Article

Use of social media for the delivery of health promotion on smoking, nutrition, and physical activity: a systematic review

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  • Nottingham City Council
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Abstract

Background The internet has emerged as a new setting within which people live their everyday lives. As such, adults' online lives provide an opportunity for health promotion to empower behaviour change. In a systematic review, we aimed to explore the use of health promotion and education activities for diet, physical activity, and smoking, delivered through the internet and social media only. Methods We searched the Cochrane Library, HMIC, EMBASE, Medline, and PsycINFO (in English between Jan 1, 2000, and April 14, 2016) along with reference lists of eligible studies using a combination of MeSH terms and text words (appendix). Studies of any design were eligible for inclusion provided they delivered health promotion via social media and did not include one-to-one contact or advice. We included studies that presented data on multiple measures including engagement and behaviour change. Studies considering the content of social media interactions were ineligible. Data extraction was conducted by the lead reviewer and independently checked by a second reviewer. Reviewers recorded study design and intervention details, and completed a behavioural taxonomy checklist. Risk of bias was assessed with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence methodology. We performed narrative data synthesis. Findings Searches produced 1585 results. 11 studies were included, predominantly of weak to moderate quality. Most studies were delivered via Facebook or custom websites with social components (eg, forums). Other social media outlets (Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube) were also used. Of eight studies that measured behaviour change, four considered smoking, two weight management, and two physical activity. Studies found that the inclusion of online, social elements did not enhance smoking cessation or weight loss; however, two small studies of short duration suggested that use of social media could improve physical activity levels. Six studies reported on “reach”; some failed to engage users (eg, 225 users across 19 countries) whereas others reached large audiences (eg, >10 000 website visits over 6 weeks). Cost-effectiveness was poorly reported. Interpretation There was insufficient evidence of quality to determine the effectiveness of health promotion delivered using social media to improve health. Evidence suggests that social media incurs a small additional cost, without producing an important benefit. More high-quality studies are required. Funding None.

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... Many immigrants live in poverty, resulting in second-generation children rarely having access to government-supported children's health programs, including health education and nutritional support initiatives (10). This situation poses significant challenges to the intergenerational health of immigrants in countries like the United States (11). ...
... During China's reform and opening-up, rapid economic growth and urbanization led to a significant increase in internal migration, with approximately 376 million migrants by 2020, accounting for 27% of the population (20,21). Despite living in areas with better medical resources, internal migrants often experience substantially lower healthcare utilization than local residents (11,22), driven by barriers such as limited health literacy, inadequate social integration, and disparities in healthcare accessibility. These issues contribute to widening health inequities, exacerbating the health risks faced by migrant populations. ...
... (±715.13). Most participants were male (7,163, 51.17%), of Han ethnicity (12,632, 90.24%), married(11,458, 81.85%), and had completed junior middle school education (5,815, 41.54%). The sample's demographic characteristics, including age, sex, and marital status, were consistent with findings from previous studies(34), supporting the representativeness and suitability for analysis. ...
Article
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Introduction This study investigated segmented assimilation patterns and factors influencing health education utilization (HEU) among internal migrant populations in China, driven by concerns over their declining health owing to urbanization-related changes. Methods Data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey were analyzed, focusing on 13,998 rural migrants. Negative binomial regression was used to explore assimilation patterns and determine the factors affecting HEU among internal migrants in China. Results The results revealed diverse assimilation patterns among internal migrants in four clusters: first-generation classic assimilation, first-generation integration assimilation, second-generation segmented assimilation, and second-generation underclass assimilation. Adjusting for socioeconomic factors, first-generation integrated assimilation groups showed lower HEU (IRR = 0.922, p < 0.01), while second-generation underclass groups demonstrated higher HEU (IRR = 1.110, p < 0.001) than the second-generation segmented assimilation groups. Additionally, factors such as ethnicity, marital status, employment status, educational attainment, hukou type, health insurance type, time of access to healthcare, social integration, social participation, establishment of health records, and issues encountered in host and origin places significantly influenced HEU. Discussion This study highlights diverse assimilation patterns among Chinese internal migrants regarding HEU, consistent with the theory of segmented assimilation. Specifically, second-generation immigrants exhibit higher HEU levels than their first-generation counterparts, with the second-generation underclass demonstrating the highest HEU. These findings underscore the need for targeted policy interventions addressing diverse migrant assimilation patterns. Specifically, first-generation migrants require accessible and culturally adapted health education programs to overcome systemic barriers, while second-generation underclass migrants need sustained support to leverage their engagement in health initiatives.
... The theoretical foundations of the application's intervention components comprised standardized taxonomies of behavior change techniques, nutritional and physical activity interventions, and evidence-based information on diabetes prevention and control. To define the design space, we mapped four knowledge domains around diabetes that needed to be addressed to create a mHealth application: (1) pathophysiology and metabolism; (2) diet; (3) physical activity; and (4) behavior change. The identification of critical elements of these domains was performed through an extensive scientific literature review and a framework-guided approach (Table 1). ...
... It maps elements of eating patterns: obtaining (selecting and acquiring food items), processing (preparing and cooking), ingesting, post-ingesting, and fasting stages. DIC guides developers through six design processes: (1) to understand the causal model of the health outcome (i.e., diabetes); (2) to observe the context, population, and constraints; (3) to generate, nurture, and examine ideas to address the causal pathway; (4) to build (transforming ideas into prototypes); (5) to test prototypes; and (6) iteration to refine prototypes progressively and systematically 20 . Potentially effective intervention elements to enhance physical activity were identified by using the Sleep, Leisure, Occupation, Transportation, and Home-based activities (SLOTH) model 21 . ...
... The theoretical foundations and the elements of the operational pillars (i.e., crowdsourcing and gamification) were integrated through a modified version of Design Sprint 24 , a framework that considers the user experience in software development. Briefly, this five-stage process consisted of: (1) objectives definition and theoretical exploration with experts; (2) generation and selection of ideas and concepts formation; (3) construction and evaluation of prototypes; (4) iteration and re-evaluation of concepts; (5) benchmarking and final specifications of the concepts developed. The selected content was inserted into the application in Spanish. ...
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We developed a mobile application to promote healthy lifestyles and collect non-communicable disease (NCD) data in Mexico. Its theoretical foundations are supported by a framework-guided literature review. With design sprints, Scrum, Model-View-Controller, and Representational State Transfer architecture, we operationalized evidence-based nutrition/physical activity information into a crowdsourcing- and gamification-based application. The application was piloted for three months to monitor the response of 520 adults. Potential improvements were characterized, considering benchmarking, expert guidance, and standards. Salud Activa (English: Active Health) has two crowdsourcing modules: Nutritional scanner, scanning products' bar codes, providing nutritional data, and allowing new product registry feeding our databases; Surveys, comprising gradually-released NCD questions. Three intervention modules were generated: Drinks diary, a beverage assessment component to receive hydration recommendations; Step counter, monitoring users’ steps via Google Fit/Health—iOS; Metabolic Avatar, interconnecting modules and changing as a function of beverage and step records. The 3-month median of Salud Activa use was seven days (IQR = 3–12), up to 35% of participants completed a Survey section, and 157 food products were registered through Nutritional scanner. Better customization might benefit usability and user engagement. Quantitative and qualitative data will enhance Salud Activa’s design, user uptake, and efficacy in interventions delivered through this platform.
