Comic books in a short course

a strategy to tackle health-related fake news

Abstract

The expansion of the internet and social media has facilitated the dissemination of information from multiple sources, including health-related fake news. Created to manipulate public opinion, they pose a risk to individual and collective health. Therefore, expanding science communication efforts is essential. Comics have emerged as a resource to convey evidence-based health information through an accessible and playful language. This article presents the development of a comic aimed at clarifying health-related fake news, involving undergraduate students in the field and staff from the Federal Institute of Rio de Janeiro. The research, with a qualitative and exploratory approach, included a short course and the application of questionnaires to test the product. The results revealed that the comic can be a promising tool to foster reflection on health risks associated with misinformation, stimulate critical thinking, and encourage the search for reliable sources.