Social Media Use for Public Health Campaigning in a Low Resource Setting: The Case of Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking

Abstract

Introduction. Waterpipe tobacco smoking prevalence is increasing worldwide despite its documented health effects. A general belief that it is less harmful than cigarettes may be fuelled by the lack of media campaigns highlighting its health effects. We aimed to create and assess the impact of a social media campaign about dangers of waterpipe smoking. Methods. The “ShishAware” campaign included three social media (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) and a website. Nine months after launch we collected data to assess use of, and reaction to, our media accounts. Results. Requiring limited maintenance resources, Facebook attracted campaign supporters but YouTube attracted opposers. Twitter enabled the most organisation-based contact but Facebook was the most interactive medium. Facebook users were more likely to “like” weekday than weekend statuses and more likely to comment on “shisha fact” than “current affairs” statuses. Follower subscription increased as our posting rate increased. Our YouTube video gained 19,428 views (from all world continents) and 218 comments (86% from pro-waterpipe smokers). Conclusions. Social media campaigns can be created and maintained relatively easily. They are innovative and have the potential for wide and rapid diffusion, especially towards target audiences. There is a need for more rigorous evaluation of their effects, particularly among the youth.

Reach of Messages in a Dental Twitter Network: Cohort Study Examining User Popularity, Communication Pattern, and Network Structure

“…For example, a shisha campaign had 563 followers over 9 months after disseminating 373 tweets [31], and the Mayo Clinic account had 1,235 followers over 12 months after generating 1,635 tweets [32]. Our results show that the number of followers is critical to reach.…”

Perceptions of Health-Related Information on Facebook: Cross-Sectional Study Among Vietnamese Youths

“…Hence, in using Facebook as a medium for health information dissemination, there needs to be some moderation of the content that is posted online. There has been recent research demonstrating how social media use could help in public health campaigning, especially in a low-resource setting [ 40 ]. The authors have reported how effective such media are, given that they have inherent potential for rapid transfer of information to the masses [ 40 ].…”

Should dental teams be doing more to make adolescents aware of the health risks of water pipe tobacco smoking (shisha)?

“…The study found that while Facebook attracted campaign supporters, YouTube attracted opposers and concluded that a more detailed evaluation particularly among adolescents is needed. 30 To the best of our knowledge there are few dedicated shisha cessation services in England. Shisha users view their habit very differently to how cigarette smokers view their habit.…”