... A systematic review found that using online social networks may not enhance smoking cessation or weight loss [15]. However, some studies concluded that use of social media can improve physical activity behaviours [16] or facilitate healthier choices of eating and recipe tips in young adults, although they are reluctant to share their information on the online social networks [17]. ...
... Of 28 included studies, 10 studies were review papers including five literature reviews [4,9,11,26,27], four systematic reviews [5,16,17,28] and one scoping review [4]. Eighteen research papers evaluated the outcome of health promotion campaigns using social media to promote health behaviour change [5,10,12,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. ...
Article
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Background Developing strategies to change health behaviour is one of the biggest challenges of health promotion programs. Social media, as a popular and innovative communication and education tool, offers opportunities to modify health behaviour. While literature on using social media for health promotion campaigns is growing, there is a need to evaluate the approaches used to change health behaviour, rather than only creating awareness. Objective The paper reviewed the literature on application of social media in health promotion campaigns with a particular focus on the methodologies used in assessing the outcome of the programs for behaviour change. This fills the void in collating evidence to extend health promotion campaigns to effect sustainable behavioural change. Method Peer-reviewed articles were identified through multiple science databases. A systematic electronic search was conducted to retrieve review and original papers published between January 2010 and April 2022. The titles and abstracts of the articles were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. All authors independently read the full texts and discussed them to reach a consensus about the themes. Concept mapping was used to present results from analysis of the included papers. Results Of the 674 citations, 28 (4.1%) studies were included in this review. The methodology approaches of 18 (2.7%) papers, that aimed to evaluate the impact of social media in health promotion campaigns towards behaviour change, were analysed further using concept mapping. The results showed that 10 studies (55.5%) adopted quantitative methods and five studies (27.7%) used mixed methods and three studies (16.6%) used qualitative methods. Facebook and YouTube were used more for intervention purposes to change health behaviour. Twitter and Instagram were used more to observe the trend of changes in health behaviour. Six studies (33.3%) adopted Social Cognitive Theory and one study (5.5%) applied the Transtheoretical Model as the framework to evaluate the outcome. Overall, the results show that though social media has potential in promoting behaviour change, the estimation of this change in long-term lies outside the scope of social media health campaigns. This is also reflected in the methodologies used in existing studies to assess such sustainable changes. The employed measures usually target immediate behaviour or social media engagement rather than addressing the change on a behavioural level. Conclusion Evaluating the performance of social media campaigns to promote health behaviours towards a sustainable outcome is a complex process. Emerging research is focused on evaluating the potential of social media as an opportunity to create awareness. Such measures require less effort in quantifying and isolating the effect. The design of the campaigns is required to be aligned in relation to stages of the behaviour change. The study provides suggestions on how this can be achieved.
... A small number of social mediabased interventions have shown initial effectiveness in promoting HIV testing and medication adherence (9), cancer prevention (8), smoking cessation (10), and sexual health education (11). Most programs were delivered via the "mainstream" apps such as Facebook and Twitter (11)(12)(13). In addition to a lack of diversity of delivery channels, few social media-based interventions are designed for immigrants or minorities (8). ...
... For example, a recent review of studies on social media for health promotion in Hispanic populations and found almost all studies were descriptive without any intervention (14). Existing social media-based intervention studies reported very low rates of participation of minority populations; and the participating minorities had lower levels of engagement compared to their white counterparts (8,12,13). In our own literature search, we did not find any social media health interventions that targeted immigrants. ...
... Interventions involving social media can influence behaviors to improve lifestyles and metabolic indicators of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) (3)(4)(5). In an effort to prevent NCDs, social media interventions can help people increase their physical activity levels (6) and reduce their sugar and fat consumption (7,8), enhance motivation among online health programs users (3,5,9), and deliver nutritional or diabetes education (4,7). ...
... Interventions involving social media can influence behaviors to improve lifestyles and metabolic indicators of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) (3)(4)(5). In an effort to prevent NCDs, social media interventions can help people increase their physical activity levels (6) and reduce their sugar and fat consumption (7,8), enhance motivation among online health programs users (3,5,9), and deliver nutritional or diabetes education (4,7). Social media is also beneficial outside controlled interventions because it can increase citizens' awareness of public issues and allow them to take a more active and better informed role in their communities (10)(11)(12)(13). ...
Article
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Social media platforms are low-cost tools that can be used to address issues in public health nutrition, especially in countries where health-related institutions experience economic limitations. We aimed to emphasize the benefits of using social media to promote health that have been documented to date. To show social media's positive impact on population health literacy, we briefly describe an inexpensive systematic communication strategy implemented in our research center through 2 social media platforms, the lessons learned, and the strategy's short-term results. Because social media use in public health is a new field of study, this perspective also focuses on the current limitations and gaps in evidence that need to be addressed to translate the best practices into policy recommendations. In conclusion, the perspective highlights the role that health actors and governments should take to maximize the benefits of social media use.
... It is also noteworthy that Twitter and Facebook have different algorithms for the content that appears on a user's feed and is dependent on how users engage with the different social media platforms (e.g., users who share specific content or like certain pages may receive more targeted advertisements as more user data are available on their interests; Facebook, 2019). Given the generally understood cost-effective nature of online campaign delivery and the interest in using social media for health promotion (Yang, 2017, Allom et al., 2018, it is crucial that more data be generated on the actual cost and cost-effectiveness of such campaigns (Korda & Itani, 2013, Johns, Lewis, & Langley, 2017 Mom" campaign solicited user-generated material by asking social media followers to share their stories, with the top stories "winning" ...
... Further studies would benefit from more robust sample sizes that would allow analyses to better determine the relationship between campaign exposure and change in knowledge and the paths through which this relationship functions. A systematic review on the use of social media to deliver health promotion (yet to be published) noted the small sample sizes and short duration of several studies included(Johns et al., 2017).Campaign understanding, exposure, and engagement may be increased with a higher frequency of posting of campaign materials and more precise targeting. However, boosting posts and generating paid advertisements would likely be more effective in reaching the target audience consistently. ...
