influence of trusted social and religious figures. By situating TPB within the context of Bangladeshi users, this thesis provides novel insights into mitigating health misinformation and protecting public health in vulnerable societies.
| Date of Award | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Irfan KHAN (Supervisor) & Raechel JOHNS (Supervisor) |