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. 2022 May 3;19(9):5557.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095557.

Impaired Perceptions and Conspiracy Beliefs about the Way of Emergence of the COVID-19 Infection

Aysen Kutan Fenercioglu  1 , Gunay Can  2 , Nurver Turfaner Sipahioglu  1 , Osman Demir  3 , Semih Gulluoglu  1 , Iyigun Gedik  1 , Gul Ece Altintas  4 , Asena Cosgun  5 , Zekiye Gurcan  6
Affiliations

Impaired Perceptions and Conspiracy Beliefs about the Way of Emergence of the COVID-19 Infection

Aysen Kutan Fenercioglu et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

This study aimed to reveal the perceptions and conspiracy theories surrounding the new coronavirus infection. We aimed to explore associations between COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs with recommended health protective attitudes and sociodemographic features among the Turkish population. A questionnaire consisting of seven items about COVID-19 conspiracy theories and perceptions and ten items about attitudes was given to patients and their relatives in five different centres during the second national lockdown in Istanbul. A chi-square test was used to evaluate the associations of disease perceptions and conspiracy beliefs with sociodemographic features and with health protective attitudes. Logistic regression analysis was performed for significant results. Of 483 participants, 242 (50.1%) were found to have a conspiracy belief. Conspiracy theories were more frequent in the participants who were older than 50 years of age (p = 0.009) (OR: 1.83) and less frequent in higher education levels (p = 0.005) (OR: 0.499). In addition, 6.6% of the participants were infected with COVID-19, but having the infection was found to have no effect on disease perceptions or conspiracy beliefs. Wearing a mask in crowds, avoiding shaking hands and kissing, and washing hands were less frequent among conspiracy believers and participants with impaired perceptions. These results indicate that misconceptions and conspiracy beliefs are driving the adoption of disinformation about the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; conspiracy beliefs; coronavirus; perception.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The association of COVID-19 perceptions with attitudes.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The association of conspiracy belief with attitudes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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