Using Social Media to Disseminate Behavior Change Interventions: Scoping Review of Systematic Reviews

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Digital Health

Background:

• Dissemination of behavioral interventions lacks developed conceptual frameworks compared to implementation.
• Social media strategies are increasingly used for behavior change intervention dissemination.
• This review focuses on common themes in the methodology and evaluation of these strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common themes in the design, delivery, and impact assessment of social media-based dissemination strategies.
• To synthesize findings from systematic reviews on social media for behavior change interventions.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of systematic reviews on social media dissemination.
• Searched Epistemonikos database until 2024.
• Used reflexive thematic analysis to identify common themes.

Main Results:

• Identified four main themes: 1-way spread, invoking conversations, peer motivation, and miscellaneous strategies.
• Outcomes assessed included reach, engagement, user perception, and health behavior impact.
• Commonly used theoretical frameworks included behavior change models (e.g., Theory of Planned Behavior) and dissemination frameworks (e.g., Diffusion of Innovation).

Conclusions:

• Social media features like peer sharing, online conversations, and feedback enhance dissemination.
• Further research is required to strengthen the theoretical basis and specific intervention components of social media dissemination strategies.