Identifying Credible Sources of Health Information in Social Media: Principles and Attributes

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore how African-American women perceive Facebook and Twitter as sources for information about heart disease. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among 23 women between the ages of 18 and 70, who self-identified as Black and female. Participants were recruited from both urban and rural cities. Data collected during each 60-minute or less focus group session was analyzed and grouped into key themes. Results: Among the Black women who participated in the research, findings indicated that Facebook and Twitter are perceived as credible sources of health information if the material shared comes from a health care professional or organization, or a friend speaking from a personal health experience. Credibility increased if information was presented by a person of colorâ€“particularly of the same race. Knowledge gained via social media was largely deemed to be the 05 board for further research via a tool or website that is established within the health care industry. Participants also expounded upon the importance of one advocating for themselves in the doctor's office and fact checking health information and professionals. Conclusion: Health professionals may be able to more effectively communicate health information to Black women via Facebook and Twitter. Recommendations such as establishing credibility and using women of color in visuals are made that may assist in prompting health behavior changes. Key words: Women, African American, health information seeking, social media, heart disease

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Young People’s Experiences and Perceptions of YouTuber-Produced Health Content: Implications for Health Promotion

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198120974964 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 109019812097496

Author(s):

Jane Harris ◽

Amanda Atkinson ◽

Michael Mink ◽

Lorna Porcellato

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Young People ◽

Health Information ◽

Health Organizations ◽

North West ◽

Public Health Organizations ◽

Sources Of Health Information ◽

Many Sources ◽

Health Content

The growing diversity and uptake of social media has increased the sources of health information available to young people. YouTube is one of the most popular social media platforms for young people in the United Kingdom, and YouTubers are the most important influencers on the platform producing diverse health content. They are increasingly recognized by popular media and public health organizations as a potentially influential source of health information for young people. This study aimed to qualitatively explore young people’s experiences and perceptions of YouTuber health content. Focus groups (November 2017 to January 2018) with 85 young people (13–18 years) were recruited from schools in a single county in North West England. The findings suggest young people’s engagement with YouTuber health content is dependent on how they encounter it, YouTubers’ motivations for producing it, and the perceived relatability, sincerity, and generalization present in this content. The study confirms YouTuber health content was one of the many sources of health information used by young people and was most frequently encountered during young people’s routine viewing. Collaboration between public health organizations and YouTubers could be promising in communicating health messages to young people already engaged with these YouTubers, as part of wider campaigns or interventions. These messages could be particularly effective if they focused on experiences and norms rather than advice, remained consistent with YouTubers’ existing health content, incorporate clear indicators of accuracy into their narrative, and state their intention to benefit young people.

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Comparison of patient-reported impact of COVID19 on cancer care delivery: A prospective, cross-sectional study.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.6551 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 6551-6551

Author(s):

Emily Hsu ◽

Jyoti Chhabra ◽

Oscar Serrano ◽

Alvaro G. Menendez

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Health Information ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Appropriate Technology ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Perceived Risks ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Sources Of Health Information

6551 Background: Impact of COVID19 on cancer care delivery and outcomes remains unknown. Few trials have investigated patients’ perceived risks and benefits, and cancer care delivery (CCD) alterations related to COVID19. We sought to identify differences on behaviors and social determinants of health in Hispanics and other underrepresented populations (H/UP) compared to the general population (GP). Methods: An IRB-approved validated 27-item questionnaire was offered in English and Spanish to all pts. receiving cancer care at participating cancer centers over a 4 month period. Examined variables included demographic information, social risk and behavioral factors, preferred sources of health information, and overall satisfaction with CCD during the pandemic. Results: A total of 180 pts were enrolled in the study. Compared to GP, H/UP’s perceived risk of COVID19 was higher with 93% vs 87% more likely to cancel or avoid social gatherings and 54% vs 46% more likely to change daily routine. H/UP appeared more concerned with personal and financial safety; if unable to find work/get paid for 2 weeks, 26% H/UP vs 10% GP would struggle to keep up with expenses. 40% H/UP vs 10% GP have concerns on perceived ability to secure food on short term and consider COVID19 a major threat to their health (70% vs 46%) and financial situation (63% vs 35%). H/UP’s perceived benefits of protective measures is higher with 81% vs 60% routinely practicing social distancing (SD) and 79% vs 66% in agreement with punitive actions for not following SD. Analysis demonstrated no significant difference by age, gender, level of education, marital status, however Hispanic ethnicity and Spanish as primary language was a statistically significant variable (p = 0.025) in perceived risks and satisfaction with CCD. No major differences were noted on sources of health information although more H/UP relied on social media (33% vs 24%). H/UP appeared to be more skeptical about availability and safety of targeted vaccines (40% vs 15%). Satisfaction regarding CCD was comparable (84% vs 86%), although more H/UP perceived CCD alterations (15% vs 10%). Going forward, H/UP would prefer to incorporate virtual visits (VV) when possible (36% vs 25%). Conclusions: COVID19-related societal, financial, health and personal fears are increased in H/UP which likely negatively affects quality of life of these at-risk populations. H/UP’s trust in SD recommendations is heightened although linguistically and culturally appropriate information may be deficient. H/UP’s belief in vaccine availability and safety is comparable to GP, although recent reports suggest deeper fear and emphasize their fear of experimentation. Interventions aimed to decrease these differences could incorporate standard communications with special attention to social media. H/UP would prefer to incorporate VV into their care, although most do not possess appropriate technology to do so.

