Factors affecting rumor believability in the context of COVID-19: the moderating roles of government trust and health literacy

ABSTRACT

This study explores the mediating role of prior exposure to a rumor in the relationship between anxiety and rumor believability, and the moderated mediation thereof by government trust and health literacy. A total of 534 participants aged 19–59 were recruited from a research survey panel in an early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. Using two negative COVID-19 rumors, prior exposure to a rumor and rumor believability were measured for each rumor. The results showed that anxiety about COVID-19 led to rumor believability, mediated by prior exposure to a rumor. Government trust moderated the relationship between anxiety and rumor exposure in both rumor cases. Health literacy moderated the relationship between anxiety and rumor believability only in the rumor about lung damage caused by COVID-19.

KEYWORDS:

• Anxiety
• COVID-19
• government trust
• health literacy
• rumor believability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Yonsei University Research Fund of 2021 [grant number #2021-22-0312].