JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

During a public health crisis such as the current coronavirus pandemic, governments and health authorities need quick and accurate methods of communicating with the public. While social media can serve as a useful tool for effective communication during disease outbreaks, little research exists with regard to understanding how these platforms are used by the Ministry of Health (MOH) during disease outbreaks in Saudi Arabia.

Objective:

Guided by the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model, this study aimed to explore the MOH’s use of Twitter and the public’s engagement during different stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

Tweets and corresponding likes and retweets were extracted from the official Twitter account of the MOH in Saudi Arabia for the period of January 1, 2020, through August 31, 2020. Tweets related to COVID-19 were identified; subsequently, content analysis was performed, in which tweets were coded for the following message types: risk messages, warnings, preparations, uncertainty reduction, efficacy, reassurance, and digital health responses. Public engagement was measured by examining the numbers of likes and retweets. The association between outbreak stages and types of messages was assessed, as was the effect of these messages on public engagement.

Results:

The MOH posted a total of 1393 original tweets during the study period. Of the total tweets, 92.82% (N=1293) were related to COVID-19, and 1217 were ultimately included in the analysis. The MOH posted the majority of its tweets (65.89%) during the initial stage of the outbreak. Accordingly, the public showed the highest level of engagement (as indicated by numbers of likes and retweets) during the initial stage. The types of messages sent by the MOH significantly differed across outbreak stages, with messages related to uncertainty reduction, reassurance, and efficacy being prevalent among all stages. The use of hashtags in tweets had a positive effect on likes and retweets, while the use of hyperlinks and visuals had a negative effect. Information related to warnings, uncertainty reduction, and reassurance had a positive effect on public engagement.

Conclusions:

This study provided insight into the Saudi MOH’s communication strategy during an outbreak. The results of this study have implications for researchers, governments, health organizations, and practitioners with regard to their communication practices during outbreaks. To increase the public engagement, governments and health authorities should consider the public’s need for information. This, in turn, could raise public awareness regarding disease outbreaks.