Social Media-Based Interventions for Health Behavior Change in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review

Authors

Jessie Seiler, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
Tanya E. Libby, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
Emahlea Jackson, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
J R. Lingappa, Departments of Global Health, Medicine, and Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
W D. Evans, Departments of Prevention and Community Health & Global Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

4-14-2022

Journal

Journal of medical Internet research

Volume

24

Issue

4

DOI

10.2196/31889

Keywords

behavior change; low- and middle-income countries; mobile phone; social media

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite the wealth of evidence regarding effective health behavior change techniques using digital interventions to focus on residents of high-income countries, there is limited information of a similar nature for low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to identify and describe the available literature on effective social media-based behavior change interventions within low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the 2009 PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. We searched PubMed, Embase, Elsevier, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Global Index Medicus, and the final search was conducted on April 6, 2021. We excluded studies published before 2000 because of the subject matter. We included studies that evaluated interventions conducted at least partly on a social media platform. RESULTS: We identified 1832 studies, of which 108 (5.89%) passed title-abstract review and were evaluated by full-text review. In all, 30.6% (33/108) were included in the final analysis. Although 22 studies concluded that the social media intervention was effective, only 13 quantified the level of social media engagement, of which, few used theory (n=8) or a conceptual model (n=5) of behavior change. CONCLUSIONS: We identified gaps in the settings of interventions, types and sectors of interventions, length of follow-up, evaluation techniques, use of theoretical and conceptual models, and discussions of the privacy implications of social media use. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020223572; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=223572.

APA Citation

Seiler, Jessie; Libby, Tanya E.; Jackson, Emahlea; Lingappa, J R.; and Evans, W D., "Social Media-Based Interventions for Health Behavior Change in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 795.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/795

Department

Global Health