Events
UConn Center for mHealth and Social Media, 5th Annual Conference
The COVID-19 Pandemic: Media, Misinformation, and Science Communication
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it abundantly clear how misinformation on the internet can have dire public health consequences and the important role scientists have in communicating to the public. On May 13-14, 2021,this two-day conference we will discuss how scientists, clinicians, public health professionals, and patients can work together to counteract the infodemic.
General registration for the two day event is $75. Registration is free for all students and post-docs. Register Here
Opportunities
Postdoctoral Fellow Position in Racism and Birth Outcomes
Under the direction of the principal investigator and PRISM steering committee member, Dr. Thu T. Nguyen, the postdoctoral fellow will help lead publications investigating the role of area-level racial sentiment, hate speech, and racial prejudice on adverse birth outcomes, allostatic load, and other health outcomes.
Merck KGaA: Patient Experience Data Challenge
Merck KGaA is launching the Patient Experience Data Challenge to find solutions for effectively utilizing patient experience data mined from social media throughout drug research and development, and lifecycle management in multiple sclerosis and other auto-immune conditions. Applicants are invited to submit a description of what the solution looks like and what it can do. Application period ends April 30, 2021. Find more details here.
Commentary
Vape-sellers are using popular music videos to promote e-cigarettes to youth—and it’s working
PRISM co-chair, Dr. Jon-Patrick Allem, describes in this commentary how vape sellers use music videos popular on YouTube to promote their products to youth.
“Electronic cigarette use among young adults is a public health concern… identifying the potential marketing influences of electronic cigarette use among young adults is a research priority... Nonetheless, restricting electronic cigarette product placement in music videos may minimize marketing exposure among young adults in the future. Ultimately, such actions could reduce vaping among an age group that the electronic cigarette industry regularly targets.
Addressing cigarette smoking cessation treatment challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic with social media
This commentary by PRISM Steering Committee members, Drs. Meredith Meacham and Danielle Ramo, reviews barriers to smoking cessation during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential of social media-based smoking cessation programs.
“Social media-based smoking cessation is an innovative and promising way to reach people, especially those not engaged in other forms of treatment. As the COVID-19 pandemic limits in-person healthcare services and leads to increased levels of stress, the potential reach of social media to support smoking cessation should continue to be explored, with particular attention to privacy, inclusion of timely content, and deeper understanding of how social media engagement may promote sustained behavior change."
How TikTok influencers are getting teens and young adults to quit vaping
Featured on Good Morning America, this segment highlights a new initiative from the Truth Initiative tapping into influencers to persuade people to stop vaping.
Racism and Xenophobia in a Pandemic: Interactions of Online and Offline Worlds
Written by PRISM Steering Committee member, Dr. Wen-Ying Sylvia Chou, this commentary examines racist and xenophobic attitudes online that have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“… it is important to acknowledge that social media also has the potential to be a force for good. Although #ChineseVirus was used to promote anti-Asian sentiment, hashtags such as #IAmNotAVirus also emerged during the pandemic to fight stigma and reinforce the shared humanity of Asian individuals—demonstrating that social media platforms can also be powerful channels for condemning and countering racist rhetoric, expressing solidarity with minority communities, and providing support to those who have been targets of abuse.”
NEXT Harm Reduction: An Online, Mail-Based Naloxone Distribution and Harm-Reduction Program
In this article co-authored by PRISM Steering Committee member, Dr. Meredith Meacham, the purpose, implementation, impact, and public health significance of Needle EXchange Technology (NEXT) Harm Reduction are described
“In the context of the opioid overdose crisis and ongoing HIV and hepatitis C epidemics, as well as active political opposition to local syringe access programs in many parts of the country, NEXT Harm Reduction provides an innovative platform for people who use drugs and others in their community to connect with low-barrier access to information, support, and life-saving medication and supplies.”
Recent Social Media and Health Publications
Pilař L, Kvasničková Stanislavská L, Kvasnička R. Healthy Food on the Twitter Social Network: Vegan, Homemade, and Organic Food. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021;18(7):3815. doi:10.3390/ijerph18073815
This study performed a communication analysis of data from the social network Twitter, which comprised of all tweets that used the #healthyfood hashtag. Results revealed that users most commonly associate healthy food with a healthy lifestyle, diet, and fitness. Foods associated with this hashtag were vegan, homemade, and organic.