Article
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Although targeting health behaviour change through social media campaigns has gained traction in recent years, few studies have focused on breastfeeding social media campaigns. Within the context of rising social media utilization and recent declines in exclusive breastfeeding practices in Ghana, we implemented Breastfeed4Ghana, a Facebook‐ and Twitter‐based breastfeeding social media campaign. This study determined feasibility of implementing Breastfeed4Ghana and evaluated its impact on breastfeeding knowledge in Ghana. Key performance indicators of the campaign were monitored on social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter. An online cross‐sectional survey conducted across three time points (n = 451) assessed breastfeeding knowledge, campaign exposure, and understanding and acceptability of Breastfeed4Ghana among Ghanaian adults. Modified Poisson models were used to assess the relationship between campaign exposure and breastfeeding knowledge, adjusting for survey time point, sex, and parenthood status. The campaign acquired 4,832 followers. Based on follower demographics collected from Facebook and Twitter analytics, the target population was successfully reached. Campaign exposure among survey participants was 42.3% and 48.7% at midline and endline, respectively. Campaign acceptability was high (>90%), and >44% of those exposed to the campaign also shared the campaign with others. However, 61.0% of those exposed did not know or could not remember the purpose of the campaign. Campaign exposure was not associated with higher breastfeeding knowledge (APR [95% confidence interval] = 0.96 [0.73, 1.26]). Breastfeed4Ghana was highly feasible. However, campaign understanding yielded mixed findings and may explain the limited impact on breastfeeding knowledge.
... Additionally, given their low cost and widespread availability, social media platforms offer unique opportunities to overcome financial and geographic barriers to quitting smoking. Although research on the role of social media in improving the health of smokers continues to emerge, our work extends already existing literature (Johns et al., 2017) and identifies specific areas of current success, such as diet and physical activity, while emphasizing others for further research such as smoking cessation. ...
Article
Background: Cigarette smokers have elevated cardiovascular risk factors, which contributes significantly to mortality. Although social media is a potential avenue to deliver smoking interventions, its role in health promotion among smokers remains relatively unexplored. Objective: To examine the uptake and impact of health-related social media use in cigarette smokers. Methods: Using data from the 2017-2020 Health Information National Trends Survey, we evaluated differences in health-related social media use between smokers and nonsmokers. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to examine the association between social media use and positive health behaviors. Results: We included 1863 current smokers and 13,560 nonsmokers; Most participants were women (51.0%), White (64.6%), and 49.2% were aged ≥50 years. Smokers who used ≥1 social media site for health-related purposes in the past year were significantly more likely to meet the guideline recommendations for: (i) weekly physical activity (AOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.23-3.24), (ii) daily vegetable intake (AOR 2.48, 95% CI 1.10-5.59), and (iii) weekly strength training (AOR 1.80, 95% CI 1.10-2.94). However, the odds of reporting intentions to quit smoking (AOR 1.81, 95% CI 0.98-3.34) and attempts at smoking cessation (AOR 1.68, 95% CI 0.90-3.12) did not differ by health-related social media use. Conclusion: Smokers use social media for health-related purposes at comparable rates to nonsmokers. While our findings indicate that these platforms present a novel opportunity for health promotion among smokers, future research exploring the utility of social media in smoking cessation is crucial.
... In addition to reform actions such as the healthcare system and the supply of healthcare resources, research is increasingly recognizing the important role of health education. Our study found that health education efectively promotes the health of migrants, and this fnding is an empirical addition to the research on the health promotion efects of health education [49,50]. Our study also found that consultative health education was more efective in promoting the health of migrants. ...
Article
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Reducing health inequities for migrants is a huge challenge shared globally. Based on big data of China Migrants Dynamic Survey in 2017, this paper applied Ordered Logit models and Logit models to examine the effect of health education on the health of migrants. Propensity score matching and instrumental variable were also employed to solve the endogenous problem. This paper found a significant health promotion effect of health education on the health of migrants, which remained significant after a series of robustness check. Further analysis showed that consultative health education is more effective than nonconsultative health education. Meanwhile, the positive association between health education and migrants' health behavior was identified which provided empirical evidence for knowledge, attitude, and practices theory. Heterogeneity analyses supported that health education has a stronger effect on migrants who were female, elderly, highly educated, and did not have chronic diseases than on those who were male, younger, less educated, and had chronic diseases. This paper demonstrates that health education is an important health promotion factor for migrants empirically and that the government should take actions to provide sufficient and targeted health education for migrants to promote their health.
... Hence, social media interventions can be successful as they increase awareness of public issues, encourage civilian involvement, enhance health systems, become a collaborative space for science broadcasting, support health policies, and encourage healthy behaviors [34]. It has many advantages, such as helping people to increase their physical activity levels [35], reducing their sugar and fat consumption, and delivering nutritional or diabetes education [36]. ...
Article
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Background Knowing what to eat and realizing the significance of healthful eating habits are among the important steps to promoting eating behavior. The current study aims to assess the nutrition knowledge (NK) among a convenient sample in four different countries, determine the association between different demographic factors and NK, and investigate the need for future interventions on nutrition in the four selected countries. Methods A cross-sectional multi-national survey study among a convenient sample of 8,191 subjects from Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan who undertook surveys between January 2019 and January 2020. A pre-tested interview questionnaire was utilized for data collection from study participants. It included three sections: i) Sociodemographic characteristics:. ii). Section two included twenty-one questions related to NK.. iii). Section three included one question about NK sources. Results About three-quarters showed inadequate nutrition knowledge (73.1%). Youth (15–24 yrs.) were more dependent on social media, with 87% using it as a primary source of NK, while adults (≥ 25 yrs.) demonstrated that 43% of them used social media. In contrast, TV was more prominent among them, with participants’ characteristics such as living with parents, body mass index, and country of residence showing no association with NK. However, female sex, education, and reading nutrition articles are significantly correlated with adequate knowledge (p < 0.001). Significant predictors of satisfactory knowledge were age, sex, education, living with parents, and reading nutrition articles. Conclusion The study revealed low levels of NK indicating an urgent need to implement educational programs to promote nutrition knowledge. As NK is a modifiable determinant of diet intake and can positively impact the need for developing strategies in counselling and raising awareness among the general population to improve their health status.
... However similar research has not been conducted within social media. Studies have shown that social media can affect individuals' physical and mental health [8,9], lifestyle choices [10,11] and even influence buying preferences [12,13], so it is quite possible that it is having an influence on women's choices and expectations about birth. Despite this, there is very little research within this field. ...
