Using synergised social media approaches to support tobacco control policy and cessation related behaviours in Bangladesh
Background Social media, synergised with mass media, may provide a powerful, low-cost channel of communication for public health interventions, including promotion of new policies such as graphic health warnings on tobacco packs. However, the evidence on the efficacy of social media to support tobac...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Publishing
2018-03-01
|
| Series: | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Using-synergised-social-media-approaches-to-support-tobacco-control-policy-and-cessation,84449,0,2.html |
| _version_ | 1818356052767277056 |
|---|---|
| author | Tahir Turk Nalin Singh Negi Dane Svenson S.M. Mobasser Hussain Md Shafikul Islam Sandra Mullin |
| author_facet | Tahir Turk Nalin Singh Negi Dane Svenson S.M. Mobasser Hussain Md Shafikul Islam Sandra Mullin |
| author_sort | Tahir Turk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background
Social media, synergised with mass media, may provide a
powerful, low-cost channel of communication for public health interventions, including promotion of new policies such as
graphic health warnings on tobacco packs. However, the evidence on the efficacy of social media to support tobacco control within
low -and middle-income countries, is sparse. An innovative website was developed to examine the potential of social media to
increase bridging and bonding of social
capital
and self-efficacy to quit, given the importance of providing cessation
support services, which are seen as the 'weakest link' in WHOs MPOWER framework.
Methods
A population level, mass media campaign; “People Behind the Packs” was synergized with social media to raise awareness of new graphic health warnings and support tobacco cessation in Bangladesh. One website page contained four public service announcements featuring patients suffering from diseases depicted on new pack warnings. Another, “I can quit" page, provided quit tips from a doctor. Site metrics were reviewed and an online Survey Monkey questionnaire administered to explore attitudes and cessation related behaviors of tobacco users who accessed the webpages.
Results
Site metrics identified 100,410 (65% of website visitors) viewed the quit page immediately following the intervention, with around 24,000 (15%) accessing patient testimonial messages, and 20,474 (13%) signing the petition. Viewing by gender was balanced (46% females and 54% males) with 4.8 million “Likes” on campaign content on Facebook over the 6-week campaign period, with the top five posts reaching 1.68 million people. 1225 respondents completed the self-administered survey. Responses identified good discussion with others about quitting or cutting down (23%), intentions to cut-down (36%) or quit smoking (45%).
Conclusions
Social media can provide low-cost interventions to engage audiences,
promote discussion, and support policy and cessation related behaviors. This impact may be
increased when linked to other mass media campaign components. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T19:51:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-db6de7ae99824f62ba2b37e3e7eedb2a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1617-9625 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T19:51:05Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | European Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-db6de7ae99824f62ba2b37e3e7eedb2a2022-12-21T23:33:26ZengEuropean PublishingTobacco Induced Diseases1617-96252018-03-0116110.18332/tid/8444984449Using synergised social media approaches to support tobacco control policy and cessation related behaviours in BangladeshTahir Turk0Nalin Singh Negi1Dane Svenson2S.M. Mobasser Hussain3Md Shafikul Islam4Sandra Mullin5Vital Strategies, Policy Advocacy and Communication, United States of AmericaVital Strategies, Policy Advocacy and Communication, IndiaVital Strategies, Policy Advocacy and Communication, United States of AmericaZanala Bangladesh, Marketing, BangladeshVital Strategies, Policy Advocacy and Communication, BangladeshVital Strategies, Policy Advocacy and Communication, United States of AmericaBackground Social media, synergised with mass media, may provide a powerful, low-cost channel of communication for public health interventions, including promotion of new policies such as graphic health warnings on tobacco packs. However, the evidence on the efficacy of social media to support tobacco control within low -and middle-income countries, is sparse. An innovative website was developed to examine the potential of social media to increase bridging and bonding of social capital and self-efficacy to quit, given the importance of providing cessation support services, which are seen as the 'weakest link' in WHOs MPOWER framework. Methods A population level, mass media campaign; “People Behind the Packs” was synergized with social media to raise awareness of new graphic health warnings and support tobacco cessation in Bangladesh. One website page contained four public service announcements featuring patients suffering from diseases depicted on new pack warnings. Another, “I can quit" page, provided quit tips from a doctor. Site metrics were reviewed and an online Survey Monkey questionnaire administered to explore attitudes and cessation related behaviors of tobacco users who accessed the webpages. Results Site metrics identified 100,410 (65% of website visitors) viewed the quit page immediately following the intervention, with around 24,000 (15%) accessing patient testimonial messages, and 20,474 (13%) signing the petition. Viewing by gender was balanced (46% females and 54% males) with 4.8 million “Likes” on campaign content on Facebook over the 6-week campaign period, with the top five posts reaching 1.68 million people. 1225 respondents completed the self-administered survey. Responses identified good discussion with others about quitting or cutting down (23%), intentions to cut-down (36%) or quit smoking (45%). Conclusions Social media can provide low-cost interventions to engage audiences, promote discussion, and support policy and cessation related behaviors. This impact may be increased when linked to other mass media campaign components.http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Using-synergised-social-media-approaches-to-support-tobacco-control-policy-and-cessation,84449,0,2.htmlWCTOH |
| spellingShingle | Tahir Turk Nalin Singh Negi Dane Svenson S.M. Mobasser Hussain Md Shafikul Islam Sandra Mullin Using synergised social media approaches to support tobacco control policy and cessation related behaviours in Bangladesh Tobacco Induced Diseases WCTOH |
| title | Using synergised social media approaches to support tobacco control policy and cessation related behaviours in Bangladesh |
| title_full | Using synergised social media approaches to support tobacco control policy and cessation related behaviours in Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | Using synergised social media approaches to support tobacco control policy and cessation related behaviours in Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using synergised social media approaches to support tobacco control policy and cessation related behaviours in Bangladesh |
| title_short | Using synergised social media approaches to support tobacco control policy and cessation related behaviours in Bangladesh |
| title_sort | using synergised social media approaches to support tobacco control policy and cessation related behaviours in bangladesh |
| topic | WCTOH |
| url | http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Using-synergised-social-media-approaches-to-support-tobacco-control-policy-and-cessation,84449,0,2.html |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tahirturk usingsynergisedsocialmediaapproachestosupporttobaccocontrolpolicyandcessationrelatedbehavioursinbangladesh AT nalinsinghnegi usingsynergisedsocialmediaapproachestosupporttobaccocontrolpolicyandcessationrelatedbehavioursinbangladesh AT danesvenson usingsynergisedsocialmediaapproachestosupporttobaccocontrolpolicyandcessationrelatedbehavioursinbangladesh AT smmobasserhussain usingsynergisedsocialmediaapproachestosupporttobaccocontrolpolicyandcessationrelatedbehavioursinbangladesh AT mdshafikulislam usingsynergisedsocialmediaapproachestosupporttobaccocontrolpolicyandcessationrelatedbehavioursinbangladesh AT sandramullin usingsynergisedsocialmediaapproachestosupporttobaccocontrolpolicyandcessationrelatedbehavioursinbangladesh |