Considering the Impact of Social Media on Contemporary Improvement of Australian Aboriginal Health: Scoping Review

Abstract

Background Social media may have a significant role in influencing the present and future health implications among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, yet there has been no review of the role of social media in improving health. Objective This study aims to examine the extent of health initiatives using social media that aimed to improve the health of Australian Aboriginal communities. Methods A scoping review was conducted by systematically searching databases CINAHL Plus; PubMed; Scopus; Web of Science, and Ovid MEDLINE in June 2017 using the terms and their synonyms “Aboriginal” and “Social media.” In addition, reference lists of included studies and the Indigenous HealthInfonet gray literature were searched. Key information about the social media intervention and its impacts on health were extracted and data synthesized using narrative summaries. Results Five papers met inclusion criteria. All included studies were published in the past 5 years and involved urban, rural, and remote Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged 12-60 years. No studies reported objective impacts on health. Three papers found that social media provided greater space for sharing health messages in a 2-way exchange. The negative portrayal of Aboriginal people and negative health impacts of social media were described in 2 papers. Conclusions Social media may be a useful strategy to provide health messages and sharing of content among Aboriginal people, but objective impacts on health remain unknown. More research is necessary on social media as a way to connect, communicate, and improve Aboriginal health with particular emphasis on community control, self-empowerment, and decolonization.

Digital Health Solutions for Indigenous Mental Well-Being

“…One example is @IndigenousX, an Indigenous run Twitter and Facebook account [43]. Social media is an emerging medium that will undoubtedly continue to be harnessed in novel ways for advancement of health and well-being [44].…”

Beyond Body Weight: Design and Validation of Psycho-Behavioural Living and Eating for Health Segments (LEHS) Profiles for Social Marketing

“…Reasons for low engagement with social media included the use of post types that are not interactive and being asked to talk about personal weight/weight loss on an open social media platform. In order to understand the perspectives of Indigenous Australians, a scoping review was undertaken [ 35 ]. The aim of this study was to examine the extent of health initiatives using social media that aimed to improve the health of Australian Aboriginal communities.…”

“…In order to understand the perspectives of Indigenous Australians, a scoping review was undertaken [35]. The aim of this study was to examine the extent of health initiatives using social media that aimed to improve the health of Australian Aboriginal communities.…”

Facebook-Based Social Marketing to Reduce Smoking in Australia’s First Nations Communities: An Analysis of Reach, Shares, and Likes

“…Although data are limited, social media—and specifically Facebook—use appears to be higher among Australia’s First Nations people than other Australians [ 32 - 34 ]. Facebook has been found to be a supportive environment which is used by Australia’s First Nations people to share health information [ 35 , 36 ]. The high use of social media by Australia’s First Nations peoples is not limited to urban areas; particularly in remote communities, Australia’s First Nations people are likely to be mobile only users in relation to communication, with social media access often occurring through shared devices [ 37 ].…”

“…Unsurprisingly, the lack of clear evidence about how to use social media effectively to improve health is reflected in reviews about how social media can be used to improve the health of Australia’s First Nations people [ 36 , 38 ]. However, research is promising that social media can help with promoting healthy behaviors [ 39 ].…”