Article
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Background There is limited research into how midwives use social media within their professional role. Small pilot studies have explored the introduction of social media into maternity practice and teaching but there is little evidence around how midwives use social media professionally. This is important as 89% of pregnant women turn to social media for advice during pregnancy, and how midwives use social media could be influencing women, their perception of birth and their decision making. Methods Aim To analyse how popular midwives portray birth on the social media platform Instagram. This is an observational mixed methods study using content analysis. Five ‘popular’ midwives from each country (UK, New Zealand, USA and Australia) were identified and their posts about birth collated from a one-year period (2020–21). Images/videos were then coded. Descriptive statistics enabled comparison of the posts by country. Categorisation was used to analyse and understand the content. Results The study identified 917 posts from the 20 midwives’ accounts, containing 1216 images/videos, with most coming from USA (n = 466), and UK (n = 239), Australia (n = 205) and New Zealand (n = 7) respectively. Images/videos were categorised into ‘Birth Positivity’, ‘Humour’, ‘Education’, ‘Birth Story’ and ‘Advertisement’. Midwives’ portrayals of birth represented a greater proportion of vaginal births, waterbirths and homebirths than known national birth statistics. The most popular midwives identified mainly had private businesses (n = 17). Both the midwives and women portrayed in images were primarily white, demonstrating a disproportionate representation. Conclusion There is a small midwifery presence on Instagram that is not representative of the broader profession, or the current picture of midwifery care. This paper is the first study to explore how midwives are using the popular social media platform Instagram to portray birth. It provides insight into how midwives post an un-medicalised, low risk representation of birth. Further research is recommended to explore midwives’ motivation behind their posts, and how pregnant and postnatal women engage with social media.
... A number of best practices have been found to be associated with more successful health communication efforts (Noar, 2006;Willoughby & Noar, 2022) including the use of theory to guide message development. Although a number of theories exist that could guide messages, we focus on key constructs prevalent across multiple theories that have been found to be associated with attitudes and behaviors related to physical activity (Chevance et al., 2019;Johns et al., 2017) and nutrition (Chau et al., 2018;Hsu et al., 2018), specifically including the constructs self-efficacy, response efficacy, threat information, and attitudes toward the health topic. ...
Article
Health and fitness content intended to inspire people to live healthy lives (e.g. "fitspiration") has been linked to negative body image among girls and young women. Fitness influencers purport wanting to motivate healthy behaviors. This study seeks to examine the presence of strategies known to positively influence health behaviors (e.g. attitudes, self-efficacy) as well as of content known to have a negative influence (e.g. objectification) among fitness influencers. We conducted a content analysis (N = 441) of a random sample of one year of posts from four Instagram fitness influencers popular with girls and young women in the United States. The main analysis consisted of codes related to objectification, health promotion strategies, health-related content, and social engagement (i.e., likes). We found that fitness influencers included content that conveyed constructs previously found to positively influence health behaviors (e.g., attitudes and self-efficacy), but objectification was frequently present, in more than half of the posts. Additionally, we found that the presence of objectification in posts was negatively associated with likes, a form of social endorsement. We suggest health communicators aim to work in tandem with fitness influencers to include content that may motivate positive health behaviors and improve media literacy and that influencers aim to reduce the amount of objectifying content included in their posts. Our findings shed light on content being conveyed and possible insights into the negative effects associated with viewing such content.
... 46 Further, selection of devices based on reliability and effectiveness in evaluating health outcomes should be carefully made in health research and in practice. 44 Leveraging social media as a platform for health promotion has been previously documented to engage in areas such as sexual health, 47 nutrition, physical activity, and smoking, 48 and most recently for COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. 49 Included in this scoping review, were two studies that made use of common social networking mobile applications; the research pointed to the convenience of using common and widely-used apps so that patients did not need to download a separate app, 40,43 while also having the ability to facilitate peer support for patients to support other patients with providing tips in the group chat. ...
Article
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Aims The use of virtual care enabled by digital technologies has increased, prompted by public health restrictions in response to COVID-19. Non-hospitalized persons in the acute phase of COVID-19 illness may have unique health needs while self-isolating in the community. This scoping review aimed to explore the nature of care, the use of digital technologies, and patient outcomes arising from virtual care among community-based self-isolating COVID-19 patients. Methods Literature searches for peer-reviewed articles were conducted in four bibliographic databases: CINAHL, Medline, Embase and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews between January and February 2022, followed by hand-searching reference lists of included articles. Two levels of screening using defined eligibility criteria among two independent reviewers were completed. Results Of the 773 articles retrieved, 19 were included. Results indicate that virtual care can be safe while enabling timely detection of clinical deterioration to improve the illness trajectory. COVID-19 virtual care was delivered by single health professionals or by multidisciplinary teams using a range of low-technology methods such as telephone to higher technology methods like wearable technology that transmitted physiological data to the care teams for real-time or asynchronous monitoring. Conclusion The review described the varied nature of virtual care including its design, implementation, and evaluation. Further research is needed for continued exploration on how to leverage digital health assets for the delivery of appropriate and safe virtual COVID-19 community care, which can support patient recovery, control transmission, and prevent intensifying the burden on the health care system, especially during surges.
... However similar research has not been conducted within social media. Studies have shown that social media can affect individuals' physical and mental health (8, 9), lifestyle choices (10,11) and even in uence buying preferences (12,13), so it is quite possible that it is having an in uence on women's choices and expectations about birth. Despite this, there is very little research within this eld. ...
Preprint
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Background There is limited research into how midwives use social media within their professional role. Small pilot studies have explored the introduction of social media into maternity practice and teaching but there is little evidence around how midwives use social media professionally. This is important as 89% of pregnant women turn to social media for advice during pregnancy, and how midwives use social media could be influencing women, their perception of birth and their decision making. Methods Aim: To analyse how midwives portray birth on the social media platform Instagram. This is an observational mixed methods study using content analysis. Five ‘popular’ midwives from each country (UK, New Zealand, USA and Australia) were identified and their posts about birth collated from a one-year period (2020-21). Images/videos were then coded. Descriptive statistics enabled comparison of the posts by country. Categorisation was used to analyse and understand the content. Results The study identified 917 posts from the 20 midwives’ accounts, containing 1216 images/videos, with most coming from USA (n=466), and UK (n=239), Australia (n=205) and New Zealand (n=7) respectively. Images/videos were categorised into ‘Birth Positivity’, ‘Humour’, ‘Education’, ‘Birth Story’ and ‘Advertisement’. Midwives’ portrayals of birth represented a greater proportion of vaginal births, waterbirths and homebirths than known national birth statistics. The most popular midwives identified mainly had private businesses (n=17). Both the midwives and women portrayed in images were primarily white, demonstrating a disproportionate representation. Conclusion There is a small midwifery presence on Instagram that is not representative of the broader profession, or the current picture of midwifery care. This paper is the first study to explore how midwives are using the popular social media platform Instagram to portray birth. It provides insight into how midwives post an un-medicalised, low risk representation of birth. Further research is recommended to explore midwives’ motivation behind their posts, and how pregnant and postnatal women engage with social media.
... The lack of empirical studies on the effects of exposure to information delivered across new channels and the influence they exert on precautionary behavior adoption was already emphasized [66,67]. There is yet to be evidence presented on how new technology, with its unique metrics, may be applied to improve health promotion [68,69]. ...
