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Stapleton JL, Manne SL, Pagoto SL, Leip A, Greene K, Hillhouse JJ, Merritt AS, Shelton BJ. A Social Media-Delivered Melanoma Prevention Program for Young Women Engaged in Frequent UV Tanning: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2024; 13:e56562. [PMID: 38502173 PMCID: PMC10988380 DOI: 10.2196/56562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rates of melanoma have increased dramatically in the United States over the past 25 years, and it has become among the most prevalent cancers for young adult women. Intentional skin tanning leads to a pattern of intense and intermittent UV radiation exposure that is associated with increased risk of melanoma. Frequent tanning is most common among young women and is linked to a variety of sociocultural pressures that negatively impact body image and drive appearance control behaviors. Unfortunately, there are no established interventions designed for frequent tanners. This intervention addresses this gap with unique content informed by body image and acceptance-based interventions. The intervention is delivered using Facebook secret groups, an approach designed to support behavior change and ensure scalability. OBJECTIVE This study aims to describe the rationale and methodology of a randomized controlled trial of a melanoma prevention program targeting young women engaged in frequent indoor or outdoor UV tanning. METHODS Participants are women aged 18-25 years who report high-risk tanning (ie, at least 10 indoor tanning sessions in the past 12 months or 10 outdoor sessions in the previous summer). After recruitment and screening, participants completed a baseline survey and were randomly assigned to receive the intervention or an attention-matched control condition. Both conditions were 8-week-long Facebook groups (approximately 25 members each) with daily posting of content. Follow-up surveys are administered at 3, 8, and 18 months after baseline. The primary trial outcome is the combined number of indoor and outdoor tanning sessions reported at the 8-month follow-up. Hypothesized intervention mediators are assessed at the 3-month follow-up. RESULTS This project was funded by a National Cancer Institute award (R01 CA218068), and the trial procedures were approved by the University of Kentucky Institutional Review Board in February 2020. Trial recruitment and enrollment occurred in 6 waves of data collection, which started in February 2022 and closed in May 2023. The study is closed to enrollment but remains open for follow-ups, and this protocol report was prepared before data analyses. As of February 2024, all participants have completed the 8-month follow-up assessment, and data collection is scheduled to close by the end of 2024 after the collection of the 18-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS This trial will contribute unique knowledge to the field of skin cancer prevention, as no fully powered trials have examined the efficacy of an intervention designed for frequent indoor or outdoor tanning. The trial may also contribute evidence of the value in translating principles of body image and acceptance-based interventions into the field of skin cancer prevention and beyond. If successful, the use of the Facebook platform is intended to aid in dissemination as it provides a way to embed the intervention into individuals' everyday routines. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03441321; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03441321. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/56562.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerod L Stapleton
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Sharon L Manne
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Sherry L Pagoto
- Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention and Policy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Allison Leip
- Department of Family Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Kathryn Greene
- Department of Communication, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Joel J Hillhouse
- Department of Community and Behavioral Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, United States
| | - Allison S Merritt
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Brent J Shelton
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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Niu Z, Bhurosy T, Heckman CJ. Digital interventions for promoting sun protection and skin self-examination behaviors: A systematic review. Prev Med Rep 2022; 26:101709. [PMID: 35529530 PMCID: PMC9073560 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A considerable number of digital interventions for skin cancer prevention have been evaluated. Most skin cancer digital interventions focus on sun protection-related outcomes. Most interventions use web-based digital technology (websites, webpages, mobile apps) rather than videos, emails or text messages alone as the delivery platform. Multi-component digital interventions are effective in promoting sun protection and skin self-examination. Almost all studies found digital interventions to be equally or more effective compared to non-digital interventions.
The skin cancer incidence rate has been rising, and digital health interventions can promote skin cancer prevention and detection behaviors. A systematic review was conducted to investigate the outcomes of digital interventions that promote sun protection and skin self-examination (SSE). This review examined studies that utilized randomized controlled designs or quasi-experiments, included outcomes related to sun safety or SSE, employed at least one digital platform, and were published in English from January 2000 to October 2020. A total of 62 studies were included in the review. Digital modalities included web-based (e.g., websites) alone (n = 29), mobile-based (e.g., mobile apps) alone (n = 12), game-based (n = 1), emails or text messages alone (n = 8), videos alone (n = 6), social media (n = 3), both text messages and mobile apps (n = 2), or both text messages and video (n = 1). Most studies (n = 44) only evaluated sun protection-related outcomes, seven studies assessed SSE outcomes only, nine studies examined both, and two assessed other related outcomes. Digital interventions are effective compared to non-intervention control conditions in promoting sun safety or SSE. Almost all studies found digital interventions to be equally or more effective compared to non-digital interventions. This review suggests that although the digital interventions varied, they showed promising effects on improving sun protection or SSE outcomes. Future research should include more sophisticated phase-based and rigorous longitudinal research designs, additional investigation of social media and other newer technologies, as well as more detailed reporting of methods and results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaomeng Niu
- Section of Behavioral Sciences, Division of Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, United States
- Corresponding author.