Pang RD, Dormanesh A, Hoang Y, Chu M, Allem J-P. Twitter Posts About Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Postpartum:A Content Analysis. Substance Use & Misuse. 2021;0(0):1-4. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2021.1906277
Co-authored by PRISM co-chair, Dr. Jon-Patrick Allem, this new studycollected Twitter data to understand cannabis use during pregnancy and postpartum. Findings show that conversations about the risks and benefits of cannabis use during pregnancy and postpartum take place on Twitter.
Meacham MC, Ramo DE, Prochaska JJ, et al. A Facebook intervention to address cigarette smoking and heavy episodic drinking: A pilot randomized controlled trial. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2021;122:108211. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108211
This study by PRISM Steering Committee members, Drs. Meredith Meacham and Danielle Ramo, investigated whether a Facebook-based smoking cessation intervention addressing alcohol and tobacco use would increase smoking abstinence and reduce HED. Although acceptable, adding an alcohol treatment component to a tobacco cessation social media intervention did not result in significant differences in smoking or alcohol use. Participants reported smoking and drinking less over time, suggesting covariation in behavioral changes.
Cuomo RE, Purushothaman VL, Li J, et al. Characterizing Self-Reported Tobacco, Vaping, and Marijuana-Related Tweets Geolocated for California College Campuses. Front Public Health. 2021;9. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.628812
Co-authored by PRISM Steering Committee member, Dr. Timothy Mackey, this infoveillance study characterizes smoking-related tweets originating from California colleges on Twitter. Reporting of first- and second-hand smoking behavior was detected, representing possible violation of campus smoking bans. The majority of tweets expressed positive sentiment about smoking behaviors, though there was appreciable variability between college campuses.
Unni Z, Weinstein E. Shelter in Place, Connect Online: Trending TikTok Content During the Early Days of the U.S. COVID-19 Pandemic. J Adolesc Health. Published online April 3, 2021. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.02.012
This mixed methods study applied a uses and gratifications framework to a systematic analysis of trending TikToks related to COVID-19. On TikTok, public health information appears to coexist with an abundance of commentary about everyday life during the pandemic. Posts arguably reflect documented social media use goals such as information seeking/sharing, archiving, and self-expression.
Yu S, Eisenman D, Han Z. Temporal Dynamics of Public Emotions During the COVID-19 Pandemic at the Epicenter of the Outbreak: Sentiment Analysis of Weibo Posts From Wuhan. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(3):e27078. doi:10.2196/27078
This study detected the temporal patterns in emotional fluctuation by analyzing data from the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Negative emotions such as surprise, fear, and anger were the most salient emotions detected. These emotions were triggered by certain milestone events such as the confirmation of human-to-human transmission of COVID-19. Although all emotions were more prevalent in the afternoon and night, fear and anger were more dominant in the morning and afternoon, whereas depression was more salient during the night.
Majmundar A, Allem J-P, Cruz TB, Unger JB, Pentz MA. Monitoring Health Effects of Vaping Discussed on Twitter in 2018 and 2019. J GEN INTERN MED. Published online April 9, 2021. doi:10.1007/s11606-021-06705-9
Co-authored by PRISM co-chair, Dr. Jon-Patrick Allem, this study characterizes public conversations about the health effects of vaping on Twitter. Compared to 2018, Death, Mental health, and Respiratory health effects were more prevalent in 2019. Respiratory health effects emerged as part of the top five categories in 2019.
Henderson A, Miller CA, Sutton AL, Guidry JPD. #TripleNegativeBreastCancer on Instagram. Health Educ Behav. Published online January 10, 2021:1090198120985450. doi:10.1177/1090198120985450
This new study analyzes Instagram posts using the hashtag #triplenegativebreastcancer, to examine the presence of health belief model constructs, as well as the presence of treatment-related experiences, social support, and hereditary breast cancer genetic mutations (BRCA 1/2). Findings suggest that health organizations and agencies are not utilizing Instagram as a conduit of health communications about TNBC to reach individuals worldwide.