Article
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Considering how communities perceive the threat and risks of COVID-19, it is essential to examine how emotional regulation stimulated through intrinsic and extrinsic incentive mechanisms via social media can reinforce ‘Stay at home’ intentions. The conceptual framework was developed using the elements of the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM). A self-reported questionnaire was used to measure individuals’ intention to stay at home during the pandemic based on the perceived locus of causality as a part of self-determination theory. The empirical research was conducted on a sample of 306 USA respondents. The study results indicate that both components of the EPPM—efficacy and threat—positively affect ‘stay at home’ intentions. Moreover, a positive effect of efficacy on threats was found, as was a moderating effect of threats on the relationship between efficacy and the intention to stay at home. Meanwhile, the influence of social media exposure on threats and behavioral intentions was not significant. People are likely to stay at home as a preventive measure during COVID-19 if there is enough threats and efficacy. However, the abundance of information and opinions in social media can lead to a decreased perceived threat and might disrupt the acceptance of preventive actions.
... Overall, the most effective health behavior change interventions use a combination of both digital and face-to-face components, lending credence to the importance of classical social behavior change modalities, including human interaction and in-person accountability [5,[13][14][15]. The most commonly cited research gaps include multiple, noncomparable measures (eg, engagement and reach) to evaluate digital media-related behavior change campaigns [5,16,17]. Other areas highlighted for improvement include clarification of dose, intensity of intervention delivery, and measurement of long-term outcomes [17,18]. ...
Article
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Background Despite the wealth of evidence regarding effective health behavior change techniques using digital interventions to focus on residents of high-income countries, there is limited information of a similar nature for low- and middle-income countries. Objective The aim of this review is to identify and describe the available literature on effective social media–based behavior change interventions within low- and middle-income countries. Methods This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the 2009 PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. We searched PubMed, Embase, Elsevier, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Global Index Medicus, and the final search was conducted on April 6, 2021. We excluded studies published before 2000 because of the subject matter. We included studies that evaluated interventions conducted at least partly on a social media platform. Results We identified 1832 studies, of which 108 (5.89%) passed title-abstract review and were evaluated by full-text review. In all, 30.6% (33/108) were included in the final analysis. Although 22 studies concluded that the social media intervention was effective, only 13 quantified the level of social media engagement, of which, few used theory (n=8) or a conceptual model (n=5) of behavior change. Conclusions We identified gaps in the settings of interventions, types and sectors of interventions, length of follow-up, evaluation techniques, use of theoretical and conceptual models, and discussions of the privacy implications of social media use. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42020223572; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=223572
... In a recent study, it was found that connecting with friends online during the pandemic reduced feelings of loneliness [52]. Further, it has been shown that social media can have a positive impact on health behaviours, such as improved PA and body composition [53,54]. Instagram was the chosen platform based on previous feedback from adolescent girls [7], and during focus groups participants confirmed that this was the most appropriate platform for the HERizon community as it was the social media they used most frequently (with Tik Tok and Discord being other recommended alternatives). ...
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This mixed-methods process evaluation examines the reach, recruitment, fidelity, adherence, acceptability, mechanisms of impact, and context of remote 12-week physical activity (PA) interventions for adolescent girls named The HERizon Project. The study was comprised of four arms—a PA programme group, a behaviour change support group, a combined group, and a comparison group. Data sources included intervention deliverer and participant logbooks (100 and 71% respective response rates, respectively), exit surveys (72% response rate), and semi-structured focus groups/interviews conducted with a random subsample of participants from each of the intervention arms (n = 34). All intervention deliverers received standardised training and successfully completed pre-intervention competency tasks. Based on self-report logs, 99% of mentors adhered to the call guide, and 100% of calls and live workouts were offered. Participant adherence and intervention receipt were also high for all intervention arms. Participants were generally satisfied with the intervention components; however, improvements were recommended for the online social media community within the PA programme and combined intervention arms. Autonomy, sense of accomplishment, accountability, and routine were identified as factors facilitating participant willingness to adhere to the intervention across all intervention arms. Future remote interventions should consider structured group facilitation to encourage a genuine sense of community among participants.
... [21][22][23] However, it should be noted that almost all of the currently existing intervention studies used Facebook as the social media platform in the interventions. 24 Out of three interventions specifically in college students with the goal of increasing PA, two used Facebook and one used a platform unique to the study. [25][26][27] Facebook may be useful as a tool to increase social support ----*p<0.05 ...
Article
Social media has become a part of a college student’s environment, highlighting the importance of investigating the role that social media may play in PA participation and other health behaviors. Purpose: To describe social media use and physical activity (PA) participation in a sample of college students and explore relationships between social media and PA, including health and fitness social media. Methods: College students (age 18-29 years) enrolled at a four-year university completed an online questionnaire regarding self-reported social media use and PA participation. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare PA outcomes between those that follow health and fitness accounts and those who do not. A multiple linear regression model was used to examine associations between social media use and PA. Results: Two hundred and ninety-two students completed the questionnaire (63.72% female, 63.61% white, BMI 24.14±4.25 kg/m2). There was no difference in PA participation between those that do and do not follow health and fitness social media in moderate (p=0.17) or vigorous intensity PA (p=1.0) when controlling for confounding variables. Spending 1-2 hours/day (p=0.02) or 3-4 hours/day (p=0.01) on social media compared to <1 hour/day and accessing social media in the evening (p=0.04) are associated with lower moderate PA. Conclusions: Following health and fitness social media may not have the intended impact on college student PA. Further research needs to be done to assess the most effective and impactful strategies for content delivery via social media to increase PA behavior.
... Bu bağlamda sosyal medyada paylaşılan her bilgiyi kayıtsız, şartsız doğru kabul etmek birey, aile ve toplum sağlığı açısından ciddi bir tehlike doğuracağı için sağlığın korunması bakımından sosyal medyanın kullanımı konusunda bireylerin eğitilmesi ve bilinç düzeylerinin artırılması önem taşımaktadır. 9,55,56,57,62,63 MOBiL TEKNOLOjiLER Mobil teknoloji; günümüzde cep telefonları, kişisel dijital asistanlar, akıllı telefonlar ve tablet kişisel bilgisayarlar vb. kablosuz mobil cihazları kapsayan, hızla gelişen, her zaman ve her yerden kaynaklara erişilmesine izin veren ve sağlık, eğitim vb. ...
