An infodemic caused by a rampant spread of a mixture of correct and incorrect information in a connected world creates uncertainty about and dismissal of proven public health measures. Two key factors that can influence COVID-19 preventive behaviors are information and self-efficacy. Misinformation (inaccurate or misleading information) can modify people’s attitudes and behaviors and deter them from following preventive behaviors. Self-efficacy, on the other hand, has been linked to the likelihood to engaging in preventive behaviors. This cross-sectional study used a nationally representative survey of Americans from 2020 to determine the associations between (1) COVID-19 news sources and COVID-19 misinformation and (2) COVID-19 misinformation and COVID-19 prevention self-efficacy, using multivariable logistic regression. Results indicate that reliance on conservative sources for COVID-19 news is significantly associated with endorsing COVID-19 misinformation. In contrast, reliance on liberal sources, mainstream print, or social media for COVID-19 news are significantly negatively associated with endorsing COVID-19 misinformation. Furthermore, endorsing COVID-19 misinformation is related to low COVID-19 prevention self-efficacy, which, in turn, can modify COVID-19 preventive behaviors. These findings suggest that customizing health messages to debunk misinformation and increase self-efficacy for preventive behaviors can motivate individuals to comply with preventive behaviors and protect themselves from COVID-19.

由正确和不正确信息在互联世界中的猖獗传播引起的信息流行病造成了对经过验证的公共卫生措施的不确定性和驳回。影响 COVID-19 预防行为的两个关键因素是信息和自我效能。错误信息（不准确或误导性信息）可以改变人们的态度和行为，并阻止他们遵循预防行为。另一方面，自我效能与参与预防行为的可能性有关。这项横断面研究使用 2020 年对美国人的全国代表性调查来确定 (1) COVID-19 新闻来源与 COVID-19 错误信息和 (2) COVID-19 错误信息与 COVID-19 预防自我效能之间的关联，使用多变量逻辑回归。对自由来源、主流印刷品或社交媒体的 COVID-19 新闻的依赖与认可 COVID-19 错误信息显着负相关。此外，支持 COVID-19 错误信息与 COVID-19 预防自我效能低有关，而这反过来又可以改变 COVID-19 预防行为。这些发现表明，定制健康信息以揭穿错误信息并提高预防行为的自我效能可以激励个人遵守预防行为并保护自己免受 COVID-19 的侵害。对自由来源、主流印刷品或社交媒体的 COVID-19 新闻的依赖与认可 COVID-19 错误信息显着负相关。此外，支持 COVID-19 错误信息与 COVID-19 预防自我效能低有关，而这反过来又可以改变 COVID-19 预防行为。这些发现表明，定制健康信息以揭穿错误信息并提高预防行为的自我效能可以激励个人遵守预防行为并保护自己免受 COVID-19 的侵害。