Assessing the Validity of Health Messages Used by the Saudi Public in WhatsApp

OBJECTIVE: WhatsApp is the most frequently used social media platform in Saudi Arabia. Inaccurate information could negatively impact public health. The number of studies worldwide investigating health-related misinformation in social media increased steadily, with limited data from Arabic-speaking communities. This study aimed to estimate the validity and safety of Arabic-language health information messages circulated on WhatsApp and identify the different categories of these messages based on their credibility. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A descriptive, analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2021. A total of 374 students were randomly selected from the common first preparatory year college at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and participated by sharing up to three health-related WhatsApp messages per student that they or their relatives had recently read. Four board-certified physicians reviewed and classified the messages based on their credibility and sources. RESULTS: 282 students provided 326 messages (1.2 messages per student). Most messages (86%) had either invalid or inaccurate content, and 83.7% came from unknown sources. Only 26 messages (8%) of the total were written by trusted scientific sources. Most of the messages from unknown sources or unqualified persons were either invalid or invalid, with potential health risks for the public, and the difference from trusted sources was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This study showed a high percentage of inaccurate and invalid health-related messages on WhatsApp. Invalid messages with potential health risks were authored mostly by unknown sources or unqualified persons. Most health messages written by trusted authorities and qualified persons were valid. Trusted scientific authorities should thus be more active in public education on social media platforms. They should advise their communities on how to discern the validity of such messages. More efforts are needed to guide patients from where to obtain accurate and valid health information.