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Perceptions of Facebook and Twitter as sources of health information among African-American women

10.32469/10355/63457 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Casey Adams Jones

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Social Media ◽

African American ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Black Women ◽

African American Women ◽

Health Information ◽

Information Seeking ◽

American Women ◽

Sources Of Health Information

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore how African-American women perceive Facebook and Twitter as sources for information about heart disease. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among 23 women between the ages of 18 and 70, who selfidentified as Black and female. Participants were recruited from both urban and rural cities. Data collected during each 60-minute or less focus group session was analyzed and grouped into key themes. Results: Among the Black women who participated in the research, findings indicated that Facebook and Twitter are perceived as credible sources of health information if the material shared comes from a health care professional or organization, or a friend speaking from a personal health experience. Credibility increased if information was presented by a person of color-particularly of the same race. Knowledge gained via social media was largely deemed to be the 05 board for further research via a tool or website that is established within the health care industry. Participants also expounded upon the importance of one advocating for themselves in the doctor's office and fact checking health information and professionals. Conclusion: Health professionals may be able to more effectively communicate health information to Black women via Facebook and Twitter. Recommendations such as establishing credibility and using women of color in visuals are made that may assist in prompting health behavior changes. Key words: Women, African American, health information seeking, social media, heart disease

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Disparities in cancer care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic: An update of a prospective, cross-sectional study.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.39.28_suppl.136 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (28_suppl) ◽

pp. 136-136

Author(s):

Emily Hsu ◽

Jyoti Chhabra ◽

Oscar Serrano ◽

Katarina Bade ◽

Alvaro G. Menendez

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Health Information ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Social Risk ◽

Perceived Risks ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Sources Of Health Information

136 Background: Impact of COVID19 on cancer care delivery and outcomes remains unknown. Few trials have investigated patients’ perceived risks and benefits, and cancer care delivery (CCD) alterations related to COVID19. We sought to identify differences on behaviors and social determinants of health in Hispanics and other underrepresented populations (H/UP) compared to the general population (GP). Methods: An IRB-approved validated 27-item questionnaire was offered in English and Spanish to all pts receiving cancer care at participating cancer centers over a 6 month period. Examined variables included demographic information, social risk and behavioral factors, preferred sources of health information, and overall satisfaction with CCD during the pandemic. Results: A total of 245 pts were enrolled in the study. Compared to GP, H/UP’s perceived risk of COVID19 was higher with 92.4% vs 85.2% (p = 0.000) more likely to cancel or avoid social gatherings and 69.2% vs 32.1% more likely to change daily routine. H/UP appeared more concerned with personal and financial safety; if unable to find work/get paid for 2 weeks, 24.1% H/UP vs 13% GP would struggle to keep up with expenses. 33.7% H/UP vs 8.6% GP had concerns on ability to secure food and consider COVID19 a major threat to their health (63.9% vs 42.6%, p = 0.003) and financial situation (61.4% vs 35.8%, p = 0.001). H/UP’s perceived benefits of protective measures is higher with 97.4% vs 90.7% routinely practicing social distancing (SD) and 92.8% vs 64.2% in agreement with punitive actions for not following SD. Analysis demonstrated no significant difference by gender, level of education, marital status, however Hispanic ethnicity and Spanish as primary language were significant variables (p = 0.000) in perceived risks and satisfaction with CCD. No major differences were noted on sources of health information although more H/UP relied on social media (26.5% vs 24.7%). H/UP appeared more skeptical about availability and safety of targeted vaccines (28.2% vs 14.8%, p = 0.001). H/UP were less satisfied with CCD during the pandemic (72.1% vs 82.1%, p = 0.024) and also perceived CCD alterations (19.2% vs 7.4%). Conclusions: COVID19-related societal, financial, health and personal fears are increased in H/UP which likely negatively affects quality of life of these at-risk populations. H/UP’s trust in SD recommendations is heightened although linguistically and culturally appropriate information may be deficient. H/UP were more skeptical of the safety and availability of the vaccine, which is consistent with recent reports suggesting deeper fears of experimentation. Interventions aimed to decrease these differences could incorporate standard communications with special attention to social media.

