The Role of Social Media in Health Misinformation, Health Awareness, and Decision-Making Among Female College Students in Nepal: A Survey-Based Study

Abstract

Background: Social media is a routine source of health advice for young adults, but evidence remains limited on how female college students in South Asia encounter, evaluate, and act on everyday gendered health misinformation.

Methods: A cross-sectional Google Forms survey was completed by 305 female college students in Nepal. The study used descriptive statistics, exploratory composite indices, Spearman correlations, HC3-robust linear regression, binary logistic regression, and ordinal logistic regression.

Results: Skin-care and beauty health (62.0%), diet/fitness/weight loss (45.9%), menstrual health (38.4%), and mental health or stress content (36.7%) were most common. Overall, 59.3% had seen false or doubtful health advice. Awareness/learning was associated with health-content frequency (B = 0.123, p = .001), verification literacy (B = 0.378, p < .001), and susceptibility to social or influencer cues (B = 0.170, p < .001). Higher awareness predicted reported behavior change (OR = 3.61, p < .001) and stronger perceived decision influence (OR = 5.04, p < .001). Doctor or health-expert attribution was the leading trust cue (52.8%).

Conclusion: Social media functioned as both a health-information resource and a channel of uncertain advice. The observed associations are not causal.

Novelty: The study shifts attention from crisis misinformation to everyday, gendered health communication and links exposure, verification, credibility cues, awareness, and reported action in Nepal.