Associations between susceptibility to online health misinformation, health risk behaviors and vaccine hesitancy among nursing students in Greece.

INTRODUCTION

The rapid spread of online health misinformation has emerged as a significant public health concern, particularly among young adults who rely heavily on digital sources for health information. Understanding how susceptibility to online health misinformation is associated with health risk behaviors and vaccine hesitancy is especially critical among nursing students, who will play a key role as future healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to examine whether susceptibility to online health misinformation was associated with health behaviors and vaccine hesitancy among nursing students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Greece during September 2025 and 414 nursing students were included in the study. Susceptibility to online health misinformation was measured with the Health-Related Online Misinformation Susceptibility Scale. Health behaviors were assessed using the Health Behavior Inventory - Short Form and vaccine hesitancy was measured with the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale. Multivariable linear regression models were applied to determine the independent association between susceptibility to online health misinformation and health behaviors/vaccine hesitancy, following adjustment for several sociodemographic and behavioral confounders.

RESULTS

Multivariable analysis showed that higher levels of susceptibility to online health misinformation were significantly associated with worse diet behaviors (p < 0.001), worse anger and stress management (p < 0.001), and higher levels of substance use (p < 0.001). Also, higher susceptibility to online health misinformation was independently associated with greater vaccine hesitancy, reflected in lower confidence in vaccines and higher perceived vaccination risk (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that susceptibility to online health misinformation is associated with less healthy behaviors and greater vaccine hesitancy among nursing students.