Choose two (2) health-related urban legends, hoaxes, or health-related rumors. (Be sure to properly cite the webpage on which your choices appear).
Describe the rumor, legend, or hoax in your own words (I will not accept cut and pasted text)
Explain how this story was spread (e.g., email, publication word-of-mouth etc.).
Refer to the slides posted on our website. What populations might be most susceptible to paying attention to this story? Explain why these groups might find the information interesting or important to them. In other words, what kinds of people or people with which specific concerns may be most interested in this story?
Was the story demonstrated to be true, false, or partially true? How was this story validated or discounted (according to the authors of the websites you viewed, how was the story been shown to be true or false? For example, did anyone launch a formal investigation to determine if the story was true or not? What steps did they take to make this determination?
Refer to the lecture slides (make sure that you have read the notes that accompany the slides- you can read them in Notes view or go through the slides as slides not as a slide show). What are some of the reasons someone might initiate or spread these (i.e., the stories you chose) rumors/hoaxes/urban legends?
If a person believed these legends/hoaxes/rumors how in specific might their health or other behaviors be affected? Would anyone else be impacted by the spread of the story? For example, if a rumor started that the flu vaccine caused cancer and someone uncritically accepted this information how would he or she be likely to act on that information? (I think the person would avoid getting a flu shot. This might lead to that person contracting the flu. If the person had other illnesses or was elderly this could lead to more serious health problems or death. It is also possible that this person could spread the flu and contribute to an epidemic).
If you received an email message or someone told you a story that seemed like it might be an urban legend, hoax, or rumor, what are three things you could do to help you determine how true the story was?
