Investigation of Social Media Misinformation Patterns and Their Impact on Public Health Decisions During Disease Outbreaks in Cross River State, South South Nigeria

Social media misinformation about disease outbreaks can undermine public health responses by diverting communities from evidence-based interventions toward unverified remedies and conspiracy narratives, and its specific patterns and health behaviour impacts in South South Nigeria require empirical examination. This study investigates social media misinformation patterns and their influence on public health decisions during disease outbreaks in Cross River State. A cross-sectional survey was applied to 280 residents across Calabar Municipal and Calabar South local government areas during an active Lassa fever awareness period, selected through systematic sampling. Questionnaire items assessed platforms used for health information, misinformation exposure frequency, ability to verify health claims, behavioural changes attributable to unverified social media health content, and trust in official health communication channels. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression were computed in SPSS. Available health misinformation literature from South South Nigeria identifies WhatsApp forwards and Facebook posts as the primary misinformation vectors, with elderly respondents showing highest susceptibility to acting on unverified content. The Information Processing Model and the Risk Perception Theory provide the analytical framework. Findings indicate that 42 percent of respondents reported making at least one health decision based on unverified social media content during the reference period. Recommendations address health literacy and digital fact-checking skills training through community health outreach programmes in Cross River State. Keywords: social media misinformation, public health, disease outbreaks, Cross River State, South South Nigeria.