Social Media for Hepatitis B Awareness: Young Adult and Community Leader Perspectives

Self-reported hepatitis B testing among noninstitutionalized adults in the United States before the implementation of universal screening, 2013-2017: A nationwide population-based study

In 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended universal screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV); however, the proportion of US adults screened before implementing this recommendation is unknown. We analysed nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey (2013-2017) on self-reported HBV testing among noninstitutionalized US adults ≥18 years. We employed Poisson logistic regression to identify factors associated with self-reported testing, using a conceptual framework that included four overarching factors: sociodemographic characteristics, healthcare access, health-seeking behaviours and experiences, and access to internet-based health information. Among 149,628 survey respondents, the self-reported HBV testing rate was 27.2% (95% CI 26.2-28.7) and increased by 1.7% from 2013 to 2017 (p = .006). In adjusted analysis, health-seeking behaviours and experiences had the strongest associations of self-reported testing including a history of hepatitis (AOR 2.68, 95% CI 1.92-3.73), receipt of hepatitis B vaccination (AOR 5.11, 95% CI 4.61-5.68) and prior testing for hepatitis C (AOR 9.14, 95% CI 7.97-10.48) and HIV (AOR 2.69, 95% CI 2.44-2.97). Other factors associated with testing included being male (AOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.26), ages 30-44 years (AOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.17-1.61), 45-60 years (AOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.30-1.80) and ≥60 years (AOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.28-1.84), residence in the Western US region (AOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.06-1.43), and access to internet-based health information (AOR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18-1.47). Being Hispanic was associated with lower odds of testing (AOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66-0.97). These findings may help guide optimal HBV screening in the universal testing era.

Assessment of hepatitis-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices on quality of life with the moderating role of internalized stigma among hepatitis B-positive patients in Pakistan

Aim

This study aimed to assess the Pakistani hepatitis B patients' knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards hepatitis management and the impact of self-management on the quality of life of hepatitis B patients as well as the moderating role of stigmatization.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design was used, and the data was collected from a total of 432 hepatitis B positive patients through a self-designed questionnaire. The studied subjects consisted of men (n = 205, 47%), women (n = 165, 38%), and transgender (n = 62, 14%). The obtained data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software version 26.0 for Windows.

Results

The mean age of the study participants was 48. Knowledge has a significant positive relationship with hepatitis self-management and quality of life, whereas knowledge has a negative relationship with stigmatization. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that men were more knowledgeable about the disease than women and transgender people (6.14 ± 2.08 vs. 3.23 ± 1.61 vs. 1.03 ± 0.73, F = 8.2**, p = .000). On the scale of attitude and practice, significant gender differences were found. Women had more experience with hepatitis self-management than men or transgender (4.21 ± 13.0 vs. 2.17 ± 6.02 vs. 0.37 ± 0.31, F = 6.21**, p = .000). The regression analysis showed that self-management has a positive association with quality of life (B = 0.36, p = .001). The moderation analysis revealed that stigmatization negatively moderates the relationship between self-management and quality of life (B = -0.53, p = .001).

Conclusion

Generally, patients had good knowledge about the disease and its self-management. However, a societal and community-level awareness campaign should be organized on the quality of life and stigmatization of people with chronic illness regarding their human rights, dignity, and physical, mental, and social well-being.

Social Media Use and Misinformation Among Asian Americans During COVID-19

Social media has been crucial for seeking and communicating COVID-19 information. However, social media has also promulgated misinformation, which is particularly concerning among Asian Americans who may rely on in-language information and utilize social media platforms to connect to Asia-based networks. There is limited literature examining social media use for COVID-19 information and the subsequent impact of misinformation on health behaviors among Asian Americans. This perspective reviews recent research, news, and gray literature to examine the dissemination of COVID-19 misinformation on social media platforms to Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and South Asian Americans. We discuss the linkage of COVID-19 misinformation to health behaviors, with emphasis on COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and vaccine decision-making in Asian American communities. We then discuss community- and research-driven responses to investigate misinformation during the pandemic. Lastly, we propose recommendations to mitigate misinformation and address the COVID-19 infodemic among Asian Americans.

