Tweet for Behavior Change: Using Social Media for the Dissemination of Public Health Messages

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Digital Health

Background:

• Social media public health campaigns offer cost-effective, wide-reaching tailored messaging.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the factors influencing their effectiveness in attitude and behavior change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a social media-based intervention for skin cancer prevention.
• To evaluate the design, implementation, and impact of a Twitter-enabled campaign.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental study disseminated varied message frames (humor, shock, informative, stories) via Twitter.
• Utilized influencer marketing and a Thunderclap campaign for broader reach.
• Pre- and post-intervention surveys measured changes in skin cancer knowledge and attitudes.

Main Results:

• The campaign achieved significant reach, with over 417,678 tweet impressions.
• Shocking messages yielded the most impressions, humorous messages the most engagement, and informative messages the most shares.
• Post-intervention surveys indicated improved knowledge of skin cancer severity and more positive attitudes toward sun safety.

Conclusions:

• Social media is a cost-effective tool for disseminating public health messages, reaching over 23% of the Northern Ireland population.
• The campaign demonstrated potential for improving skin cancer knowledge and attitudes.
• Different message frames serve distinct purposes (impressions, engagement, shares), suggesting a blended strategy is optimal.