Antismoking campaign videos on YouTube and audience response: Application of social media assessment metrics

A Model of Social Media Effects in Public Health Communication Campaigns: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Social media platforms are frequently used in health communication campaigns. Common understandings of campaign effects posit a sequential and linear series of steps from exposure to behavior change, commonly known as the hierarchy of effects model (HOE). These concepts need to be reevaluated in the age of social media, which are interactional and communal.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to update the traditional HOE for health communication campaigns in the context of social media, including identifying indicators of effectiveness and how these are conceptualized to lead to health-related outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of studies following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines reporting on the use of social media as part of health communication campaigns, extracting campaign information such as objectives, platforms used, and measures of campaign performance. We used these data, combined with our understanding of the HOE, to develop an updated conceptual model of social media campaign effects.

RESULTS

We identified 99 eligible studies reporting on 93 campaigns, published between 2012 and 2022. The campaigns were conducted in over 20 countries, but nearly half (n=42) were conducted in the United States. Campaigns targeted a variety of health issues and predominantly used Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Most campaigns (n=81) set objectives targeting awareness or individual behavior change. Process measures (n=68; eg, reach and impressions) and engagement measures (n=73; eg, likes and retweets) were reported most frequently, while two-fifths (n=42) did not report any outcomes beyond engagement, such as changes in knowledge, behavior, or social norms. Most campaigns (n=55) collected measures that did not allow them to determine if the campaign objective had been met; that is, they were process evaluations only. Based on our review, our updated model suggests that campaign exposure can lead to individual behavior change and improved health outcomes, either through a direct or indirect pathway. Indirect pathways include exposure through social and policy changes. "Engagement" is positioned as critical to success, replacing awareness in the traditional HOE, and all types of engagement are treated as equal and good. No consideration is being given to potential negative engagement, such as the distribution of misinformation. Additionally, the process is no longer linear and sequential, with circular pathways evident, such as engagement not only influencing behavior change but also generating additional exposure to campaign messages.

CONCLUSIONS

Our review has highlighted a change in conventional understandings of how campaigns can influence health outcomes in the age of social media. The updated model we propose provides social media campaigners with a starting point to develop and tailor campaign messages and allows evaluators to identify critical assumptions to test, including the role and value of "engagement."

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42021287257; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=287257.

A study of learners’ interactive preference on multimedia microlearning

Purpose

This study aims to explore how learners prefer to interact with microlearning videos. Microlearning is an emerging topic in work-based learning, and the benefits of using video in supporting learning have been widely discussed. However, only very few of previous works were conducted on discussing how learners prefer to interact with microlearning video. This paper aims to fill this knowledge gap.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was used in this study for data collection purposes. In total, the invitation had been sent to 236 enrolled learners from the 3 targeted modules through emails. A total of 77 participants completed the survey with the response rate 32.6%. The chi-square test is used in this study in order to conclude whether the findings from the sample related to hypotheses are statistically significant.

Findings

By analysing primary data collected from a United Kingdom (UK) university, the findings suggest that 1) the perceived usefulness of the control functions and the expression functions of multimedia microlearning videos are generally high and 2) more participants, on the one hand, prefer to have more control in their multiple-choice questions’ arrangement and open-ended questions’ arrangement; on the other hand, there was no significant difference on the preference of when to attempt assessment.

Originality/value

This is the first time that a study like this had been conducted to review and discuss the interactive preferences between learners and multimedia microlearning. This study could shed some lights on future research in the field of microlearning and work-based learning.

