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Contextualizing Engagement With Health Information on Facebook: Using the Social Media Content and Context Elicitation Method.
Rivera, Yonaira M; Moran, Meghan B; Thrul, Johannes; Joshu, Corinne; Smith, Katherine C.
  • Rivera YM; Department of Communication, School of Communication & Information, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States.
  • Moran MB; Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brusnwick, NJ, United States.
  • Thrul J; Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
  • Joshu C; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
  • Smith KC; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
J Med Internet Res ; 24(3): e25243, 2022 03 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1770879
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Most of what is known regarding health information engagement on social media stems from quantitative methodologies. Public health literature often quantifies engagement by measuring likes, comments, and/or shares of posts within health organizations' Facebook pages. However, this content may not represent the health information (and misinformation) generally available to and consumed by platform users. Furthermore, some individuals may prefer to engage with information without leaving quantifiable digital traces. Mixed methods approaches may provide a way of surpassing the constraints of assessing engagement with health information by using only currently available social media metrics.

OBJECTIVE:

This study aims to discuss the limitations of current approaches in assessing health information engagement on Facebook and presents the social media content and context elicitation method, a qualitatively driven, mixed methods approach to understanding engagement with health information and how engagement may lead to subsequent actions.

METHODS:

Data collection, management, and analysis using the social media content and context elicitation method are presented. This method was developed for a broader study exploring how and why US Latinos and Latinas engage with cancer prevention and screening information on Facebook. The study included 20 participants aged between 40 and 75 years without cancer who participated in semistructured, in-depth interviews to discuss their Facebook use and engagement with cancer information on the platform. Participants accessed their Facebook account alongside the researcher, typed cancer in the search bar, and discussed cancer-related posts they engaged with during the previous 12 months. Engagement was defined as liking, commenting, and/or sharing a post; clicking on a post link; reading an article in a post; and/or watching a video within a post. Content engagement prompted questions regarding the reasons for engagement and whether engagement triggered further action. Data were managed using MAXQDA (VERBI GmbH) and analyzed using thematic and content analyses.

RESULTS:

Data emerging from the social media content and context elicitation method demonstrated that participants mainly engaged with cancer prevention and screening information by viewing and/or reading content (48/66, 73%) without liking, commenting, or sharing it. This method provided rich content regarding how US Latinos and Latinas engage with and act upon cancer prevention and screening information on Facebook. We present 2 emblematic cases from the main study to exemplify the additional information and context elicited from this methodology, which is currently lacking from quantitative approaches.

CONCLUSIONS:

The social media content and context elicitation method allows a better representation and deeper contextualization of how people engage with and act upon health information and misinformation encountered on social media. This method may be applied to future studies regarding how to best communicate health information on social media, including how these affect assessments of message credibility and accuracy, which can influence health outcomes.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Social Media Type of study: Experimental Studies / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Aged / Humans / Middle aged Language: English Journal: J Med Internet Res Journal subject: Medical Informatics Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 25243

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Social Media Type of study: Experimental Studies / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Aged / Humans / Middle aged Language: English Journal: J Med Internet Res Journal subject: Medical Informatics Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 25243