Yale Study Finds Most People Believe Unfounded Health Claims
New research from the Yale School of Public Health and the Edelman Trust Institute shows that 70% of people globally believe at least one unfounded health claim, even among those with science education. The study suggests empathy and active listening are key to rebuilding trust in public health expertise.
A new analysis from the Yale School of Public Health and the Edelman Trust Institute reveals that misinformation is not confined to the margins of society. The study, which surveyed more than 13,000 people across the globe, found that 70% of respondents believed at least one of six unfounded health claims, covering topics such as childhood vaccines, raw milk, and fluoride in drinking water.
The findings challenge the assumption that susceptibility to misinformation is tied to a lack of education or political affiliation. Most of those who believed the false claims had taken at least one university-level science course. The tendency to accept unproven health information cut across generational and partisan lines, suggesting that confusion about health is a mainstream experience rather than a fringe phenomenon.
According to the analysis, people are especially vulnerable in moments of fear and uncertainty, when their own health or the health of a loved one is on the line. Those who frequently interacted with the health care system were more than 50% more likely to hold three or more unfounded beliefs. The pattern points to a deeper issue: the longer people search for answers to complicated or persistent illnesses, the more uncertainty they encounter, including ambiguous tests, ineffective treatments, and specialists who disagree.
As a result, many people turn to intuition, friends, social media, or artificial intelligence for guidance. Nearly half of the survey respondents said they believe someone without medical training who is fluent with AI can perform at least one health-related task as well as or better than a doctor. The finding reflects a growing willingness to trust alternative sources that may offer empathy and active listening, even if the accuracy of their information is questionable.
The study's authors argue that empathy alone is not a substitute for good data, but it is a critical starting point. People are far more likely to accept sound advice when they believe their concerns are truly heard. That principle applies not only in the exam room but anywhere public health officials ask the public to place trust in expertise. Respondents reported being more likely to follow advice when they felt their experience was taken seriously, when they believed someone understood their community, and when they felt listened to.
Despite the prevalence of misinformation, the analysis offers a measure of hope. Nearly half of respondents said they had seen doctors or medical experts build bridges and grow trust. The authors note that misinformation flourishes in a petri dish of uncertainty, especially when it offers simple answers to complicated questions. But trust is not out of reach. By recognizing the deeply human impulse to seek certainty, control, and answers, health professionals and institutions can begin to rebuild credibility and help people find information they can rely on.
7
