#ec: Findings and implications from a quantitative content analysis of tweets about emergency contraception

Contraceptive content shared on social media: an analysis of Twitter

BACKGROUND

Information on social media may affect peoples' contraceptive decision making. We performed an exploratory analysis of contraceptive content on Twitter (recently renamed X), a popular social media platform.

METHODS

We selected a random subset of 1% of publicly available, English-language tweets related to reversible, prescription contraceptive methods posted between January 2014 and December 2019. We oversampled tweets for the contraceptive patch to ensure at least 200 tweets per method. To create the codebook, we identified common themes specific to tweet content topics, tweet sources, and tweets soliciting information or providing advice. All posts were coded by two team members, and differences were adjudicated by a third reviewer. Descriptive analyses were reported with accompanying qualitative findings.

RESULTS

During the study period, 457,369 tweets about reversible contraceptive methods were published, with a random sample of 4,434 tweets used for final analysis. Tweets most frequently discussed contraceptive method decision-making (26.7%) and side effects (20.5%), particularly for long-acting reversible contraceptive methods and the depot medroxyprogesterone acetate shot. Tweets about logistics of use or adherence were common for short-acting reversible contraceptives. Tweets were frequently posted by contraceptive consumers (50.6%). A small proportion of tweets explicitly requested information (6.2%) or provided advice (4.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians should be aware that individuals are exposed to information through Twitter that may affect contraceptive perceptions and decision making, particularly regarding long-acting reversible contraceptives. Social media is a valuable source for studying contraceptive beliefs missing in traditional health research and may be used by professionals to disseminate accurate contraceptive information.

Social Media Videos on Contraceptive Implants: An Assessment of Video Quality and Reliability

STUDY OBJECTIVE

There are many videos on contraception on YouTube and TikTok, and women around the world use video platforms extensively to seek health information from videos of uncertain reliability and quality. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the scientific reliability and quality of the most popular social media videos about contraceptive subdermal implants.

METHODS

TikTok and YouTube videos were assessed separately by two gynecologists. The video quality was evaluated according to the DISCERN score, modified DISCERN score, and Global Quality Scale (GQS) score.

RESULTS

The study included the 100 most popular videos, 44 of which were uploaded by health care professionals. The median DISCERN score for videos shared by health care professionals was 50 (range 15-75), whereas it was 22 (range 15-56) for videos shared by independent users (P < .001). The median modified DISCERN score was 4 (min-max 0-5), and the median GQS score was 4 (min-max 1-5) for the videos uploaded by health care professionals. The modified DISCERN and GQS scores of TikTok videos were lower than those of YouTube videos (both P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Social media videos about contraceptive subdermal implants are popular and have been viewed tens of thousands of times, but the overall medical validity, which we evaluated according to the scoring systems, was poor. Despite the large number of videos, the content's quality and reliability are quite limited. There is a need to prioritize the education provided to patients by gynecologists, as well as to create high-quality content for YouTube and other similar platforms.

[Contraception on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok : A content and quality analysis]

BACKGROUND

Young people and adults increasingly obtain information about contraception via social media.

RESEARCH AIM

Against this background, the aim of this study is to investigate for the first time the content and quality of German-language contraceptive posts on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Research questions on providers (F1), content (F2), and quality of contraceptive posts (F3) as well as audience reactions (F4) will be answered.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A sample of N = 1000 contraceptive posts from YouTube (500), Instagram (250), and TikTok (250) was drawn. A maximum of 20 contraception-related audience comments per post were included in the comment sample (N = 12,454). Posts and comments were analyzed using reliability-tested codebooks. SPSS was used for data analysis. The study is preregistered and all data, materials, and analysis scripts are publicly available.

RESULTS

The majority of contraceptive posts were found to be from health laypersons (52%), followed by media professionals and health professionals (F1). In terms of content, contraceptive posts covered all available contraceptive methods, with the pill (69%) and condoms (40%) dominating (F2). According to common quality criteria, there were clear deficits, with YouTube videos scoring best in comparison (F3). TikTok videos, on the other hand, were top performers in terms of audience interaction, attracting the most views, likes, and comments. Comment columns were often used by the audience to share their own contraceptive experiences or ask follow-up questions (F4).

DISCUSSION

Future research as well as practice interventions are needed to further assess the quality of contraceptive information in social media and improve it in a more targeted way.

Exploring Language Used in Posts on r/birthcontrol: Case Study Using Data From Reddit Posts and Natural Language Processing to Advance Contraception Research

BACKGROUND

Contraceptive choice is central to reproductive autonomy. The internet, including social networking sites like Reddit, is an important resource for people seeking contraceptive information and support. A subreddit dedicated to contraception, r/birthcontrol, provides a platform for people to post about contraception.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored the use of r/birthcontrol, from the inception of the subreddit through the end of 2020. We describe the web-based community, identify distinctive interests and themes based upon the textual content of posts, and explore the content of posts with the most user engagement (ie, "popular" posts).