Understanding How Product Reviews on YouTube Affect Consumers’ Purchase Behaviors in Indonesia: An Exploration Using the Stimulus-Organism-Response Paradigm

Product reviews on YouTube have become highly beneficial to consumers’ decision-making, as they can help consumers judge and experience products before making purchases. Consequently, scholars and managers must understand consumer behaviors regarding product reviews and identify factors influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions. A novel contribution of the study is the introduction of a model based on the stimulus-organism-response paradigm that explains how sensory marketing and information adoption affect parasocial interaction, trust (cognitive and affective), and information usefulness that are correlated with consumers’ responses to stickiness, adoption, and purchase intentions. To empirically evaluate the proposed research model, we conducted an online survey of 611 participants who had purchased products based on YouTube product reviews. We performed data analysis using structural equation modelling and Smart-PLS software, and the results indicated that all hypotheses were supported except for parasocial interaction and information usefulness, which were rejected. This study could provide insights into the antecedents and consequences of purchase intentions in light of YouTube product reviews, thus contributing knowledge of online consumer behaviors to help managers understand consumer behaviors regarding social media and formulate marketing strategies.

The Exploration of How Social Media Cultivate College Student Smokers: Theorizing Valence of Communication, Impression Management, and Perceived Risks and Benefits of Smoking in the O1-S-R1-O2-R2 Model

The purpose of this study is to build a theoretical framework to account for how social media lead college students to smoke. Arguing critical concepts, such as valence of communication, impression management, perceived risks and benefits, this study develops the O 1 -S-R 1 -O 2 -R 2 model. For this, we test a separated model for smokers and nonsmokers. For smokers, the effect of exposure to pro-smoking content on smoking behavior is mediated by an impression of smokers, a favorable expression about smoking, and perceived benefits. And, the effect of exposure to anti-smoking content on smoking behavior is mediated by an unfavorable expression about smoking and perceived risks. However, such mediation processes cannot be observed for nonsmokers; namely, the effect of exposure to pro-smoking content on smoking intention is only mediated by a favorable expression about smoking. Considering the separated path models for smokers and nonsmokers, theoretical and practical implications are suggested for future study. Methodological limitations are discussed as well.

Typology and Impact of YouTube Videos Posted in Response to a Student Suicide Crisis: Social Media Metrics and Content Analyses

Background

Videos relating to suicide are available on YouTube, but their characteristics and impacts have seldom been examined.

Objective

This study aimed to examine YouTube videos posted in response to a sudden spate of student suicides in Hong Kong during the 2015-2016 school year and evaluate the impacts of those videos.

Methods

Keyword search was performed on YouTube, and relevant videos were identified. Video typology was examined through content analysis, specifically grouping the videos by who uploaded the videos, what presentation formats were used in the videos, whether the videos were originally created by the uploaders, and whether the videos disclosed the uploaders’ personal experiences with suicide. Impacts of the videos were assessed in terms of reach (measured by view count), engagement (measured by comment count), and insights (measured as to what extent the comments to each video could reveal personal suicide risk and attitude toward help-seeking). Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the impacts of different types of videos. The 7 most impactful videos that were originally created by the YouTubers were selected for further analysis. They were compared with 7 videos uploaded by the same YouTubers right before the student suicide videos and 7 right after the student suicide videos. The comparison focused on their impacts and the network structure of the comments to those videos.

Results

A total of 162 relevant YouTube videos were identified. They were uploaded by 7 types of stakeholders, and the most common format was one person talking to the camera. A total of 87.0% (141/162) of the videos were originally created by the uploaders and only 8.0% (13/162) of the videos disclosed uploader personal experiences with suicide. The uploader profiles being popular or top YouTubers and the video containing disclosure of the uploader’s personal experiences were found to be significantly correlated with greater impacts (P<.001). Focusing on the 7 most impactful original videos, it is found that those videos generated more engagement, especially more interactions between the viewers, and more insights than regular videos uploaded by the same YouTubers.

Conclusions

When responding to a youth suicide crisis, videos made by key opinion leaders on YouTube sharing their own experiences of overcoming suicide risks could generate significant positive impacts. These types of videos offer a precious opportunity to craft online campaigns and activities to raise suicide prevention awareness and engage vulnerable youth.

