JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Nigeria, yet awareness is low. Historically, art has served as a medium for processing emotions and sharing experiences, which can be effective in promoting health and behavior change.

Objective:

Our study examined art submissions and social media engagement from a crowdsourced open call to co-design promotional strategies for preventing cervical cancer among women in Nigeria.

Methods:

From October to November 2023, we launched an open call for art on social media, inviting adult women to submit artwork that raises awareness about cervical cancer prevention. Participants’ submissions were anonymized and reviewed by an independent panel of judges. Six finalists were selected to participate in a social media contest during Cervical Cancer Elimination Week, and three winners were identified based on their total likes and comments on social media, including grading rubric scores. We analyzed participants’ art entries through thematic analysis in six steps: 1) familiarization, 2) creating categories, 3) identifying themes, 4) reviewing themes, 5) defining themes, and 6) discussing findings. The emerging themes included using art to express emotions, utilizing art to convey health-related content, and employing art as a form of self-regulation, which were further analyzed using the PEN-3 cultural model.

Results:

Forty-three entries from participants aged 18 to 27 (Mean age 22.2 years) were analyzed. The entries included visuals (n=14), audiovisual (n=14), text (n=14), and audio (n=1). Most entries (97.6%; 42/43) focused on cervical cancer and HPV, covering definitions, risk factors, treatment, and prevention. Using the PEN-3 cultural model's Relationship and Expectation domain for analysis, 62.8% (27/43) addressed “perceptions” about art as a means of mental and emotional expression, reflecting feelings like humor, sadness, hope, faith, unity, and fear relating to cervical cancer prevention. A majority (79.1%; 34/43) aimed to promote HPV screening and vaccination, categorized as “Enablers” that viewed art as a tool for health awareness, including educational resources. Additionally, 7.0% (3/43) included “Nurturers” representing self-regulation addressing stresses linked to having relatives with cervical cancer. Six finalist entries were shared on social media, promoting cervical cancer awareness, reaching 8,685 individual Instagram accounts and generating 2,727 likes and 782 comments on Instagram.

Conclusions:

This study utilized art to increase awareness about cervical cancer on social media. Art can serve as a tool for promoting health by incorporating visual, emotional, and contextual messages to influence the target audience's behavior.