Contemporary Social Media Interventions for Adolescents With Chronic Health Conditions: A Systematic Scoping Review

Widespread social media use presents an opportunity for health promotion among adolescents with chronic health conditions (CHCs), but rapid changes in technology preferences and affordances pose a challenge for researchers whose work progresses more slowly. The purpose of this systematic scoping review is to describe the size, range, and characteristics of contemporary research efforts (between 2018 and 2024) to investigate social media interventions for adolescents with CHCs. We searched six databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global) and sought additional grey literature. Inclusion criteria were studies designing, user-testing, evaluating, or otherwise investigating social media interventions for adolescents with CHCs. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts, assessed full-text articles, and extracted variables using Covidence. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-Scoping guidelines. Twenty-five research projects met the inclusion criteria. The most common theories/frameworks were social cognitive theory, cognitive behavioral theory, social support theories, design theories, and participatory frameworks. The interventions all targeted single diagnoses (most often type 1 diabetes and human immunodeficiency virus). The predominant intervention strategy was to facilitate education, peer support, and discussion within text-based online communities. The most popular contemporary platforms and short-form videos were underutilized. Outcomes included variables related to the youth's intervention experience (e.g., usability, engagement); internal, proximal variables (e.g., self-efficacy, stigma); relational, proximal variables (e.g., social support, connection to the clinic); health behaviors (e.g., treatment adherence, transition readiness); and overall impacts on health and well-being (e.g., health status indicators, quality of life). Although theoretical frameworks, methods, and outcomes were wide-ranging, the specific intervention strategies were more limited in variety. Future research efforts should investigate whether embedding interventions in social media platforms youth use in their everyday lives and integrating public health and implementation science methods result in greater engagement or improved outcomes.