Review of Evaluation Metrics Used in Digital and Traditional Tobacco Control Campaigns

BACKGROUND

Mass media campaigns for public health are increasingly using digital media platforms, such as web-based advertising and social media; however, there is a lack of evidence on how to best use these digital platforms for public health campaigns. To generate this evidence, appropriate campaign evaluations are needed, but with the proliferation of digital media-related metrics, there is no clear consensus on which evaluation metrics should be used. Public health campaigns are diverse in nature, so to facilitate analysis, this review has selected tobacco control campaigns as the scope of the study.

OBJECTIVE

This literature review aimed to examine how tobacco control campaigns that use traditional and digital media platforms have been evaluated.

METHODS

Medicine and science databases (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online [MEDLINE], EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], and Scopus), and a marketing case study database (World Advertising Research Center) were searched for articles published between 2013 and 2018. Two authors established the eligibility criteria and reviewed articles for inclusion. Individual campaigns were identified from the articles, and information on campaigns and their evaluations were supplemented with searches on Google, Google Scholar, and social media platforms. Data about campaign evaluations were tabulated and mapped to a conceptual framework.

RESULTS

In total, 17 campaigns were included in this review, with evaluations reported on by 51 articles, 17 marketing reports, and 4 grey literature reports. Most campaigns were from English-speaking countries, with behavioral change as the primary objective. In the process evaluations, a wide range of metrics were used to assess the reach of digital campaign activities, making comparison between campaigns difficult. Every campaign in the review, except one, reported some type of engagement impact measure, with website visits being the most commonly reported metric (11 of the 17 campaigns). Other commonly reported evaluation measures identified in this review include engagement on social media, changes in attitudes, and number of people contacting smoking cessation services. Of note, only 7 of the 17 campaigns attempted to measure media platform attribution, for example, by asking participants where they recalled seeing the campaign or using unique website tracking codes for ads on different media platforms.

CONCLUSIONS

One of the key findings of this review is the numerous and diverse range of measures and metrics used in tobacco control campaign evaluations. To address this issue, we propose principles to guide the selection of digital media-related metrics for campaign evaluations, and also outline a conceptual framework to provide a coherent organization to the diverse range of metrics. Future research is needed to specifically investigate whether engagement metrics are associated with desired campaign outcomes, to determine whether reporting of engagement metrics is meaningful in campaign evaluations.

An overview of digital and online strategies to reduce gambling harm

ISSUE ADDRESSED

Advancements in mobile- and web-based technologies proliferate everyday opportunities to gamble. The increased availability, popularity and intensity of online gambling platforms and interactive gaming activities also changes the way we construct gambling harm reduction interventions. Information and communication technologies (ICT) provide potential opportunities to reduce harm from online gambling through harm minimisation initiatives and currently available services. The aim of this review was to firstly understand the scope of peer-reviewed evidence on ICT-based strategies to reduce online gambling harm, and secondly, what evidence exists specifically in relation to ICT-based harm reduction initiatives for people who gamble online.

METHODS

Scoping review methods and a five-stage model of analysis were used to: identify the published literature on ICT-based harm minimisation activities for online gambling; distil models appropriate to address gambling harm in this setting; and synthesise all available evidence, noting gaps and patterns.

RESULTS

Sixteen gambling-specific ICT-based interventions were reviewed in depth. The majority of included studies focused on different components of computer-assisted or online therapy programs for disordered gambling, specifically the development of individual skills in managing problematic gambling behaviour.

CONCLUSIONS

The review found that despite the widespread potential ICT represent for addressing gambling harm there has been only limited published research to date.

SO WHAT

There is a clear need for further investigation into uptake, usage, focus and effectiveness of all online gambling interventions on offer. The dearth of gambling-specific empirical knowledge potentially indicates a serious resourcing and reporting issues in this area.

30+ years of media analysis of relevance to chronic disease: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Chronic, non-communicable diseases are a significant public health priority, requiring action at individual, community and population levels, and public and political will for such action. Exposure to media, including news, entertainment, and advertising media, is likely to influence both individual behaviours, and attitudes towards preventive actions at the population level. In recent years there has been a proliferation of research exploring how chronic diseases and their risk factors are portrayed across various forms of media. This scoping review aims to map the literature in this area to identify key themes, gaps, and opportunities for future research in this area.

