Social Networks and Atopic Dermatitis: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Social Media Analysis
• Health Communication

Background:

• Social networks are increasingly vital for medical information exchange.
• Understanding social media's role in health is crucial for effective communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize social media content related to atopic dermatitis.
• To analyze the types of information shared and audience engagement on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of atopic dermatitis-related pages, groups, and accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn was conducted in early 2020.
• Data collected included country of origin, account creation date, purpose, links, contact information, and follower counts.
• Content analysis focused on recent posts from high-follower accounts across each network.

Main Results:

• 257 social media entities were analyzed, with Facebook hosting the majority (171) and highest average followers.
• While patient support groups dominated page numbers (63%), business/product pages garnered significantly more followers (P < .035).
• The most common content theme was general information about atopic dermatitis (27.94% of analyzed posts).

Conclusions:

• Social media platforms play a significant role in disseminating atopic dermatitis information.
• Findings underscore the need for defined roles and limitations of social media for health campaigns.
• Future strategies should leverage social media for patient-centered approaches to reach individuals with atopic dermatitis.