scholarly journals Vaccine hesitancy and behavior change theory-based social media interventions: a systematic review

Author(s):  
Lan Li ◽  
Caroline E Wood ◽  
Patty Kostkova

Abstract It is widely acknowledged that vaccine hesitancy is a multifaceted problem that cannot be addressed by a single strategy. Behavior change theories and social media tools may together help to guide the design of interventions aimed at improving vaccination uptake. This systematic review aims to identify the breadth and effectiveness of such theories and tools. The systematic review search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, ACM, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and Web of Science databases for studies between January 2011 and January 2021 that applied social media tools to increase vaccine confidence or improve vaccination uptake. The literature search yielded a total of 3,065 publications. Twenty articles met the eligibility criteria, 12 of which were theory-based interventions. The result shows that the Health Belief Model was the most frequently deployed theory, and the most common social media tool was educational posts, followed by dialogue-based groups, interactive websites, and personal reminders. Theory-based interventions were generally more measurable and comparable and had more evidence to trigger the positive behavior change. Fifteen studies reported the effectiveness in knowledge gain, intention increase, or behavior change. Educational messages were proved to be effective in increasing knowledge but less helpful in triggering behavior change. Dialogue-based social media intervention performed well in improving people’s intention to vaccinate. Interventions informed by behavior change theory and delivered via social media platforms offer an important opportunity for addressing vaccine hesitancy. This review highlights the need to use a multitheory framework and tailoring social media interventions to the specific circumstances and needs of the target audience in future interventions. The results and insights gained from this review will be of assistance to future studies.

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 ◽  
pp. 78-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda R. McCullough ◽  
Crístín Ryan ◽  
Christopher Macindoe ◽  
Nathan Yii ◽  
Judy M. Bradley ◽  
...  

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e032611
Author(s):  
Gursimer Jeet ◽  
J S Thakur ◽  
Shankar Prinja ◽  
Meenu Singh ◽  
Ria Nangia ◽  
...  

IntroductionTimely interventions are required in order to change unhealthy lifestyles because if continued for a prolonged period of time, these become risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Education through mass media is an important factor in bringing out the behavioural change which may get missed in community-based interventions due to their limited reach. Many countries engage in mass media interventions, however, the nature of interventions and their effectiveness differs. We, therefore, describe the protocol of a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of the mass media interventions to reduce the risk of NCDs in the general population and compare the differences in effectiveness estimates across low/middle-income countries and developed countries.Methods and analysisWe will search The Cochrane Library, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database limited to publications since 2000 to October 2019. Specific terms for the search strategy will be piloted as database-controlled vocabulary in the databases searched. The searches will include variations of the following terms: mass media, mass communication, campaign, publicity and terms for types of media, that is, print media, mobile, digital media, social media and broadcast. Study designs to be included will be systematic reviews followed by grey literature and other good quality reviews identified. The primary outcome of effectiveness will be the percentage change in population having different behavioural risk factors. In addition, mean overall change in levels of several physical or biochemical parameters will be studied as secondary outcomes.Ethics and disseminationThe review is being done under the doctoral research which has been approved by the Institute Ethics Committee of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Dissemination will be done by submitting scientific articles to academic peer-reviewed journals. We will present the results at relevant conferences and meetings.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42016048013


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 675-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roelof A. J. de Vries ◽  
Khiet P. Truong ◽  
Cristina Zaga ◽  
Jamy Li ◽  
Vanessa Evers

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Alvarez-Galvez ◽  
Victor Suarez-Lledo ◽  
Antonio Rojas-Garcia

Background: The widespread use of social media represents an unprecedented opportunity for health promotion. We have more information and evidence-based health related knowledge, for instance about healthy habits or possible risk behaviors. However, these tools also carry some disadvantages since they also open the door to new social and health risks, in particular during health emergencies. This systematic review aims to study the determinants of infodemics during disease outbreaks, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative methods.Methods: We searched research articles in PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Sociological abstracts, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Additional research works were included by searching bibliographies of electronically retrieved review articles.Results: Finally, 42 studies were included in the review. Five determinants of infodemics were identified: (1) information sources; (2) online communities' structure and consensus; (3) communication channels (i.e., mass media, social media, forums, and websites); (4) messages content (i.e., quality of information, sensationalism, etc.,); and (5) context (e.g., social consensus, health emergencies, public opinion, etc.). Studied selected in this systematic review identified different measures to combat misinformation during outbreaks.Conclusion: The clarity of the health promotion messages has been proven essential to prevent the spread of a particular disease and to avoid potential risks, but it is also fundamental to understand the network structure of social media platforms and the emergency context where misinformation might dynamically evolve. Therefore, in order to prevent future infodemics, special attention will need to be paid both to increase the visibility of evidence-based knowledge generated by health organizations and academia, and to detect the possible sources of mis/disinformation.


10.2196/13717 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. e13717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Wan Sze Cheng ◽  
Tracey Davenport ◽  
Daniel Johnson ◽  
Kellie Vella ◽  
Ian B Hickie

BackgroundThere is little research on the application of gamification to mental health and well-being. Furthermore, usage of gamification-related terminology is inconsistent. Current applications of gamification for health and well-being have also been critiqued for adopting a behaviorist approach that relies on positive reinforcement and extrinsic motivators.ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze current applications of gamification for mental health and well-being by answering 3 research questions (RQs). RQ1: which gamification elements are most commonly applied to apps and technologies for improving mental health and well-being? RQ2: which mental health and well-being domains are most commonly targeted by these gamified apps and technologies? RQ3: what reasons do researchers give for applying gamification to these apps and technologies? A systematic review of the literature was conducted to answer these questions.MethodsWe searched ACM Digital Library, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, IEEE Explore, JMIR, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science for qualifying papers published between the years 2013 and 2018. To answer RQ1 and RQ2, papers were coded for gamification elements and mental health and well-being domains according to existing taxonomies in the game studies and medical literature. During the coding process, it was necessary to adapt our coding frame and revise these taxonomies. Thematic analysis was conducted to answer RQ3.ResultsThe search and screening process identified 70 qualifying papers that collectively reported on 50 apps and technologies. The most commonly observed gamification elements were levels or progress feedback, points or scoring, rewards or prizes, narrative or theme, personalization, and customization; the least commonly observed elements were artificial assistance, unlockable content, social cooperation, exploratory or open-world approach, artificial challenge, and randomness. The most commonly observed mental health and well-being domains were anxiety disorders and well-being, whereas the least commonly observed domains were conduct disorder and bipolar disorders. Researchers’ justification for applying gamification to improving mental health and well-being was coded in 59% (41/70) of the papers and was broadly divided into 2 themes: (1) promoting engagement and (2) enhancing an intervention’s intended effects.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the current application of gamification to apps and technologies for improving mental health and well-being does not align with the trend of positive reinforcement critiqued in the greater health and well-being literature. We also observed overlap between the most commonly used gamification techniques and existing behavior change frameworks. Results also suggest that the application of gamification is not driven by health behavior change theory, and that many researchers may treat gamification as a black box without consideration for its underlying mechanisms. We call for the inclusion of more comprehensive and explicit descriptions of how gamification is applied and the standardization of applied games terminology within and across fields.


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