METHODS

We searched three databases (Medline, PsycINFO and Global Health) in July 2016 and identified 499 original research articles meeting inclusion criteria: original research article, published in English, focusing on media representations of chronic disease (including how issues are framed in media, impact or effect of media representations, and factors that influence media representations). We extracted key data from included articles and examined the health topics, media channels and methods of included studies, and synthesised key themes across studies.

RESULTS

Our findings show that research on media portrayals of chronic disease increased substantially between 1985 and 2016. Smoking and nutrition were the most frequent health topics, and television and print were the most common forms of media examined, although, as expected, research on online and social media channels has increased in recent years. The majority of studies focused on the amount and type of media coverage, including how issues are framed, typically using content analysis approaches. In comparison, there was much less research on the influences on and consequences of media coverage related to chronic disease, suggesting an important direction for future work.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight key themes across media research of relevance to chronic disease. More in-depth syntheses of studies within the identified themes will allow us to draw out the key patterns and learnings across the literature.

Big Data, Computational Social Science, and Health Communication: A Review and Agenda for Advancing Theory

Contemporary research on health communication has been marked by the presence of big data and computational social science (CSS) techniques. The relative novelty of these approaches makes it worthwhile to consider their status and potential for advancing health communication scholarship. This essay offers an introduction focusing on how big data and CSS techniques are being employed to study health communication and their utility for theory development. Key trends in this body of research are summarized, including the use of big data and CSS for examining public perceptions of health conditions or events, investigating network-related dimensions of health phenomena, and illness monitoring. The implications of big data and CSS for health communication theory are also evaluated. Opportunities presented by big data and CSS to help extend existing theories and build new communication theories are discussed.

Public views of different sources of health advice: pharmacists, social media and mobile health applications

OBJECTIVES

Investigating public perceptions of community pharmacists (CP) in public health and their use of social media (SM) and mobile health applications (MH apps) in that regard.

METHODS

Two surveys were created. One sought public perceptions of SM and the other of MH apps for health advice. Both included a section on perceptions of the role of CPs in public health. A convenience sampling strategy, based on proximity, was used.The study population was the public (n = 8 500 000) living in Greater London. The general public were recruited face-to-face in public spaces. A minimum sample (95% confidence interval/5% margin of error) of 385 was needed. Ethical approval was obtained from the university ethics committee. Responses were analysed in SPSS.

KEY FINDINGS

About 820/1800 (45.6%) completed one/both surveys. Respondents seek health advice primarily from GPs, followed by digital mediums and then CPs. Under 35s use digital mediums more frequently (P = 0.039). Those who had used SM (41.7%) or MH apps (61.8%) for health information did not confirm its accuracy with a healthcare professional (HCP). Of those that did (MH apps = 39.2%; SM = 58.3%), the HCP disagreed with the information on MH apps and SM on 19.6% and 36.7% of occasions, respectively. Nevertheless, 64.5% stated that if a SM page was maintained by an HCP they would use it.

CONCLUSIONS

The public are using digital mediums for health advice instead of speaking to an HCP. If CPs want to have an impact on public health they must start imbedding digital mediums into their services.

How social media influence college students' smoking attitudes and intentions

Building on the influence of presumed influence (IPI) model, this study examines how smoking- related messages on social media influence college students' smoking. We surveyed 366 college students from three U.S. Midwestern universities in 2012 and examined the effects of expression and reception of smoking-related messages on smoking using path analysis. We found that the expression and reception of prosmoking messages not only directly affected smoking but also had indirect effects on smoking through (1) perceived peer expression of prosmoking messages and (2) perceived peer smoking norms. For antismoking messages, only reception had a significant indirect influence on smoking through (1) perceived peer reception of antismoking messages and (2) perceived peer smoking norms. In conclusion, social media function as an effective communication channel for generating, sharing, receiving, and commenting on smoking-related content and are thus influential on college students' smoking.