| | - Trishnee Bhurosy
- Department of Population Health, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, United States
| | - Carolyn J. Heckman
- Section of Behavioral Sciences, Division of Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, United States
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Rivera YM, Moran MB, Thrul J, Joshu C, Smith KC. Contextualizing Engagement With Health Information on Facebook: Using the Social Media Content and Context Elicitation Method. J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e25243. [PMID: 35254266 PMCID: PMC8933799 DOI: 10.2196/25243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Most of what is known regarding health information engagement on social media stems from quantitative methodologies. Public health literature often quantifies engagement by measuring likes, comments, and/or shares of posts within health organizations’ Facebook pages. However, this content may not represent the health information (and misinformation) generally available to and consumed by platform users. Furthermore, some individuals may prefer to engage with information without leaving quantifiable digital traces. Mixed methods approaches may provide a way of surpassing the constraints of assessing engagement with health information by using only currently available social media metrics.
Objective
This study aims to discuss the limitations of current approaches in assessing health information engagement on Facebook and presents the social media content and context elicitation method, a qualitatively driven, mixed methods approach to understanding engagement with health information and how engagement may lead to subsequent actions.
Methods
Data collection, management, and analysis using the social media content and context elicitation method are presented. This method was developed for a broader study exploring how and why US Latinos and Latinas engage with cancer prevention and screening information on Facebook. The study included 20 participants aged between 40 and 75 years without cancer who participated in semistructured, in-depth interviews to discuss their Facebook use and engagement with cancer information on the platform. Participants accessed their Facebook account alongside the researcher, typed cancer in the search bar, and discussed cancer-related posts they engaged with during the previous 12 months. Engagement was defined as liking, commenting, and/or sharing a post; clicking on a post link; reading an article in a post; and/or watching a video within a post. Content engagement prompted questions regarding the reasons for engagement and whether engagement triggered further action. Data were managed using MAXQDA (VERBI GmbH) and analyzed using thematic and content analyses.
Results
Data emerging from the social media content and context elicitation method demonstrated that participants mainly engaged with cancer prevention and screening information by viewing and/or reading content (48/66, 73%) without liking, commenting, or sharing it. This method provided rich content regarding how US Latinos and Latinas engage with and act upon cancer prevention and screening information on Facebook. We present 2 emblematic cases from the main study to exemplify the additional information and context elicited from this methodology, which is currently lacking from quantitative approaches.
Conclusions
The social media content and context elicitation method allows a better representation and deeper contextualization of how people engage with and act upon health information and misinformation encountered on social media. This method may be applied to future studies regarding how to best communicate health information on social media, including how these affect assessments of message credibility and accuracy, which can influence health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonaira M Rivera
- Department of Communication, School of Communication & Information, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brusnwick, NJ, United States
| | - Meghan B Moran
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Johannes Thrul
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Corinne Joshu
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Katherine C Smith
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Shih C, Pudipeddi R, Uthayakumar A, Washington P. A Local Community-Based Social Network for Mental Health and Well-being (Quokka): Exploratory Feasibility Study. JMIRX MED 2021; 2:e24972. [PMID: 37725541 PMCID: PMC10414255 DOI: 10.2196/24972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developing healthy habits and maintaining prolonged behavior changes are often difficult tasks. Mental health is one of the largest health concerns globally, including for college students. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to conduct an exploratory feasibility study of local community-based interventions by developing Quokka, a web platform promoting well-being activity on university campuses. We evaluated the intervention's potential for promotion of local, social, and unfamiliar activities pertaining to healthy habits. METHODS To evaluate this framework's potential for increased participation in healthy habits, we conducted a 6-to-8-week feasibility study via a "challenge" across 4 university campuses with a total of 277 participants. We chose a different well-being theme each week, and we conducted weekly surveys to (1) gauge factors that motivated users to complete or not complete the weekly challenge, (2) identify participation trends, and (3) evaluate the feasibility of the intervention to promote local, social, and novel well-being activities. We tested the hypotheses that Quokka participants would self-report participation in more local activities than remote activities for all challenges (Hypothesis H1), more social activities than individual activities (Hypothesis H2), and new rather than familiar activities (Hypothesis H3). RESULTS After Bonferroni correction using a Clopper-Pearson binomial proportion confidence interval for one test, we found that there was a strong preference for local activities for all challenge themes. Similarly, users significantly preferred group activities over individual activities (P<.001 for most challenge themes). For most challenge themes, there were not enough data to significantly distinguish a preference toward familiar or new activities (P<.001 for a subset of challenge themes in some schools). CONCLUSIONS We find that local community-based well-being interventions such as Quokka can facilitate positive behaviors. We discuss these findings and their implications for the research and design of location-based digital communities for well-being promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruhi Pudipeddi
