Survey of over 30,000 US adults maps beliefs on autism risk factors

Investigators analyzed data from a survey study of more than 30,000 US adults to evaluate public knowledge of autism risk factors, according to EurekAlert eurekalert.orgEurekAlerteurekalert.orgOpen source ↗. The project was led by corresponding author Roy H. Perlis from the Center for Quantitative Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. The report, published in JAMA Health Forum, examined how medical misinformation correlates with population demographics and institutional confidence.

Survey findings on autism risk factors

Results of the survey demonstrated that about one-quarter of respondents endorsed childhood vaccination or acetaminophen use during pregnancy as autism risk factors. The investigators observed that non-evidence-based beliefs regarding autism risk were prevalent across the evaluated adult cohort.

Correlated demographic factors

These beliefs were more common among individuals with certain sociodemographic characteristics and political affiliations. In contrast, greater trust in scientific and medical institutions was associated with lower rates of endorsement. The authors concluded that limiting the public health impact of such non-evidence-based information will likely require targeted interventions that account for the heterogeneity of these views.