Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Dec 9, 2018
Date Accepted: Mar 3, 2019
Characterizing media contents and media effects of organ donation on a social media platform
ABSTRACT
Background:
The lack of organ donors has become a barrier for the development of organ transplantation programs, and many countries are currently facing a severe shortage of deceased organs. Media campaigns on the social media have the potential to promote organ donation. However, little is known about what kind of media contents are the most appropriate for this purpose.
Objective:
This study aimed to analyze media posts regarding organ donation on Weibo, a social media platform, and identify the media themes that are most advantageous in promoting the public’s awareness and attitudes concerning organ donation.
Methods:
Based on 16-million social media users’ posts randomly extracted from January 1 to December 31, 2017, 1507 media posts relevant to organ donation were obtained. We analyzed the media posts’ themes, and examined their effects in promoting public awareness about organ donation by comparing the number of reposts and comments they induced. The themes’ impact on attitude towards organ donation were gauged using the comments indicating support and intentions for organ donation.
Results:
Five major themes were identified from the media posts, among which “organ donation behaviors” constituted the highest proportion (41.13%). However, themes of “statistical descriptions of organ donation” and “meaningfulness of donation” were the most influential in promoting awareness on organ donation: approximately 3 of 10 commenters for the former theme and 2 of 10 commenters for the latter expressed intentions to become organ donors. These two themes, along with “meaningfulness of organ donation for society,” a subtheme of “meaningfulness of donation,” were the most effective for evoking support and intentions for donation.
Conclusions:
A discrepancy was revealed between the media themes that were the most salient on the media agenda and those that were the most effective in elevating organ donation awareness and intentions on the social media. These findings provide guidance for campaigns on organ donation. The analysis also suggested the potential of campaigns on social media for promoting prosocial health behaviors and highlighted the importance of strategic message design for serving this goal.
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