Identification and Categorization of Polarized Fluoride Messages in Facebook Posts
A M Jucá1, J R Leite1, O S Jorge1
1Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, Brazil.
JDR Clinical and Translational Research
|July 18, 2026
Summary
Polarized messages about fluoride are common on Facebook, especially anti-fluoride content shared by health professionals. These findings can improve public health communication strategies against misinformation.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Communication
- Social Media Analysis
- Dental Health
Background:
- Fluoride is crucial for dental caries prevention.
- Social media platforms are key channels for health information dissemination.
- Understanding message polarization is vital for effective public health campaigns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and categorize polarized messages regarding fluoride on Facebook.
- To analyze the characteristics and themes of pro- and anti-fluoride content.
- To inform strategies for combating misinformation in dental health communication.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 250 English-language Facebook posts using CrowdTangle.
- Classification of posts by fluoride perspective (pro- or anti-fluoride).
- Deductive thematic content analysis of polarized sentences for criticism, emphasis, and discordance.
Main Results:
- 56% of posts were polarized, with anti-fluoride content being more frequent (92.37%).
- Health professionals authored most polarized posts (53.57%).
- Anti-fluoride content used more emphasis, while pro-fluoride content used more criticism.
Conclusions:
- Polarized messages, particularly anti-fluoride, are prevalent on Facebook.
- Rhetorical strategies differ between pro- and anti-fluoride content.
- Findings can guide the development of effective communication strategies to counter fluoride misinformation.
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