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Arany Uthayakumar
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Peter Washington
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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Wallis K, Prichard I, Hart L, Yager Z. The Body Confident Mums challenge: a feasibility trial and qualitative evaluation of a body acceptance program delivered to mothers using Facebook. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1052. [PMID: 34078356 PMCID: PMC8173806 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11126-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Motherhood is a time of intense physical, psychological, and identity transformation, and body dissatisfaction may emerge through the process of pregnancy, birth, and adaptation to parenting. We present a feasibility trial of the Body Confident Mums Challenge, a program developed by adapting existing, effective interventions that focus on self-compassion and appreciation of body functionality to be specific to mothers. Methods The program was delivered using the social learning function in a closed Facebook group. Qualitative evaluation of evidence of change was conducted by gathering individual written reflections posted during the challenge (n = 120). Feasibility and acceptability was determined using a feedback survey (n = 22). Results Participant’s reflective posts indicated that they were embracing self-compassion, and de-prioritising body image concerns during the challenge. Feedback indicated that the program was mostly feasible and acceptable for mothers, with recommendations from some participants relating to slowing the pace of content delivery and reducing the time commitment of the Challenge. Conclusions The social media environment may therefore be a useful setting in which to implement brief intervention programs to improve body image and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystina Wallis
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Ivanka Prichard
- Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Sturt Rd, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Laura Hart
- Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population Health and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,School of Psychology and Population Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Zali Yager
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Footscray Park, Victoria, Australia.
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Stapleton JL, Ray AE, Glenn SD, McLouth LE, Parmar V, Manne SL. A randomized controlled trial of a web-based personalized feedback intervention targeting frequent indoor tanning bed users: Engagement, acceptability, and preliminary behavioral outcomes. J Health Psychol 2020; 27:923-935. [PMID: 33353412 DOI: 10.1177/1359105320982038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Frequent indoor tanning bed use is an established public health concern, yet research on tanning cessation interventions for frequent tanners is lacking. We describe the protocol for a brief, web-based tanning behavior change intervention and present evidence that it is acceptable and engaging to frequent indoor tanners. Lower tanning rates were not observed among participants receiving the intervention in a randomized controlled trial but participants' interest in changing tanning increased. This intervention could be a useful approach to increasing frequent tanners' interest in behavior change and openness to engaging within a more intensive, multi-component tanning cessation program.Trial Registration: NCT03448224 Clinical Trials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03448224?cond=NCT03448224&draw=2&rank=1).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne E Ray
- University of Kentucky College of Public Health, USA
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Wu N, Brazeau AS, Nakhla M, Chan D, Da Costa D, Mukerji G, Butalia S, Pacaud D, Henderson M, Panagiotopoulos C, Rahme E, Dasgupta K. Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Virtual Patient Network as a Peer Support Community: Protocol for Social Network Analysis and Content Analysis. JMIR Res Protoc 2020; 9:e18714. [PMID: 32865502 PMCID: PMC7490683 DOI: 10.2196/18714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Virtual Patient Network (T1DM-VPN) is a private Facebook group for youths with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in Canada intended to facilitate peer-to-peer support. It was built on the finding that stigma is prevalent among youth with T1DM and impedes self-management. Objective We aim to determine if T1DM-VPN provides support as intended and to ascertain what type of members provide support. Specifically, we will (1) identify text consistent with any one of 5 social support categories, (2) describe the network by visualizing its structure and reporting basic engagement statistics, and (3) determine whether being a designated peer leader is related to a member’s centrality (ie, importance in the network) and how frequently they offer social support. Methods We will manually extract interaction data from the Facebook group (posts, comments, likes/reactions, seen) generated from June 21, 2017 (addition of first member), to March 1, 2020. Two researchers will independently code posts and comments according to an existing framework of 5 social support categories—informational, emotional, esteem, network, and tangible—with an additional framework for nonsocial support categories. We will calculate how frequently each code is used. We will also report basic engagement statistics (eg, number of posts made per person-month) and generate a visualization of the network.
