Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jan 20, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: Jan 20, 2025 - Mar 17, 2025
Date Accepted: Apr 22, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
How to use social media for health promotion among adolescents: qualitative findings from interviews and focus groups
ABSTRACT
Background:
Social media is a promising tool for adolescent health promotion due to its accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and integration into daily routines. Platforms like Instagram offer unique opportunities to engage adolescents through interactive features like quizzes and polls, fostering active participation and behavior change. However, risks such as exposure to harmful content highlight the need for carefully designed interventions.
Objective:
This study examines Instagram's potential for health promotion by exploring adolescents' preferences and needs to inform effective, engaging strategies.
Methods:
A qualitative approach was employed, involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 67 adolescents aged 14-17, recruited through schools and Instagram advertisements in Germany. Data were analyzed using content analysis with a combined deductive-inductive coding approach. The study is grounded in co-design principles, the Social Media Uses and Gratifications (SMUG) theory, and a cultural sensitivity framework.
Results:
Adolescents favor Instagram for health promotion due to its interactive features like quizzes, polls, and Stories. These elements were found to enhance engagement and reduce dropout rates. Barriers included perceptions of extra workload and privacy concerns. Recommendations emphasized simplicity, authenticity, and relatable content tailored to user preferences. While traditional posts and Reels were appreciated for quick information, live sessions were less favored due to logistical challenges.
Conclusions:
Findings align with SMUG theory, highlighting the importance of interactivity and cultural sensitivity in digital interventions. The study challenges the assumption that live sessions are universally engaging, suggesting asynchronous content may better suit adolescents. The results underscore the need for user-centered design in health promotion to balance education with entertainment. Instagram offers unique opportunities for adolescent health promotion through interactive and culturally sensitive content. Future research should explore long-term impacts and diversify participant profiles to ensure broad applicability.
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.