Older Adults More Likely to Encounter Online Medical Misinformation

New research finds older Americans, especially those with right-leaning political views, are disproportionately exposed to low-credibility health information online.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A study from the University of Utah found that while overall levels of exposure to online medical misinformation remain relatively low, the small group of people who do encounter such content are disproportionately older adults, especially those with right-leaning political views. The researchers analyzed web-browsing data from over 1,000 U.S. adults and found that the top 10% of participants accounted for over 75% of visits to low-credibility health sites, with older adults being more likely to seek out and engage with this type of content.

Why it matters

As older adults tend to have more health issues and make more medical decisions, their exposure to online misinformation could have significant consequences. The findings suggest that efforts to improve the online health information environment and help people better evaluate the credibility of what they encounter online may be especially important for seniors.

The details

The study, published in Nature Aging, found that while only 6.8% of the 1,055 health-related domains analyzed trafficked in low-credibility information, and just 13% of participants visited such sites, the exposure was highly concentrated among a small group. The top 10% of participants accounted for over 75% of all visits to these low-credibility health sites. The researchers also discovered that people who already believed false health claims or had more conspiratorial views were more likely to encounter dubious health content, indicating exposure isn't random.

  • The study was conducted over a four-week period in 2026.

The players

Ben Lyons

An associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah and the lead author of the study.

Andy King

A researcher who collaborated with Lyons on the study.

Kimberly Kaphingst

A researcher who collaborated with Lyons on the study.

University of Utah

The institution where the study was conducted.

Huntsman Cancer Institute

The institute that collaborated with the researchers on the study.

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What they’re saying

“It's sort of good news, though. Overall, the levels are pretty low,”

— Ben Lyons, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Utah (Mirage News)

“Not all older adults are like this, but the outliers are concentrated among older adults.”

— Ben Lyons, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Utah (Mirage News)

“The age effect is way bigger for politics. People see politics as way more entertaining than they would health-related content. So there's less of a motivation to want to share these things. You don't get a feeling of team identity from sharing health misinformation like you would for information that puts down your political opponents.”

— Ben Lyons, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Utah (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers plan to further investigate the factors that drive older adults to seek out and engage with low-credibility health information online, in order to develop more effective strategies for combating the spread of medical misinformation among this vulnerable population.

The takeaway

This study highlights the need to improve the online health information environment and help older adults develop better critical thinking skills to evaluate the credibility of the content they encounter, as they are disproportionately exposed to potentially harmful medical misinformation online.