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ÖZET Günümüzde küreselleşme, siber devrim, ekonomik rekabet, bilginin geniş yayılımı, bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerinde yaşanan değişme ve gelişmeler; birey, aile ve toplumun sağlığını geliştirme, koruma ve sürdürmelerine, yaşam kalitelerini artırmalarına yönelik gerekli bilgilere ulaşmalarını sağlamak amacıyla gerçekleştirilecek sağlık eğitimlerini gerekli kılmaktadır. Sağlık eğitimi; bireyin değerlerini, inançlarını, tutumlarını etkileyerek sağlıklı ve nitelikli yaşamını destekleyecek davranışlar kazanmasını ve iyi davranışları alışkanlık hâline getirmesini sağlayan dinamik bir süreçtir. Bu süreçte hemşireler, birey, aile ve topluma yönelik sağlık eğitiminde rol alan en önemli sağlık profesyonellerinden biridir. Sağlık profesyonelleri olarak hemşirelerin yaşanan bu değişme ve gelişmeleri dikkate alarak sağlık eğitiminde farklı teknolojileri (Wiki, blog, podcast, YouTube, çevrim içi video oyunları, avatarlar, sosyal medya vb.) kullanmaları ve bu teknolojilerden yararlanmaları kaçınılmaz hâle gelmiştir. Sağlık eğitiminde bilişim teknolojilerinin kullanımı; bireysel sağlığın kontrolünü ve değerlendirilmesini, sağlıkla ilgili bilgilerin toplanmasını ve işlenmesini sağlamakta, gerekli kaynakların kullanımını kolaylaştırmakta, farklı öğrenme stillerine sahip bireylerin karmaşık konuları kendi hızlarında anlamalarını mümkün kılmaktadır. Ayrıca sağlık eğitiminde bilişim teknolojilerinin kullanımı, bilginin hızlı bir şekilde yayılmasını sağlayarak sağlıklı birey, aile ve toplumun sağlığı hakkında daha fazla bilgi sahibi olmasını, kendi sağlığıyla ilgili kararlar almasını ve sağlık hizmetlerinin daha etkin kullanılmasını desteklemektedir. Bu bağlamda derlemede; sağlık eğitiminde kullanılacak bilişim teknolojileri (Wiki, blog, podcast, YouTube, çevrim içi video oyunları, avatarlar, sosyal medya, mobil teknoloji) ve bu teknolojilerin güçlü ve zayıf yönleri üzerinde durulması amaçlanmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Sağlık eğitimi; bilişim teknolojileri; bilişim; teknoloji; hemşirelik ABS TRACT Today, globalization, cyber revolution, economic competition and wide spread of information, changes and developments in information and communication technologies made it obligatory to use different technologies while providing health education to ensure that individuals, families and society reach the necessary information to improve, protect and maintain their health, and to increase their quality of life, and that nurses also benefit from these technologies in health education they will perform within the scope of the role of educators. Health education is a dynamic process that enables individuals to acquire behavioral changes that will support a healthy and qualified life by affecting their values, beliefs and attitudes and to make good behaviors a habit. In this process, nurses are one of the most important health professionals involved in health education for individuals, families and society. As health professionals, it has become inevitable for nurses to use and benefit from different technologies (Wiki, blog, podcast, YouTube, online video games, avatars, social media, etc.) in health education, taking into account these changes and developments. The usage of information technologies in health education ensures the control and evaluation of individual health, the collection and processing of many health-related information, facilitates the usage of necessary resources, and enables individuals with different learning styles to understand complex issues at their own pace. The usage of information technologies in health education also enables the rapid spread of information, to have more information about the health of the healthy individual, family and society, to make decisions about their own health, and to support the more effective usage of health services. In this context, information technologies (Wiki, blog, podcast, YouTube, online video games, avatars, social media, mobile technology) to be used in health education and the strengths and weaknesses of these technologies will be discussed in this review. Keywords: Health education; information technologies; information; technology; nursing
... In turn, this increases users' engagement with online nutritional and educational programs (Dagan et al., 2015). The results of a systematic review study revealed that using social media to publish health information related to smoking, physical activity, and nutrition is an inexpensive way of promoting health and increasing individuals' engagement in physical activity (Johns et al., 2017). Moreover, social media sites positively impact students' physical activity levels, and social media campaigns were found to increase the likelihood of students achieving sufficient walking by 53% of the target (Abioye et al., 2013). ...
Article
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This study aimed to assess the impact of university students’ social media use on their dietary habits and physical activity. In total, 57.7% of the participating students used social media platforms to post about their food, and 46.4% used these platforms to plan activities related to their health. Snapchat and Facebook were the platforms most used by the students to post about food, dietary habits, and physical activity. Students who posted about their physical activity were more committed to doing moderate to vigorous physical activity. Students who posted about their physical activity and fitness goals on social media perceived themselves to be more active than their counterparts and were less likely to describe their health as poor. Faculty members and university administrators can promote social media benefits to enhance the students’ health behaviors by disseminating different health-related messages.
... Another review provided modest evidence that app-based interventions to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviors can be effective, especially when apps are used in conjunction with other intervention strategies (such as counselling sessions, motivational emails, or pedometer use) which appear to be more effective than stand-alone app interventions . Another systematic review on the use of social media for the delivery of health promotion on smoking, nutrition (weight loss but not healthy diet), and physical activity, concluded that there was insufficient quality evidence to establish whether health promotion delivered using social media was effective in improving health (Johns et al., 2017). ...
Article
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Food systems that deliver healthy diets without exceeding the planet’s resources are essential to achieve the worlds’ ambitious development goals. Healthy diets need to be safe, accessible, and affordable for all, including for disadvantaged and nutritionally vulnerable groups such as of smallholder producers, traders, and consumers in low- and middle-income countries. Globally, food systems are experiencing rapid and drastic changes and are failing to fulfil these multiple duties simultaneously. The international community therefore calls for rigorous food systems transformations and policy solutions to support the achievement of healthy diets for all. Most strategies, however, are essentially supply- and market-oriented. Incorporation of a healthy diet perspective in food system transformation is essential to enable food systems to deliver not only on supplying nutritious foods but also on ensuring that consumers have access can afford and desire healthy, sustainable, and culturally acceptable diets. This paper argues that this should be guided by information on diets, dietary trends, consumer motives, and food environment characteristics. Transformational approaches and policies should also take into account the stage of food system development requiring different strategies to ensure healthier diets for consumers. We review current knowledge on drivers of consumer choices at the individual and food environment level with special emphasis on low- and middle income countries, discuss the converging and conflicting objectives that exist among multiple food-system actors, and argue that failure to strengthen synergies and resolve trade-offs may lead to missed opportunities and benefits, or negative unintended consequences in food system outcomes. The paper proposes a menu of promising consumer- and food-environment- oriented policy options to include in the food systems transformation agenda in order to shift LMIC consumer demand towards healthier diets in low- and middle income countries.
... Research regarding the effects of SNSs use on exercise and nutrition is inconclusive, with a comprehensive review of 11 studies showing purported benefits from health promotion content, as well as potential health risks due to exposure to speculative behaviors such as smoking and drinking (Johns, Langley, & Lewis, 2017). For example, while smartphone apps, which include a social media component, can positively influence exercise and eating habits, following fitness models on Instagram may create unrealistic ideals for body image that could contribute to unhealthy habits such as severe calorie restriction and excessive exercise (Fardouly & Vartanian, 2016). ...