Exploring the Impact of Storytelling on Storytellers in a Hepatitis B Health Communication Context

OBJECTIVE

In order to address the stigma associated with hepatitis B, increase awareness, encourage testing, and promote prevention through vaccination, a storytelling campaign featuring people living with hepatitis B and their family members was developed. Storytelling campaigns have been evaluated for their impact on the viewing audience; however, few studies have examined the impact of storytelling on storytellers themselves. This study seeks to examine the experiences of the individuals telling their stories.

METHODS

Trained researchers conducted semi-structured interviews (n = 23) with individuals who had participated in a hepatitis B storytelling campaign.

RESULTS

A thematic analysis of the interviews produced four overarching themes: 1) Outreach; 2) Emotion; 3) Education; and 4) Stigma. The interviews demonstrate that participants found storytelling to be a positive, comfortable, and emotional experience, and that it motivated them to educate others and increase awareness. Additionally, participants identified the need to increase outreach and address stigma related to hepatitis B.

CONCLUSION

While more research is needed, these study results can be used to enhance future engagement, training, and experiences of hepatitis B storytellers.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Findings provide insight into how storytelling can impact the sharing their story and provide important implications for future storytelling campaigns.

Comparing the Effects of Different Story Types and Speakers in Hepatitis B Storytelling Videos

Chronic hepatitis B, a condition associated with severe complications, disproportionately affects Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Increasing testing among this population is critical for improving health outcomes. This study compares different types of video narratives that use storytelling techniques to an informational video (control), to examine whether narratives are associated with higher hepatitis B beliefs scores and video rating outcomes. A sample of Asian American and Pacific Islander adults (N = 600) completed an online survey where they viewed one of four video conditions, three of which included storytelling techniques and one with informational content. Results indicated that parental stories received significantly higher perceived effectiveness ratings (M = 3.88, SD = 0.61) than the older adult personal stories (M = 3.62, SD = 0.74), F(3, 596) = 3.795, p = .010. Parental stories also had significantly higher perceived severity scores (M = 3.83, SD = 0.69) compared to the young adult stories (M = 3.73, SD = 0.74) and the informational videos (M = 3.83, SD = 0.69), F(3, 596) = 7.72, p < .001. The informational videos (M = 4.10, SD = 0.65) received significantly higher message credibility ratings than the older adult personal stories (M = 3.84, SD = 0.70), F(3, 596) = 4.71, p = .003. Follow-up tests using Bonferroni correction revealed that parental stories (M = 3.98, SD = 0.64) and young adult personal stories (M = 3.934, SD = 0.76) scored significantly higher on speaker ratings than the older adult personal stories (M = 3.698, SD = 0.77). Results suggest that storytelling has the potential for connecting with a specific audience in an emotional way that is perceived well overall. Future research should examine the long-term impact of hepatitis B personal story videos and whether the addition of facts or statistics to videos would improve outcomes.

Exploring Communication Strategies for Promoting Hepatitis B Prevention among Young Asian American Adults

In the United States, Asian Americans account for 50-60% of hepatitis B virus infections, leading to higher rates of liver cancer in this population. While some city-wide data have reported hepatitis B infection rates among young adults as high as 10-20%, little research has examined factors that impact hepatitis B beliefs, or the most effective strategies for reaching this particular population to promote hepatitis B awareness. An online survey was conducted with young Asian American adults (n = 418), aged 18-29 years old, to better understand their health information seeking, social media usage, and hepatitis B-related behaviors and beliefs. Results indicated that doctors and health organizations were the most trusted sources of health information, while the Internet was the most common source of health information. The majority of participants (99.8%) reported using social media and indicated they engaged in health-related behaviors on social media. Several factors, including non-receipt of hepatitis B vaccine, engaging in more health-related social media activities, and a higher mean score for difficulty with health information seeking, were significantly related to higher perceived susceptibility to hepatitis B. Future research should explore the effectiveness of using social media to reach young Asian American adults to promote hepatitis B awareness.