This article, published in Globalization and Health, focused on information shared by alcohol industry-funded organisations in South Africa, Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, and Australia. The researchers found that the alcohol industry-funded charities studied are still not giving the public the full story on pregnancy and infant health.
The researchers found that a key type of misinformation is failing to provide easily accessible content on specific topics. In addition to the omission of information, there is also misinformation when it comes to the functionality of the websites, and in the positioning and sequencing of information that distorts their meaning.
The researchers recommend the following to those working in public health:
- to stop directing people to alcohol industry-funded websites for health advice
- to avoid health-related partnerships with SAPROs
- to call for public warnings to avoid these websites as part of wider efforts to tackle health misinformation.
Recommended citation:
Mitchell, G., Baker, C., Schalkwyk, M. C. V., Maani, N., & Petticrew, M. (2025). Do alcohol industry-funded organisations act to correct misinformation? A qualitative study of pregnancy and infant health content following independent analysis. Globalization and Health, 21(1), 68. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-025-01125-4