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Using Social Media for Public Health Communication to Young People: A Qualitative Study to Inform Emergency
Melody Taba1,2,3, Julie Ayre1, Kirsten McCaffery1,2
1Sydney Health Literacy Lab, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Journal of Health Communication
|January 14, 2026
Summary
Health communicators faced challenges using social media for public health messages, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Engaging young people requires more appealing content and youth involvement in message creation.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Communication
- Social Media Studies
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic underscored social media's importance in health communication, particularly for reaching young adults.
- Young people often bypass traditional public health agency channels, making social media crucial for engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the experiences of health communicators and young people with social media health communication.
- To identify challenges and opportunities in communicating health information to youth via social media during and outside of the COVID-19 emergency.
Main Methods:
- Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Australian government health communicators and 21 young people (aged 18-24).
- Thematic analysis using Framework Analysis was applied to understand communication experiences.
Main Results:
- Health communicators encountered organizational barriers and misinformation, amplified by the pandemic.
- The pandemic also spurred innovation, streamlined processes, and increased followership for health communicators.
- Young people found health messages clear but not consistently engaging or humorous, suggesting a need for youth co-design.
Conclusions:
- Improvements are needed in social media health communication strategies targeting youth.
- Health communicators require enhanced support and innovative mechanisms for future pandemic responses.
- Involving young people in message development can increase the appeal and effectiveness of public health communications.
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