Change in trust in US government health agencies for cancer information in the COVID-19 era

While public trust in the US government has been historically suboptimal, government health agencies have until recently enjoyed high levels of public trust. Analysis of the US Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 cycle 4 in 2020 and HINTS 6 in 2022 investigated changes in public trust in cancer information from government health agencies. The study included 3582 respondents in 2020 (response rate 36.7%) and 5979 respondents in 2022 (28.1%). In 2022, a significant decrease in public trust in government agencies providing cancer information was noted, with 70.1% of responding expressing trust compared with 77.8% in 2020. Trust also decreased among respondents aged 18 to 34 years, respondents with some college education, among non-Hispanic White respondents, among respondents with an annual income of $ 75,000 or more, among male respondents, and among urban residents. The authors conclude that targeted interventions at the population level that further understanding and address factors contributing to the decrease in trust in US health agencies are essential.