Headache Education by E-Learning Through Social Networking Services (Social Media)

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Neurology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Headache represents a significant public health issue, with effective management hindered by low public awareness.
• Raising awareness and promoting appropriate medication use are crucial for reducing the burden of headaches.
• No prior studies have documented headache awareness campaigns utilizing social networking services (SNS) in Japan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of a headache awareness campaign conducted via two SNS platforms.
• To target specific high-prevalence groups: nurses and wind instrumental musicians.
• To evaluate the impact of e-learning modules on headache knowledge.

Main Methods:

• A prospective headache awareness campaign was implemented from March 2022 using two distinct SNS.
• Educational content, including articles and videos based on the Clinical Practice Guideline for Headache Disorders 2021, was disseminated.
• Online questionnaires were administered post-e-learning to assess awareness of six key headache topics.

Main Results:

• The campaign reached 1191 nurses and 134 professional musicians, with high prevalence of headache sufferers in both groups.
• Significant increases in awareness of the six key headache topics were observed, rising from 15.2%-47.0% to 80.4%-98.7% post-intervention (p < 0.001).
• A notable percentage of participants, particularly musicians, reported medication-overuse headache, underscoring the need for targeted education.

Conclusions:

• Social networking services (SNS) provide an effective platform for delivering health education on headache disorders.
• E-learning modules combined with online surveys can significantly enhance public awareness of crucial headache information.
• Targeted digital health interventions hold promise for improving headache management and reducing public health burden.