How can social media be effectively employed for public relations in health communication?

1
How can social media be effectively employed for
public relations in health communication?

• Implications from an analysis of the Health
  Information National Trends Survey

SUEKYUNG LEE BEOM JUN BAE
2
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

• Social media have become essential tools of
  strategic communication
• Analyzing and segmenting publics are considered
  one of essential steps in public relations
  campaigns
• Cancer is the second leading cause of death
• Nearly half of all deaths caused by cancer could
  be prevented

3
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

• Offer effective health communication strategies,
  specifically regarding cancer prevention, in PR
  campaigns
• Analyze and segment publics in cancer prevention
• Examine the effect of social media on
  health-related cognitions, affections and
  behaviors
• Explore how social media can be utilized as
  effective communications for PR campaigns

4
METHOD

• Secondary data analysis
• 2007 Health Information Trends Survey (n 7,674)
• Subset of the data Internet users (n 5,078)

5
RESULTS

• Descriptive Statistics
• 69 of US adults reported having access to the
  Internet
• Among Internet users, 27 reported using at least
  one form of social media
• 5 participated in an online support group, 7
  reported blogging, and 23 used a social
  networking site.

6
Results Who uses social media?

• All users appeared to be significantly younger
  than nonusers
• Online support group (n 232)
• Females were more likely to participate
• Blogging (n 356)
• Social networking sites (n 1,159)
• Significantly differed by education and
  race/ethnicity

7
What effects on health social media have?

• Support group
• Lower perceived susceptibility, lower frequency
  of cancer worry, more cancer information seeking
• Poorer subjective health perception and higher
  depressive symptoms
• Blogging
• Higher depressive symptoms
• Social networking site
• Lower response efficacy, lower cancer information
  seeking
• Poorer subjective health perception, and higher
  depressive symptoms

8
What can be done?

• Maximize complimentary nature of face-to-face and
  CMC social support by employing new media tools
  (i.e. weblogs, instant messaging platforms, video
  chat)
• Target social networking site users
• Need to disseminate credible and correct health
  information

9
Limitation

• Non-Internet users were more likely to have a
  cancer history, be less-educated and minorities.
• Exclusion of Facebook users