Harnessing Social Media For Health
Harnessing Social Media For Health
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What is This?
Articles
Rapid and innovative advances in participative Internet collaborative content sharing, referred to as “Web 2.0
communications, referred to as “social media,” offer social media,” include Internet-based social network-
opportunities for modifying health behavior. Social media ing services such as Facebook and MySpace, Twitter,
let users choose to be either anonymous or identified. wikis for collaborative content development, blogs, and
People of all demographics are adopting these tech- two-way mobile messaging platforms that connect peo-
nologies whether on their computers or through mobile ple through cell phones and personal digital assistants.
devices, and they are increasingly using these social Health promotion professionals have been quick to
media for health-related issues. Although social media recognize the potential of social media for reaching
have considerable potential as tools for health promo- broad audiences in social marketing campaigns and
tion and education, these media, like traditional health enabling and empowering consumers in their health
promotion media, require careful application and may and health care–related interactions (Thackeray, Neiger,
not always achieve their desired outcomes. This article Hanson, & McKenzie, 2008).
summarizes current evidence and understanding of using The widespread public engagement with social media
social media for health promotion. More important, it creates a ready platform for its application in the health
discusses the need for evaluating the effectiveness of field. At the end of 2008, 74% of U.S. adults went
various forms of social media and incorporating outcomes online, including men and women in nearly equal per-
research and theory in the design of health promotion centages; more than half of Whites, African Americans,
programs for social media. Hispanics, and individuals aged 65 years and older;
and individuals across the income spectrum (Fox &
Keywords: social media; behavior change; consumer Jones, 2009). A vast majority of those online adults are
health; health promotion; evaluation meth- searching for health information—80% in 2010, accord-
ods; program planning and evaluation; social ing to the Pew Internet and American Life Project (Fox,
marketing; mass media; health communica- 2011). Deloitte’s 2010 Survey of Health Care Consumers
tion; Internet; electronic interventions; tech- confirms this trend: More than half of consumers said
nology; behavior change theory; theory they looked online for health information, including
53% of seniors, 57% of Generation X (born between
approximately 1961 and 1981), and 56% of Generation
Y (born between 1982 and 2001). In fact, searching for
S
ocial media, known as the “participative Internet” health information is the most popular online activ-
(Jones & Fox, 2009), encompass a broad set of ity for adults after e-mail and using search engines
Internet-based communications, tools, and aids. (Fox, 2011).
These online communications offer easy, cost-effective
access to large numbers of people across geographic 1
Altarum Institute, Portland, ME, USA
distances. Technologies that expand interactivity and 2
Altarum Institute, Washington, DC, USA
15
Weblogs (blogs) Online journals where the author can write www2.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/
about any topic of interest, receive
comments, and share posts across
multiple platforms
Content syndication/ RSS feeds enable users to subscribe to and Health.com, mayoclinic.com, cancer.org
RSS feeds receive online text, video, and other
media updates
e-Games Interactive games played through the CDC.gov, healthgamesresearch.org (Robert
Internet, a video game console, or a Wood Johnson Foundation), and others
mobile phone have developed a variety of e-games
Message boards Synchronous and asynchronous platforms Everydayhealth.com, Healthboards.com
where users can post messages and (hosts more than 150 message boards)
questions and receive responses from
other users
Microblogs Length-restricted blogs Twitter and Twitter-specific applications,
Tumblr
Short message service Also known as texting, SMS can be sent and Text4baby
(SMS)/texting received by anyone with a mobile phone
Social networking sites: Vehicle for people to create online Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn
general communities and allow users to add
friends, send messages and share content
Social networking sites: Health- and condition-specific sites allow dLife.com, stickK.com
health specific users to share information and
experiences with others online
Video file sharing Users create and upload video files for Youtube.com, health-related channels
sharing and commenting include youtube.com/
plannedparenthood.org
Widgets Widgets are web applications that display Cdc.gov, widgetbox.com
featured content from one site directly to
a user’s web page or another website
Wikis Allow multiple users to create and post Wikihealth.com, wikiph.org
content as a community
information (Fox, 2011). Social media were used to boomers, Generation X-ers, and those with chronic
obtain information about health and wellness by 34% conditions were more likely to participate in online
of online health information seekers in one study, wellness programs than younger, Generation Y con-
whereas Wikipedia and online forums and message sumers. Chou, Hunt, Beckjord, Moser, and Hesse (2009)
boards were reported as the most important individual reported generational differences in their study of
tools for adults (Elkin, 2008). General social network- online information preferences, which found that
ing services are secondary to these sources for adults younger groups were more likely to participate in
but are important information vehicles for the more social networking and blogging sites, regardless of
than 70% of adolescents and young adults online who health status.
