Report · Health

Americans can't agree on which public-health source to trust most

Reading

When asked which source they have the greatest confidence in for reliable and truthful information about public health issues, the largest share of Americans (22%) say they do not have confidence in any of them, according to a November 2025 Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults.

Among the sources themselves, international organizations such as the World Health Organization draw the most confidence (18%), followed by the federal government (15%), community organizations and local government (11% each), and state government (7%). Another 15% express equal confidence in all of the sources.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Americans can't agree on which public-health source to trust most.

Which source do you have the greatest confidence in to share reliable and truthful information about public health issues?

  • I do not have confidence in any of these sources 22.4%
  • International organizations (e.g., World Health Organization) 18.0%
  • I have equal confidence in all of these sources 15.5%
  • Federal government (e.g., Center for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health) 15.0%
  • Community organizations (e.g., local clinics, nonprofits, faith-based groups) 11.0%
  • Local government (e.g., city or county health department) 11.0%
  • State government 7.1%

2025 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.2%

Module 2

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-11-14 → 2025-11-20
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.2%
Module
Module 2

Source

Citation

Verasight APHA Omnibus Survey #2025-148, fielded November 14-20, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/verasight-apha-2025

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.