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Sources of Health Information and Their Impacts on Medical Knowledge Perception Among the Saudi Arabian Population: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.14414 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Shatha A Alduraywish ◽

Lamees A Altamimi ◽

Rawan A Aldhuwayhi ◽

Lama R AlZamil ◽

Luluh Y Alzeghayer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Health Information ◽

Medical Knowledge ◽

Saudi Arabian ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

Sources Of Health Information ◽

Arabian Population

BACKGROUND Having a reliable source for health information is vital to build a strong foundation of knowledge, especially with the current revolution of the internet and social media, which raises many concerns regarding harmful effects on the health of the public. However, there are no studies on how the Saudi Arabian population seeks health information. Details about the most used and trusted sources of health information among the public will help health authorities and public awareness accounts on social media to effectively disseminate health information. OBJECTIVE To investigate the types of sources accessed by the Saudi Arabian population while seeking health information, as well as their level of trust in the sources and to assess the impact of these sources on their perception of medical knowledge and health decision-making. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted to meet the objectives. The study population included both men and women who were aged 16 years or more and visited primary care clinics at King Khalid University Hospital. Four hundred and thirteen participants were sampled using the simple random method, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (IBM Corp, Armonk, New York, USA). RESULTS A total of 413 participants were included in this study, and of these, 99 (24.0%) were males and 206 (49.9%) had a bachelor’s degree. Doctors were chosen as the first source of information by 87.6% (283/323) of the participants, and they were completely trusted by most of the population (326/411, 79.3%). The second most commonly used source was pharmacists (112/194, 57.7%), and they were partially trusted by 41.4% (159/384) of the participants. Internet searches, social media, and traditional medicine were not prioritized by most of the participants as the first or second source of health information. The majority of the participants did not trust information obtained from social media, and WhatsApp was the most untrusted source. Almost half of the respondents (197/413, 47.7%) acknowledged that various sources of information can often help them understand their health problems. However, the majority disagreed on substituting a doctor’s prescription with information obtained from the internet or a friend or relative. CONCLUSIONS Although physicians were preferred and highly trusted, internet sources appeared to impact the medical knowledge of the population. The population still preferred to use internet search to obtain health information prior to a doctor’s visit.

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Sources of Health Information and Their Impacts on Medical Knowledge Perception Among the Saudi Arabian Population: Cross-Sectional Study

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/14414 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. e14414 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shatha A Alduraywish ◽

Lamees A Altamimi ◽

Rawan A Aldhuwayhi ◽

Lama R AlZamil ◽

Luluh Y Alzeghayer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Health Information ◽

