Poll: 82% of Americans trust the American Heart Association for health information

Who do Americans trust to tell them the truth about health? Their own doctor, first and foremost. But the second-most-trusted source is not a government agency, a hospital system, or a media outlet. It is a nonprofit professional organization.

A poll released March 6, 2026, by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania found that 82% of U.S. adults express confidence in the American Heart Association to provide trustworthy public health information. Only personal physicians scored higher, at 86%.

What the poll measured

The survey, conducted February 3 through 17, 2026, sampled 1,650 adults nationally and carries a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. The APPC designed, conducted, and analyzed the poll independently; the American Heart Association had no involvement in the survey's design or execution.

The poll asked respondents to rate their confidence in various sources of public health information. Personal health care providers -- doctors, nurses, and primary care professionals -- topped the list at 86%. Major professional health and science organizations, including the American Heart Association, followed immediately behind.

The broader APPC report, titled "Stark Divide: Americans More Confident in Career Scientists at U.S. Health Agencies Than Leaders," examined a wider landscape of trust in health institutions. Its title points to another finding: Americans draw a distinction between the career scientists working within government health agencies and the political appointees who lead them.

Context of declining institutional trust

The poll arrives at a moment when confidence in health information sources has become a contested topic. Misinformation about vaccines, nutrition, and disease prevention circulates widely on social media platforms. Government health agencies have faced politicized criticism that has, by many measures, eroded public trust in official guidance.

Against that backdrop, the relatively high confidence in nongovernmental professional organizations is notable. These organizations occupy a space between personal clinical relationships and government institutions -- they produce and disseminate evidence-based guidelines without the political exposure that government agencies face.

"Public trust in the American Heart Association is earned -- one rigorous study, one transparent guideline and one lifesaving action at a time," said Nancy Brown, the organization's chief executive officer.

What the numbers do and do not show

An 82% confidence rating is high by the standards of institutional trust surveys, but the poll has limitations worth noting. It measures stated confidence, not whether respondents actually follow the organization's recommendations. People may express trust in an institution while still making health decisions based on other sources, including social media, family advice, or personal experience.

The poll also does not break down trust levels by demographic subgroups in the released data, which limits analysis of whether confidence varies significantly by age, race, income, or political affiliation. Given the politicization of health information in recent years, such breakdowns would be informative.

The margin of error of 3.5 points means the true confidence level could range from roughly 78.5% to 85.5% -- a range that is consistently high but leaves room for meaningful variation.

The role of nongovernmental health organizations

The American Heart Association, founded more than a century ago, produces clinical practice guidelines, funds cardiovascular research, and translates scientific findings into public-facing health recommendations. Its guidelines on topics like blood pressure management, cholesterol treatment, and CPR training are widely used by clinicians and the public.

The APPC findings suggest that this type of organization -- independent, science-driven, and nongovernmental -- may be particularly well-positioned in the current information environment. When government sources face credibility challenges and social media amplifies misinformation, professional associations with long track records of evidence-based guidance may serve as stabilizing reference points for public health communication.

Whether that trust translates into actual health behavior change -- whether the 82% who trust the organization also follow its dietary and exercise recommendations -- is a separate and important question the poll does not address.