| Session Title: Health Evaluation and Social Media: Evidence and Examples |
| Expert Lecture Session 272 to be held in El Capitan A on Thursday, Nov 3, 10:45 AM to 11:30 AM |
| Sponsored by the Health Evaluation TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| William Evans, The George Washington University, wdevans@gwu.edu |
| Abstract: In this presentation we review evidence on social media and health behavior. We explore which types of social media are most utilized by different subgroups, how these different media resonate with consumers, and how consumers interact with the vast array of health messages. We then discuss a case example of how social media may be used as a communication tool to change health behavior and promote health care. Text4baby is a "free-to-end-user" (FTEU) service, utilizing Mobile Health and facilitated by a collaborative partnership between industry and public health practitioners. The aim of this social media intervention is to improve maternal and child health behaviors such as reduced smoking during pregnancy, taking pre-natal vitamins, improved nutrition and obtaining recommended health care. In this session, we report on evaluation methods and early results of a randomized trial of text4baby. We examine the intervention, theoretical assumptions, and discuss implications for mobile health technologies. |