Medical Knowledge ◽

Saudi Arabian ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

Sources Of Health Information ◽

Arabian Population

Background Having a reliable source for health information is vital to build a strong foundation of knowledge, especially with the current revolution of the internet and social media, which raises many concerns regarding harmful effects on the health of the public. However, there are no studies on how the Saudi Arabian population seeks health information. Details about the most used and trusted sources of health information among the public will help health authorities and public awareness accounts on social media to effectively disseminate health information. Objective To investigate the types of sources accessed by the Saudi Arabian population while seeking health information, as well as their level of trust in the sources and to assess the impact of these sources on their perception of medical knowledge and health decision-making. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to meet the objectives. The study population included both men and women who were aged 16 years or more and visited primary care clinics at King Khalid University Hospital. Four hundred and thirteen participants were sampled using the simple random method, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (IBM Corp, Armonk, New York, USA). Results A total of 413 participants were included in this study, and of these, 99 (24.0%) were males and 206 (49.9%) had a bachelor’s degree. Doctors were chosen as the first source of information by 87.6% (283/323) of the participants, and they were completely trusted by most of the population (326/411, 79.3%). The second most commonly used source was pharmacists (112/194, 57.7%), and they were partially trusted by 41.4% (159/384) of the participants. Internet searches, social media, and traditional medicine were not prioritized by most of the participants as the first or second source of health information. The majority of the participants did not trust information obtained from social media, and WhatsApp was the most untrusted source. Almost half of the respondents (197/413, 47.7%) acknowledged that various sources of information can often help them understand their health problems. However, the majority disagreed on substituting a doctor’s prescription with information obtained from the internet or a friend or relative. Conclusions Although physicians were preferred and highly trusted, internet sources appeared to impact the medical knowledge of the population. The population still preferred to use internet search to obtain health information prior to a doctor’s visit.

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Social Media and the Transformation of Healthcare: A Viewpoint (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.25230 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ella Forgie ◽

Hollis Lai ◽

Bo Cao ◽

Eleni Stroulia ◽

Andrew James Greenshaw ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Health Information ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Community Support ◽

Security And Privacy ◽

Support Network ◽

Full Potential ◽

Physician Patient Relationship ◽

Mediation Effects

UNSTRUCTURED As many as 80% of internet users seek health information online. The social determinants of health (SDoH) are intimately related to who has access to the internet and healthcare as a whole. Those who face more barriers to care are more likely to benefit from accessing health information online, granted the information they are retrieving is accurate. Virtual communities on social media platforms are particularly interesting as venues for seeking health information online because peers have been shown to influence health behaviour more than almost anything else. Thus, it is important to recognize the potential of social media to have positive mediation effects on health, so long as any negative mediation effects are reconcilable. As a positive mediator of health, social media can be used as a direct or indirect mode of communication between physicians and patients, a venue for health promotion and health information, and a community support network. False or misleading content, social contagion, confirmation bias, and security and privacy concerns must be mitigated in order to realize full potential of social media as a positive mediator of health. In any case, it is clear that the intersections between the SDoH, social media, and health are intimate, and they must be taken into consideration by physicians. Here, we argue that a paradigm shift in the physician-patient relationship is warranted, one where physicians: a) acknowledge the impacts of the SDoH on information-seeking behaviour, b) recognize the positive and negative roles of social media as a mediator of health through the lens of the SDoH, and c) use social media to catalyze positive changes in the standard of care.

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Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Qualitative Experiences of Social Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Sample

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9060735 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 735

Author(s):

Schoultz Mariyana ◽

Leung Janni ◽

Bonsaksen Tore ◽

Ruffolo Mary ◽

Thygesen Hilde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Health Information ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

National Study ◽

Free Text ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mental Health Information ◽

The Uk

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and as a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter-in-place during the current pandemic. Methods: This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, the UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free-text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, USA and Australia. A total of 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions which were difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning, which was positive and stressful at the same time. Conclusion: Using social media while in a shelter-in-place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.

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Social media engagement tactics in U.S. community policing: Potential privacy and security concerns

The Police Journal Theory Practice and Principles ◽

10.1177/0032258x20968588 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 0032258X2096858

Author(s):

Alexander E Carter ◽

Mariea Hoy ◽

Betsy Byrne DeSimone

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Health Information ◽

Community Policing ◽

Future Research ◽

Online Relationships ◽

Privacy And Security ◽

Research Directions ◽

Personally Identifiable Information ◽

Future Research Directions

Despite law enforcement’s best efforts to use social media as a means of community policing, some engagement tactics may lead citizens to disclose personally identifiable information (PII). We coded 200 tweets with the popular #9PMRoutine that tagged @PascoSheriff (Florida) for participant PII. We found numerous postings of adults’ and children’s PII that are problematic including pictures, health information and security-related comments about their routines or vacations. Implications for law enforcement to protect their communities are discussed as well as opportunities to continue to cultivate their online relationships in a more secure forum. We also provide future research directions.

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