METHODS

Data were obtained from the PushShift Reddit application programming interface from the establishment of r/birthcontrol to the start date of analysis (July 21, 2011, to December 31, 2020). User interactions within the subreddit were analyzed to describe community use over time, specifically the commonality of use based on the volume of posts, the length of posts (character count), and the proportion of posts with any and each flair applied. "Popular" posts on r/birthcontrol were determined based on the number of comments and "scores," or upvotes minus downvotes; popular posts had 9 comments and a score of ≥3. Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) analyses were run on all posts with flairs applied, posts within each flair group, and popular posts within each flair group to characterize and compare the distinctive language used in each group.

RESULTS

There were 105,485 posts to r/birthcontrol during the study period, with the volume of posts increasing over time. Within the time frame for which flairs were available on r/birthcontrol (after February 4, 2016), users applied flairs to 78% (n=73,426) of posts. Most posts contained exclusively textual content (n=66,071, 96%), had comments (n=59,189, 86%), and had a score (n=66,071, 96%). Posts averaged 731 characters in length (median 555). "SideEffects!?" was the most frequently used flair overall (n=27,530, 40%), while "Experience" (n=719, 31%) and "SideEffects!?" (n=672, 29%) were most common among popular posts. TF-IDF analyses of all posts showed interest in contraceptive methods, menstrual experiences, timing, feelings, and unprotected sex. While TF-IDF results for posts with each flair varied, the contraceptive pill, menstrual experiences, and timing were discussed across flair groups. Among popular posts, intrauterine devices and contraceptive use experiences were often discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

People commonly wrote about contraceptive side effects and experiences using methods, highlighting the value of r/birthcontrol as a space to post about aspects of contraceptive use that are not well addressed by clinical contraceptive counseling. The value of real-time, open-access data on contraceptive users' interests is especially high given the shifting landscape of and increasing constraints on reproductive health care in the United States.

[Contraception in the German-language Wikipedia: a content and quality analysis]

BACKGROUND

Adolescents and adults today often obtain information about contraception from the Internet, especially from the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. This is because Google searches usually return Wikipedia entries as top hits.

RESEARCH AIM

Against this background, the aim of the current study is to systematically analyze for the first time the content and quality of Wikipedia articles on contraceptive methods. Five central quality dimensions are examined: the degree of correctness (research question RQ1), completeness (RQ2), neutrality (RQ3), comprehensibility (RQ4), and currency (RQ5) of the contraceptive information - and on this basis the overall quality of the articles (RQ6).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A sample of all German-language Wikipedia articles on all contraceptive methods was formed (N = 25). These articles were analyzed by three independent, trained coders using a codebook that was developed based on the current state of the research and tested for reliability. Data analysis was performed using SPSS. The study is preregistered and all data, materials, and analysis scripts are publicly available.

RESULTS

The 25 Wikipedia articles on contraceptive methods were found to vary widely in content quality. While they showed good quality on average in terms of correctness (RQ1) and neutrality (RQ3), they scored mediocre in terms of completeness (RQ2), comprehensibility (RQ4), and currency (RQ5), resulting in moderate overall quality (RQ6).

DISCUSSION

More research as well as practice measures are needed to further assess and improve the quality of contraceptive information on Wikipedia and in other social media in a more targeted way.

Understanding Discussions of Health Issues on Twitter: A Visual Analytic Study

Social media allows for the exploration of online discussions of health issues outside of traditional health spaces. Twitter is one of the largest social media platforms that allows users to post short comments (i.e., tweets). The unrestricted access to opinions and a large user base makes Twitter a major source for collection and quick dissemination of some health information. Health organizations, individuals, news organizations, businesses, and a host of other entities discuss health issues on Twitter. However, the enormous number of tweets presents challenges to those who seek to improve their knowledge of health issues. For instance, it is difficult to understand the overall sentiment on a health issue or the central message of the discourse. For Twitter to be an effective tool for health promotion, stakeholders need to be able to understand, analyze, and appraise health information and discussions on this platform. The purpose of this paper is to examine how a visual analytic study can provide insight into a variety of health issues on Twitter. Visual analytics enhances the understanding of data by combining computational models with interactive visualizations. Our study demonstrates how machine learning techniques and visualizations can be used to analyze and understand discussions of health issues on Twitter. In this paper, we report on the process of data collection, analysis of data, and representation of results. We present our findings and discuss the implications of this work to support the use of Twitter for health promotion.