use them, according to one Pew study (Lenhart, Purcell,
Smith, & Zickhur, 2010). Generational differences in social media use. Internet
Deloitte’s 2010 Survey of Health Care Consumers users’ information preferences and use of online tools
reports that older consumers including seniors, baby also differ by gender, race/ethnicity, education, and income
Generation Y 14% of web users 18-29 years old downloaded podcasts in 2006 (Centers for Disease
(˜18-29 years) Control and Prevention [CDC], 2007)
76% watch online video in 2007 (CDC, 2007)
23% are interested in using a mobile device for accessing their personal health records
(Deloitte, 2010)
56% say they look up treatment information online (Deloitte, 2010)
As of 2010, 90% of this age-group own a cell phone, using them to send text messages, take
and send pictures, and access the Internet (Smith, 2010)
Generation X 57% watched online video in 2007 (CDC, 2007)
(˜30-49 years) 37% of cell phone users 30-49 years old sent text messages in 2006 (CDC, 2007)
28.9% of 35- to 54-year-olds downloaded mobile applications in 2009 (Smith, 2010)
44% of 18- to 49-year-olds played computer or video games in 2006 (CDC, 2007)
22% are interested in using a mobile device for accessing their personal health records
online (Deloitte, 2010)
57% say they are interested in using the Internet to find treatment information (Deloitte,
2010)
Baby boomers 46% watched online video in 2007 (CDC, 2007)
(50-65 years) 13% of cell phone users 50-64 years old sent text messages in 2006 (CDC, 2007)
12.1% of Internet users 55-69 years old downloaded apps in 2009 (CDC, 2007)
25% of users >50 years played computer or video games in 2006 (CDC, 2007)
15% are interested in using a mobile device to access their personal health records online
(Deloitte, 2010)
55% say they use the Internet to find treatment information (Deloitte, 2010)
Seniors (>65 years) 39% watched online video in 2007 (CDC, 2007)
8% of cell phone users >65 years sent text messages in 2006 (CDC, 2007)
4.3% of seniors >70 years downloaded mobile applications in 2009 (Zogby, 2009)
17% are interested in using a mobile device to access their personal health records
(Deloitte, 2010)
53% say they use the Internet to find treatment information (Deloitte, 2010)
characteristics. For example, women are reportedly more Whites, noting that these differences are likely explained
likely than men to search for information about symp- by age.
toms, treatments, diseases and conditions, and medica-
tions; men are more likely than women to conduct topical
Using Social Media to Influence
searches about vitamins and supplements, health insur-
Health Knowledge, Behavior, and Outcomes
ance providers, and physicians; both m[[en and women
were equally likely to search for wellness-related topics; Evidence about social media’s impact on health
and men were more likely than women to use social knowledge, behavior, and outcomes shows these tools
media (Elkin, 2008). can be effective in meeting individual and population
Chou et al. (2009) found that people of any ethnic- health needs. Most research addresses specific inter-
ity, regardless of education level, used social net- ventions and approaches, which vary widely in focus,
working sites at a higher rate than all non-Hispanic target population, theoretical foundations, mode of
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