Article
A growing body of literature reveals that social media use could positively or negatively impact adolescent wellness across many dimensions of health. Specifically, the leading wellness model in counseling, the Indivisible Self Model of Wellness (IS-Wel), includes media as an institutional context, but does not explicitly account for social media use. Additionally, while the counseling literature has begun to explore the effects of technology use on individual wellness, social media use in particular has not been examined. Therefore, the authors reviewed the current, empirically-based literature on the effects of social networking site use among adolescents within the framework of the IS-Wel. Implications for adolescents, as well as for counseling practice are discussed.
... The rapid change in the social media landscape challenges the capacity of health promoters to develop a robust evidence base for what works; as a result, there are no clear guidelines for population-based social media strategies to promote health. Numerous reviews have concluded that social media have the potential to positively affect health but have found either mixed [5,6] or no definitive evidence [7][8][9][10][11] of their impact on health behavior, even as research in the field has significantly increased in recent years. ...
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Background Facebook is widely used by Australia’s First Nations people and has significant potential to promote health. However, evidence-based guidelines for its use in health promotion are lacking. Smoking prevalence among Australia’s First Nations people is nearly 3 times higher than other Australians. Locally designed programs in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHOs) to reduce smoking often use Facebook. Objective This study reports on an analysis of the reach and engagement of Facebook posts with smoking prevention and cessation messages posted by ACCHOs in the Northern Territory, Australia. Methods Each service posted tobacco control content at least weekly for approximately 6 months. Posts were coded for the following variables: service posted, tailored First Nations Australian content, local or nonlocally produced content, video or nonvideo, communication technique, and emotional appeal. The overall reach, shares, and reactions were calculated. Results Compared with posts developed by the health services, posts with content created by other sources had greater reach (adjusted incident rate ratio [IRR] 1.92, 95% CI 1.03-3.59). Similarly, reactions to posts (IRR 1.89, 95% CI 1.40-2.56) and shared posts (IRR 2.17, 95% CI 1.31-3.61) with content created by other sources also had more reactions, after controlling for reach, as did posts with local First Nations content compared with posts with no First Nations content (IRR 1.71, 95% CI 1.21-2.34). Conclusions Facebook posts with nonlocally produced content can be an important component of a social media campaign run by local health organizations. With the exception of nonlocally produced content, we did not find a definitive set of characteristics that were clearly associated with reach, shares, and reactions. Beyond reach, shares, and likes, further research is needed to understand the extent that social media content can influence health behavior.
... Today, it is difficult to imagine public health without social media. Although social media is viewed as acceptable and usable among multiple audiences and shows much promise in promoting health equity among disadvantaged populations (e.g., low income, rural, and older adults) [6], there remains inconsistent empirical evidence on the effectiveness of social media to improve public health outcomes and trends [7,8]. In order to optimize the potential of social media to improve public health, there is a need to effectively leverage these technological tools to create scalable, culturally adapted health promotion programs and campaigns. ...
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The use of social media in public health education has been increasing due to its ability to remove physical barriers that traditionally impede access to healthcare support and resources. As health promotion becomes more deeply rooted in Internet-based programming, health education specialists are tasked with becoming more competent in computer-mediated contexts that optimize both online and offline consumer health experiences. Generating a better understanding of the benefits and drawbacks to using social media in the field is important, since health education specialists continue to weigh its advantages against potential concerns and barriers to use. Accordingly, this Special Issue aims to explore social media as a translational health promotion tool by bridging principles of health education and health communication that examine (1) the method with which social media users access, negotiate, and create health information that is both actionable and impactful for diverse audiences; (2) strategies for overcoming challenges to using social media in health promotion; and (3) best practices for designing, implementing, and evaluating social media forums in public health. In this commentary, we discuss the updated communication and advocacy roles and responsibilities of health education specialists in the context of social media research and practice.
... The role of digital culture, particularly social media in health promotion, is a rapidly evolving and growing area of interest for public health practitioners [59], mainly because of social media's widespread use, reach, and cost-effectiveness [60,61]. Although more evidence is needed to determine the effectiveness of this approach to improving health among technology-averse groups, such as the elderly [62], recent reviews suggest that social media may not only be effective for promoting health among the youth, but also among economically disadvantaged populations, which may support its use as an adjunctive tool for promoting health equity [63]. Moreover, in the case of young, technology savvy audiences, it is critical to consider digital culture, particularly social media usage, in the design of health education interventions [57]. ...
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Owing to their enormous capacity to improve health and save lives, effective health promotion frameworks have been at the forefront of public health research and practice. A multilevel focus, as exemplified by the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM), is one common denominator among these frameworks. The SEM highlights important social and ecological influences on health behavior by delineating the different levels of influence. These include public policy, organizational, community, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels, which, when considered during the development of health promotion campaigns, especially those that focus on health education, strengthen the potential influence of that campaign on targeted behaviors. However, the SEM lacks a complimenting framework for understanding the role of conventional and unconventional approaches to health education; that is, how to design a health education intervention that considers both the context, such as the social and ecological levels of influence, and the best approaches for developing and delivering the health education in a manner that optimizes their effectiveness in today’s modern and increasingly diverse world. Addressing this gap, the current article presents an integrative Multisensory Multilevel Health Education Model (MMHEM), which incorporates three key domains—(1) Art (innovativeness/creativity), (2) Culture (cultural tailoring), and (3) Science (evidence-based), while promoting the importance of considering the socio-ecological levels of influence on targeted behaviors. Using a successful health education intervention, called the Hip Hop Stroke, we deconstruct the Multisensory Multilevel Health Education Model and discuss its potential role as a guide for developing public health education interventions.
... Many see this as a significant opportunity for health promotion (Naslund et al., 2016, Welch et al., 2016. A systematic review (Johns, Langley & Lewis, 2017), however, showed no effect of social media platforms in health communication. ...
Article
Objective Social media is becoming recognized as an effective platform for cancer health promotion, education, care, and support. However, its utility as a health promotion tool remains relatively unexplored. Methods Using cross‐sectional data from the 2017–2020 Health Information National Trends Survey, we evaluated health‐related usage of social media among cancer survivors and individuals without a history of cancer. We also examined the participant characteristics associated with social media usage and evaluated the relationship between social media use and positive health behaviors among the cancer survivors. Results Overall, cancer survivors ( n = 2579) were as likely as individuals without a history of cancer to use social media for health promotion. Males [OR 0.65; 95% CI (0.45, 0.93)] and older adults (>60 years old) [OR 0.27; 95% CI(0.10, 0.77)] were less likely to use social media, while higher income [OR 2.27; 95% CI (1.05, 4.92) middle income; OR 1.90; 95% CI (1.17, 3.09) high income] and educational levels [OR 3.29; 95% CI (1.85, 5.84) some college; OR 2.36; 95% CI (1.30, 4.28) college graduate or more] were associated with more health‐related social media use among survivors. Cancer survivors used social media for online support groups more than other individuals, and those who used at least one form of social media for health‐related purposes increasingly meet national recommendations for strength training compared to non‐users [OR 2.15; 95% CI (1.48, 3.13)]. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate the potential utility of social media to promote positive health behaviors among cancer survivors. Further research is needed to describe the efficacy of social media‐based interventions for improving health behaviors in diverse cancer populations.
