A cross-national survey of 31,000 adults in 30 countries finds that digital health literacy is highest in low- and middle-income countries and lowest in high-income countries, challenging assumptions that national wealth translates into stronger digital skills. The study, the first to examine how adults judge quality health information across this many countries, also documents wide variation in acceptance of AI-generated health content and in which sources people rely on for credible information.

The study was led by researchers at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) with collaborators at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), the University of Alabama, and Baraka Impact Finance / Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) in Geneva. The work was conducted in support of the Nature Medicine Commission on Quality Health Information for All research agenda.

Across countries, medical providers were the most frequently endorsed source of trusted health information (40.7%), closely followed by verification through multiple sources (31.2%). Government sources were named by 21.6% of respondents, and only 6.5% pointed to family or friends. Trust in providers was notably lower in Russia (14.6%) than elsewhere.

Acceptance of AI-generated health information varied widely. Globally, 58.3% of respondents said they would be likely to accept it, but the range was substantial: above 75% in China, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia, and below 50% in Canada, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, France, the UK, Australia, Belgium, Russia, Sweden, and Japan. Younger adults and those with post-secondary education were more receptive than older respondents.