We will identify stable time intervals in the history of T1DM-VPN by modeling monthly membership growth as a Poisson process. Within each interval, each member’s centrality will be calculated and standardized to that of the most central member. We will use a centrality formula that considers both breadth and depth of connections (centrality = 0.8 × total No. of connections + 0.2 × total No. of interactions). Finally, we will construct multivariate linear regression models to assess whether peer leader status predicts member centrality and the frequency of offering social support. Other variables considered for inclusion in the models are gender and age at diagnosis. Results T1DM-VPN was launched in June 2017. As of March 1, 2020, it has 196 patient-members. This research protocol received ethics approval from the McGill University Health Centre Research Ethics Board on May 20, 2020. Baseline information about each group member was collected upon addition into the group, and collection of interaction data is ongoing as of May 2020. Conclusions This content analysis and social network analysis study of a virtual patient network applies epidemiological methods to account for dynamic growth and activity. The results will allow for an understanding of the topics of importance to youth with T1DM and how a virtual patient network evolves over time. This work is intended to serve as a foundation for future action to help youth improve their experience of living with diabetes. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/18714
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Wu
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Meranda Nakhla
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Deborah Chan
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Deborah Da Costa
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Geetha Mukerji
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sonia Butalia
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Daniele Pacaud
- Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mélanie Henderson
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Elham Rahme
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kaberi Dasgupta
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Wang T, Mentzakis E, Brede M, Ianni A. Estimating Determinants of Attrition in Eating Disorder Communities on Twitter: An Instrumental Variables Approach. J Med Internet Res 2019; 21:e10942. [PMID: 31066718 PMCID: PMC6533043 DOI: 10.2196/10942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of social media as a key health information source has increased steadily among people affected by eating disorders (EDs). Research has examined characteristics of individuals engaging in online communities, whereas little is known about discontinuation of engagement and the phenomenon of participants dropping out of these communities. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of dropout behaviors among eating disordered individuals on Twitter and to estimate the causal effects of personal emotions and social networks on dropout behaviors. METHODS Using a snowball sampling method, we collected a set of individuals who self-identified with EDs in their Twitter profile descriptions, as well as their tweets and social networks, leading to 241,243,043 tweets from 208,063 users. Individuals' emotions are measured from their language use in tweets using an automatic sentiment analysis tool, and network centralities are measured from users' following networks. Dropout statuses of users are observed in a follow-up period 1.5 years later (from February 11, 2016 to August 17, 2017). Linear and survival regression instrumental variables models are used to estimate the effects of emotions and network centrality on dropout behaviors. The average levels of attributes among an individual's followees (ie, people who are followed by the individual) are used as instruments for the individual's attributes. RESULTS Eating disordered users have relatively short periods of activity on Twitter with one half of our sample dropping out at 6 months after account creation. Active users show more negative emotions and higher network centralities than dropped-out users. Active users tend to connect to other active users, whereas dropped-out users tend to cluster together. Estimation results suggest that users' emotions and network centralities have causal effects on their dropout behaviors on Twitter. More specifically, users with positive emotions are more likely to drop out and have shorter lasting periods of activity online than users with negative emotions, whereas central users in a social network have longer lasting participation than peripheral users. Findings on users' tweeting interests further show that users who attempt to recover from EDs are more likely to drop out than those who promote EDs as a lifestyle choice. CONCLUSIONS Presence in online communities is strongly determined by the individual's emotions and social networks, suggesting that studies analyzing and trying to draw condition and population characteristics through online health communities are likely to be biased. Future research needs to examine in more detail the links between individual characteristics and participation patterns if better understanding of the entire population is to be achieved. At the same time, such attrition dynamics need to be acknowledged and controlled when designing online interventions so as to accurately capture their intended populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Department of Economics, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.,The Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emmanouil Mentzakis
- Department of Economics, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Brede
- Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Antonella Ianni
- Department of Economics, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.,Department of Economics, Università Cà Foscari, Venice, Italy
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DeBord LC, Patel V, Braun TL, Dao H. Social media in dermatology: clinical relevance, academic value, and trends across platforms. J DERMATOL TREAT 2018; 30:511-518. [PMID: 30265614 DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2018.1530444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Social media encompasses multiple sites for online communication that reach a large proportion of the global population. While the increase in number of publications investigating dermatology content on social media has paralleled the growth of social media in the past decade, there has not yet been an extensive review of past literature on this topic. Our objective is to summarize and analyze publications on the role of social media within the field of dermatology. Social media is frequently used by patients to solicit advice related to cutaneous concerns and even when seeking out a dermatologist, but it is underutilized among both clinicians marketing their practices and academicians collaborating with colleagues in the field. Social media has the potential to advance instruction for trainees in dermatology and facilitate new research methods. Patient-centered perspectives and advocacy groups have a larger presence overall on social media platforms than stakeholders in academic dermatology. Furthermore, specific platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter vary in originators of material, messaging strategies, and reliability of information with regards to certain dermatologic conditions and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan C DeBord
- a Department of Dermatology , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA
| | - Viraat Patel
- a Department of Dermatology , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA
| | - Tara L Braun
- a Department of Dermatology , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA
| | - Harry Dao
- a Department of Dermatology , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA
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