Article
Objective The objective of this study was to synthesize English and Spanish literature to determine whether electronic health interventions (EHIs) such as telehealth, telemedicine, digital health, and mobile health (mHealth) improve A1C, blood glucose, BMI, and/or weight among Hispanic/Latino adults with type 2 diabetes or overweight/obesity in the Americas. Design and methods Searches were conducted in June 2021 using the Scientific Electronic Library Online, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, and PsycInfo literature databases. Studies were identified that investigated the effect of an EHI on A1C, blood glucose, BMI, or weight in populations that were ≥12% Hispanic/Latino adults with type 2 diabetes or overweight/obesity, were conducted in the Americas, and were published in English or Spanish. Study quality was determined using the Quality Index Score. Data were extracted and synthesized, and themes were identified. Results Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria, including 23 in English (from the United States) and two in Spanish (from Chile). A total of 22 investigated type 2 diabetes, and three investigated overweight/obesity. The studies encompassed 6,230 participants, including 3,413 Hispanic/Latino adults. Sixty-three percent of studies demonstrated significant improvements in A1C or blood glucose and 67% in weight. Thirteen studies offered an EHI in both English and Spanish, six offered the intervention in either English or Spanish alone. All EHIs involving mHealth exclusively and most (90%) involving more than one electronic modality demonstrated a higher number of significant findings compared with those having only one EHI modality, especially telehealth (44.4%). EHIs lasting ≤12 months had more significant findings (72.7%) than those lasting >12 months (50%). Six studies had industry-related funding, with 83.3% of those demonstrating significant improvements in outcomes. Conclusion EHIs improved A1C and weight in adults (n = 4,355), including 45.5% Hispanic/Latino adults. mHealth and EHIs using more than one electronic modality and those lasting ≤12 months were especially effective. However, overall study quality was modest. Future research should be conducted in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and should compare the effectiveness of different EHI modalities.
Technical Report
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O problema: A Política Nacional de Promoção à Saúde indica entre seus objetivos específicos o estabelecimento de estratégias de comunicação social e de mídia para fortalecer os princípios e as ações de promoção da saúde. A comunicação eficaz, integrada e coordenada possui papel fundamental na construção de um futuro mais saudável para as pessoas. Esta síntese rápida de evidências tem como objetivo apresentar resultados de estudos que analisaram os efeitos de campanhas em mídia de massa ou em comunidades. Opções para enfrentar o problema: Buscas realizadas em 25/11/2023, em quatro bases de dados, identificaram 749 registros. Após processo de seleção e elegibilidade, quarenta e seis revisões sistemáticas (RS) foram incluídas nesta síntese narrativa. Os resultados foram organizados em onze opções para políticas na promoção de comportamentos e estilo de vida saudáveis ou prevenção de doenças. Efeitos positivos foram relatados nas RS para uma variedade de estratégias, no entanto, muitas incertezas também foram apontadas. Quanto à qualidade metodológica, a grande maioria das RS foi classificada como criticamente baixa.
Chapter
Abstract The digital world has reshaped the traditional definition of health-promoting settings, as increasingly online resources are offering opportunities, across the life span, for people to work, learn, play, establish relationships (“love”), and essentially live a great proportion of their lives. As in other settings, it is critical that the digital environment is viewed as a health-promoting setting. Digital health literacy is a key skill enabling individuals, families, communities, and societies to maximize the health-promoting benefits the digital world offers, while seeking to mitigate the potential physical, mental, and social risks. Use of the Internet, social media, and Avatars are the case examples described and analyzed for their potential health-promoting contribution, including cultural responsiveness. In addition, health-promoting media, whether online or offline, may easily be joined with another appropriate health-promoting setting, their enhancing a systems approach to healthy settings. Finally, future research on innovation and health-promoting settings is proposed.
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Using social media is one important strategy to communicate research and public health guidelines to the scientific community and general public. Empirical evidence about which communication strategies are effective around breastfeeding messaging is scarce. To fill this gap, we aimed to identify influencers in the largest available Twitter database using social network analysis (n = 10,694 users), inductively analyze tweets, and explore communication strategies, motivations, and challenges via semi-structured interviews. Influencers had diverse backgrounds within and beyond the scientific health community (SHC; 42.7%): 54.7% were from the general public and 3% were companies. SHC contributed to most of the tweets (n = 798 tweets), disseminating guidelines and research findings more frequently than others (p < 0.001). Influencers from the general community mostly tweeted opinions regarding the current state of breastfeeding research and advocacy. Interviewees provided practical strategies (e.g., preferred visuals, tone, and writing style) to achieve personal and societal goals including career opportunities, community support, and improved breastfeeding practices. Complex challenges that need to be addressed were identified. Ideological differences regarding infant feeding may be hampering constructive communication, including differences in influencers’ interpretation of the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and in perspectives regarding which social media interactions encompass conflict of interest.
Chapter
Social marketing is the application of methods traditionally used for commercial purposes in order to achieve public health goals. In a public health context, social marketing can involve an array of approaches and methods depending on sociodemographic factors, cultural beliefs or values, psychosocial determinants or geographic location. Since the 1960s, such campaigns have tackled issues as diverse as smoking, HIV, alcohol consumption, vaccines and breastfeeding. In the past, social marketing methods have largely comprised of blanket mass media or segmented campaigns with predetermined stages of planning and implementation. In the age of digital communication, and with the emergence of personalised forms of medicine, there is an increasing opportunity for tailored, highly responsive campaigns in primary care involving health promotion and lifestyle modification of individuals. As the Internet and smartphones are becoming ubiquitous and indispensable in people’s daily lives, particularly in highly developed urban areas, behavioural change efforts have increasingly shifted towards these platforms. The technological era allows campaigns to be created with much more creativity than ever, disseminating key messages for improving health-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour at both the population and personal levels. However modern technology can also exacerbate divides, making it even more important that public health groups consider neglected communities with less access to advanced modern communication methods. Although it remains a challenge to influence behaviour and lifestyle change across demographics, the history of successful campaigns reveals some of the important factors for successful social marketing.
Article
Agenda-setting theory suggests the media shapes public perceptions. Guided by this theory, this study examines the effects of organizational Twitter accounts on public discourse in the Twittersphere. The tweets that mention one of three youth mental health organizations were theorized to emanate the particular focus of the organization mentioned. This was investigated by analysing: randomly selected tweets that mentioned one of three national mental health organizations-ReachOut, headspace or the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre but not authored by these organizations (n = 600); and the population of tweets that mentioned one of these three organizations and authored by either of the two counterparts of the mentioned organization (n = 115). Findings supported anticipated patterns, whereby the tweets reflected the remit of the three organizations. These findings reveal the influential role of social media in setting a youth mental health agenda. The implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.
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