Understanding Social Media Use and Engagement Among Dermatology Patients to Inform Dermatological Prevention and Care in Vietnam: Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background Social media has emerged as a common source of dermatological information. Monitoring the patterns of social media use and engagement is important to counteract the limitations of social media. However, evidence in Vietnamese dermatology patients is lacking. Objective This study aimed to explore social media use and engagement by dermatology patients and to identify factors associated with social media use and engagement. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 519 participants at the Vietnam National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology during September to November 2018. Data about sociodemographic characteristics, social media use, and social media engagement were collected. Multivariate logistic and tobit regression models were used to identify factors associated with social media use and engagement. Results Interest in information about “cosmetic, beauty, and skincare techniques” was the greatest (184/519, 46.2%). The mean engagement score was 8.4 points (SD 2.4 points). Female patients were more likely to use social media (odds ratio [OR] 2.23, 95% CI 1.23-4.06) and be interested dermatological information on social media (OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.35-7.09). Women also had higher social media engagement scores (coefficient=0.68, 95% CI 0.17-1.18). Higher social media engagement scores were related with Instagram use (coefficient=0.58, 95% CI 0.00-1.15) and higher credibility scores for “family members” (coefficient=0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.26) and “dermatology companies” (coefficient=0.22, 95% CI 0.04-0.39). Conclusions This study discovered high social media usage among dermatology patients. However, only moderate utilization and credibility levels were reported regarding the use of social media as a source of dermatological information. More efforts should focus on involving dermatologists in the development of individualized information on social media targeting specific groups of dermatology patients.

Social Media and Clinical Research in Dermatology

“…A 2020 cross-sectional study sought to analyze social media use amongst dermatology patients with various skin conditions. Of the 399 dermatology patients active on social media, 95.2% reported searching for, sharing, or consuming dermatology or cosmetology-related information on a social media platform, demonstrating that dermatology patients are actively searching for health information via social media platforms [ 7 ]. When social media is utilized, it can be a superior option to traditional methods.…”

Patient Engagement With the Myderma Platform for Psoriasis During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…This health care social media platform provides an interactive way to communicate, as users can participate in questionnaires and short polls about psoriasis and the ways it is affecting their lives. Patients with psoriasis are often stigmatized due to the high visibility of the disease; therefore, searching for information over the internet and taking advantage of the anonymity provided might be beneficial [ 3 , 4 ]. Through Myderma, patients could also look for a nearby dermatologist, simply by clicking on the “Find Dermatologist” icon, which leads to the Hellenic Society of Dermatology and Venereology, with call-to-action requests.…”

“…Despite significant progress over the last decades, psoriasis is still associated with increased stigmatization, accompanied by significant psychosocial burden, especially for women [ 4 ]. This was reflected by the increased prevalence of female users of the website and Facebook.…”

The Impact of Social Media on Skin Care: A Narrative Review

“…The most common motivation is to have a better understanding of a disease, while the others are to self-diagnose and research alternative therapy [15]. Interestingly, in a different study conducted in Vietnam, it was concluded that social media use is high among dermatology patients, but there was only a moderate utilization of social media as a source of dermatology-related information [28].…”