Health misinformation has increasingly been recognised as a significant global public health concern. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how false or misleading health information can influence individual and community health behaviours, reduce trust in public health measures, and negatively affect health outcomes.
In South Africa, misinformation remains a significant challenge because of persistent health and socioeconomic inequalities. These challenges are often amplified by limited access to reliable health information, lower health and digital literacy, and greater reliance on informal communication networks for health advice. Social media platforms increasingly shape how communities access and share health information, with WhatsApp playing a particularly important role because of its affordability, accessibility, and encrypted communication. With approximately 30 million South African users, WhatsApp has become one of the country’s most widely used communication platforms. In underserved communities, WhatsApp networks are an important source of health information and may influence how information is shared, interpreted, and trusted.
Recent theoretical work suggests that health information degradation is influenced not only by message content but also by the structure of communication networks. The Multiplex Misinformation Dynamics Model proposes that information moves through interconnected layers of private chats, group discussions, and broadcast channels, where structural mechanisms may influence message fidelity. These mechanisms include groupthink blending, bridge-node bottlenecks, and broadcast influence, which together may alter how health information is interpreted and transmitted. Although theoretically robust, the model has not yet been empirically examined in real-world community settings, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
This study aims to investigate whether participant-reported communication patterns and perceived health information degradation are consistent with the selected mechanisms of the Multiplex Misinformation Dynamics Model within WhatsApp communication networks in Philippi, Cape Town. It will also examine whether educational attainment is associated with differences in these participant-reported communication patterns and perceptions of health information degradation.
