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Published on: October 2, 2019
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Variation in Twitter posts referencing pediatric sleep aids.
Mikayla Carson1, Melisa Moore2, Olivia Cicalese3
1Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Sleep Health
|June 17, 2023
Summary
Parents frequently seek parenting advice online. This study found melatonin is the most discussed pediatric sleep aid on Twitter, with discussions increasing significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Area of Science:
- Social media analysis
- Pediatric sleep medicine
- Public health communication
Background:
- Over 50% of parents use social media for parenting advice.
- Limited understanding of social media discussions on pediatric sleep aid use.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate Twitter discussions on pediatric sleep aids (melatonin, cannabidiol, weighted blankets, essential oils).
- Analyze post frequency, user characteristics, and content.
- Examine changes in tweet volume before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Searched Twitter over 25 months using TweetDeck.
- Coded tweets for user characteristics (affiliations, gender) and content (tone, sleep/health outcomes, neurodevelopmental condition references).
Main Results:
- Melatonin was most frequent (60%), followed by essential oils (23%).
- Most tweets were from individual users (77%) and positive (51%).
- Tweet volume increased during the pandemic, especially for melatonin.
Conclusions:
- Melatonin and essential oils are the most discussed pediatric sleep aids on Twitter.
- Discussions are predominantly positive, with increased volume post-pandemic.
- Clinicians should leverage social media to provide evidence-based information on pediatric sleep aid risks and benefits.
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