Medication‐Related Information on Social Media: Exploring Public Trust, Perceptions of Credibility, and Influence on Behavior

Vollständiger Abstract

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ABSTRACT Background and Aim Social media has evolved into a major source of health and medical information. This study investigated exposure to medication‐related content on social media among adults in Jordan and examined factors influencing trust, confidence in distinguishing accurate from inaccurate information, and health‐related decision‐making. Methods A cross‐sectional online survey was conducted in February 2026 among adults aged ≥ 18 years using convenience and snowball sampling. The questionnaire assessed demographics, social media use, exposure to medication‐related content, trust, verification behaviors, and digital health literacy (eHEALS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results A total of 501 participants were included (median age 26, 309 females, 61.7%). Instagram ( n = 416, 83%), Facebook ( n = 383, 76.4%) and YouTube ( n = 376, 75%) were the most common social platforms used. Respondents had frequent encounters with medication information ( n = 199, 39.7% more than once a day). Content consisted mostly of herbal remedies ( n = 404, 80.6%), advice from healthcare professionals ( n = 330, 65.9%) and influencers ( n = 329, 65.7%). Trust levels were neutral ( n = 244, 48.7%) to low ( n = 200, 39.9%). Trust was affected by the nature of the content source ( n = 426, 85%), nature of the information source ( n = 426, 85%) and social media platform used ( n = 309, 61.7%). Most participants ( n = 309, 61.7%) had encountered false information including false health claims/benefits ( n = 263, 52.5%) and misleading ads/promotion ( n = 243, 48.5%). Verification behavior was low to moderate ( n = 209, 41.7%), with more respondents ( n = 194, 38.7%) taking action on content seen. Higher education predicted high trust (AOR = 3.05, p = 0.009) and low confidence to differentiate reliable information from misinformation predicted high trust (AOR = 3.64, p = 0.001). Higher digital health literacy predicted more confidence to differentiate reliable from unreliable information (AOR = 1.082, p < 0.001) and low risk to act upon social media advice (AOR = 0.956, p = 0.007). Conclusion Social media is widely used for medication information, yet trust and digital health literacy remain limited. Exposure to misinformation is common and affects decision‐making. Enhancing digital health literacy, encouraging verification, and promoting credible health communication are critical.