Using Social Media for the Prevention of Pediatric Burn Injuries: Pilot Design and Usability Study

The #SeePainMoreClearly Phase II Pain in Dementia Social Media Campaign: Implementation and Evaluation Study

BACKGROUND

Social media platforms have been effective in raising awareness of the underassessment and undertreatment of pain in dementia.

OBJECTIVE

After a successful pilot campaign, we aimed to scale our pain-in-dementia knowledge mobilization pilot initiative (ie, #SeePainMoreClearly) to several social media platforms with the aid of a digital media partner. The goal of the initiative was to increase awareness of the challenges in the assessment and management of pain among people with dementia. A variety of metrics were implemented to evaluate the effort. Through this work, we endeavored to highlight key differences between our pilot initiative (which was a grassroots initiative), focusing largely on Twitter and YouTube, and the current science-media partnership. We also aimed to generate recommendations suitable for other social media campaigns related to health or aging.

METHODS

Evidence-based information about pain in dementia was summarized into engaging content (eg, videos) tailored to the needs of various knowledge users (eg, health professionals, families, and policy makers). We disseminated information using Facebook (Meta Platforms), Twitter (X Corp), YouTube (Alphabet Inc), Instagram (Meta Platforms), and LinkedIn (LinkedIn Corp) and measured the success of the initiative over a 12-month period (2020 to 2021). The evaluation methods focused on web analytics and questionnaires related to social media content. Knowledge users' web responses about the initiative and semistructured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

During the course of the campaign, >700 posts were shared across all platforms. Web analytics showed that we drew >60,000 users from 82 countries to our resource website. Of the social media platforms used, Facebook was the most effective in reaching knowledge users (ie, over 1,300,000 users). Questionnaire responses from users were favorable; interview responses indicated that the information shared throughout the initiative increased awareness of the problem of pain in dementia and influenced respondent behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

In this investigation, we demonstrated success in directing knowledge users to a resource website with practical information that health professionals could use in patient care along with pain assessment and management information for caregivers and people living with dementia. The evaluation metrics suggested no considerable differences between our pilot campaign and broader initiative when accounting for the length of time of each initiative. The limitations of large-scale health campaigns were noted, and recommendations were outlined for other researchers aiming to leverage social media as a knowledge mobilization tool.

The effect of social media campaign on parental knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the use of children car seats in the Gulf region

BACKGROUND

Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of child deaths in the Gulf Cooperation Council. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a social media educational campaign on parents' knowledge of child safety seats.

METHODS

We conducted a pre-post interventional study as an online educational module in Arabic and English. The module link was shared on social media and was accompanied by a pre-post survey that included questions about demographics, knowledge, and practices of car seat use.

RESULTS

A total of 303 participants completed the campaign, with 23.8% fathers and 76.2% mothers answered the survey. The majority of participants were from Saudi Arabia (95.7%), while 4.3% were from other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Most parents agreed on the importance of organizing awareness campaigns and having a law to enforce the use of car seats. The pre-survey mean knowledge score was 11.64, which significantly increased to 13.1 in the post-survey (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The intervention of the educational campaign through social media resulted in a significant increase in parents' knowledge and awareness of the importance of using car seats correctly. This study highlights the potential effectiveness of social media campaigns in improving parents' knowledge and awareness of child safety seats.

Burn Injuries Associated with At-Home Hair Braiding

Hair braiding that incorporates synthetic extensions has increased in popularity across all age groups. As part of the styling process, the ends of the braid are commonly dipped in scalding water; an increasing number of patients have presented to our center after containers of recently boiled water are accidentally tipped over and spilled onto patients. A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients who sustained burn injuries related to at-home hair braiding presenting to an ABA-verified burn center between January 1, 2006 and July 31, 2020. A total of 41 patients presented over the study period, and the frequency of this type of burn increased over time, with 54% of injuries occurring in the past 3 years (2018-2020). The mean patient age was 7.5 years, and the majority of patients were under 18 years of age (97%), female (95%), and African-American (98%). Seventy-three percent of injuries occurred in the home and 88% involved another person in the hair braiding process. The mean TBSA burned was 5% (range 1-20%). The most commonly involved areas were the back (54%), thigh/leg (37%), and neck (24%). Ninety percent were partial-thickness injuries only, with 10% having some degree of full-thickness injury. Ninety percent of patients required inpatient admission, and 34% of patients required at least one operative procedure. Hair braiding, with the use of scalding water to seal and set the ends of braids, can lead to burn injuries that require hospitalization and the need for surgical intervention.