Social Media Marketing of Non-Evidence-Based Women's Health Interventions: Protocol for a Content Analysis Using...

Area of Science:

• Women's Health
• Digital Health
• Health Communication

Background:

• The proliferation of non-evidence-based health interventions promoted to women on social media presents a significant public health concern.
• Understanding the dynamics of health information dissemination on social media is crucial for addressing this issue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utilization of social media platforms for the promotion of health interventions lacking robust scientific evidence but gaining popularity among women.
• To analyze content related to specific popular women's health topics, including boric acid suppositories, fertility and menopause testing, and hormone therapies.

Main Methods:

• A content analysis of English-language posts on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook concerning five selected women's health interventions.
• Utilizing participatory research methods with consumers to screen and analyze 1000 top posts across the interventions.
• Employing both deductive and inductive analytical approaches to identify key themes and patterns in the social media content.

Main Results:

• Data collection and screening from TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have been completed.
• The development of a comprehensive coding framework for data analysis is in progress.
• Findings are slated for dissemination through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations in 2025-2026.

Conclusions:

• This research offers novel insights into the social media-driven promotion of women's health interventions with limited evidence.
• Identifying these dissemination patterns is vital for developing effective strategies to safeguard women from potentially harmful, low-value health products and treatments.
• The study aims to prevent unnecessary patient engagement and conserve healthcare resources.