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Grabe ME, Brown DK, Ochieng J, Bryden J, Robinson RD, Ahn YY, Moss A, Wang W. The Social Contagion Potential of Pro-Vaccine Messages on Black Twitter. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023:1-12. [PMID: 37994402 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2023.2281075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Black Americans in the US not only suffered from disproportionately high hospitalization and death rates throughout the pandemic but also from the consequences of low COVID-19 vaccination rates. This pattern of disparity is linked to distrust of public health systems that originates from a history of medical atrocities committed against Black people. For that reason, mitigation of race-based inequity in COVID-19 impacts might find more success in grassroots information contagion than official public health campaigns. While Black Twitter is well-positioned as a conduit for such information contagion, little is known about message characteristics that would afford it. Here, we tested the impact of four different message frames (personalization, interactive, fear appeal, neutral) on the social contagion potential of bi-modal social media messages promoting COVID-19 vaccinations and finding personalized messages to be the most shareable. Wary of recommending personalization as the blueprint for setting a social contagion health campaign in motion, we probed further to understand the influence of individual-level variables on the communicability of personalized messages. Subsequently, regression models and focus group data were consulted, revealing that thinking styles, vaccine confidence levels, and attitudes toward social media were significant factors of influence on the contagion potential of personalized messages. We discussed the implications of these results for health campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John Bryden
- Observatory on Social Media, Indiana University
| | | | | | | | - Wei Wang
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin
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Jawed A, Graham H, Smith J. Digital trends in autism: a scoping review exploring coverage of autism across YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Front Digit Health 2023; 5:1222187. [PMID: 37829593 PMCID: PMC10565484 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2023.1222187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism continues to be a leading neurodevelopmental disorder across adult and pediatric populations that transcends racial, ethnic, age, and socioeconomic groups worldwide. Autism care and treatment also exerts immense costs on the healthcare system and lost productivity which are partly attributed to the existing resource limitations globally. Organizations, campaigns, and policies exist worldwide in increasing equity and accessibility of resources and services to individuals with autism. In the context of our digital era, a wealth of information is also more readily available on autism through electronic communication including social media platforms. As YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are ever-growing and among the leading social media platforms in contemporary times, examination of content covered on autism across these communication mediums is timely and warranted. This review consolidates findings from 32 sources on the sources, formats, and nature of content covered on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook pertaining to a wealth of dimensions surrounding autism. Strengths and limitations of the studies and endeavors are presented. Implications for future campaign development, health equity, health policy, neurodiversity, and patient care are also delineated. Lastly, recommendations for future research and practice are discussed which present directions for tapping into the potential of YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook as health communication mediums across the ever-changing autism landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysha Jawed
- Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Pediatric Social Work, Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Heather Graham
- Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Pediatric Nursing, Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer Smith
- Infant Neurodevelopment Center, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Tunkl C, Paudel R, Thapa L, Tunkl P, Jalan P, Chandra A, Belson S, Prasad Gajurel B, Haji-Begli N, Bajaj S, Golenia J, Wick W, Hacke W, Gumbinger C. Are digital social media campaigns the key to raise stroke awareness in low-and middle-income countries? A study of feasibility and cost-effectiveness in Nepal. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291392. [PMID: 37682967 PMCID: PMC10490866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stroke is a major global health problem and was the second leading cause of death worldwide in 2020. However, the lack of public stroke awareness especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Nepal severely hinders the effective provision of stroke care. Efficient and cost-effective strategies to raise stroke awareness in LMICs are still lacking. This study aims to (a) explore the feasibility of a social media-based stroke awareness campaign in Nepal using a cost-benefit analysis and (b) identify best practices for social media health education campaigns. METHODS We performed a stroke awareness campaign over a period of 6 months as part of a Stroke Project in Nepal on four social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok) with organic traffic and paid advertisements. Adapted material based on the World Stroke Day Campaign and specifically created videos for TikTok were used. Performance of the campaign was analyzed with established quantitative social media metrics (impressions, reach, engagement, costs). RESULTS Campaign posts were displayed 7.5 million times to users in Nepal. 2.5 million individual social media users in Nepal were exposed to the campaign on average three times, which equals 8.6% of Nepal's total population. Of those, 250,000 users actively engaged with the posts. Paid advertisement on Facebook and Instagram proved to be more effective in terms of reach and cost than organic traffic. The total campaign cost was low with a "Cost to reach 1,000 users" of 0.24 EUR and a "Cost Per Click" of 0.01 EUR. DISCUSSION Social media-based campaigns using paid advertisement provide a feasible and, compared to classical mass medias, a very cost-effective approach to inform large parts of the population about stroke awareness in LMICs. Future research needs to further analyze the impact of social media campaigns on stroke knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Tunkl
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Raju Paudel
- Grande International Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Nima Haji-Begli
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sunanjay Bajaj
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jessica Golenia
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wick
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Werner Hacke
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Gumbinger
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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4
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Internet Use and Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-05904-z. [PMID: 36710297 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05904-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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5
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When Will Government Information Be Attractive? The Effect of Information Features on the Diffusion of Government Microblogs. TELEMATICS AND INFORMATICS 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2023.101938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Identifying features of source and message that influence the retweeting of health information on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:805. [PMID: 35459154 PMCID: PMC9026044 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13213-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Social media has become an essential tool to implement risk communication, giving health information could gain more exposure by retweeting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Content analysis was conducted to scrutinize the official (national and provincial) public health agencies’ Weibo posts (n = 4396) to identify features of information sources and message features (structure, style content). The Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) model was adopted to analyze the association between these features and the frequency of the retweeted messages. Results Results indicated that features of source and health information, such as structure, style, and content, were correlated to retweeting. The results of IRR further suggested that compared to provincial accounts, messages from national health authorities’ accounts gained more retweeting. Regarding the information features, messages with hashtags#, picture, video have been retweeted more often than messages without any of these features respectively, while messages with hyperlinks received fewer retweets than messages without hyperlinks. In terms of the information structure, messages with the sentiment (!) have been retweeted more frequently than messages without sentiment. Concerning content, messages containing severity, reassurance, efficacy, and action frame have been retweeted with higher frequency, while messages with uncertainty frames have been retweeted less often. Conclusions Health organizations and medical professionals should pay close attention to the features of health information sources, structures, style, and content to satisfy the public’s information needs and preferences to promote the public's health engagement. Designing suitable information systems and promoting health communication strategies during different pandemic stages may improve public awareness of the COVID-19, alleviate negative emotions, and promote preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus.
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Yeung AWK, Tosevska A, Klager E, Eibensteiner F, Tsagkaris C, Parvanov ED, Nawaz FA, Völkl-Kernstock S, Schaden E, Kletecka-Pulker M, Willschke H, Atanasov A. Medical and Health-related Misinformation on Social Media: Analysis of the Scientific Literature. J Med Internet Res 2021; 24:e28152. [PMID: 34951864 PMCID: PMC8793917 DOI: 10.2196/28152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social media has been extensively used for the communication of health-related information and consecutively for the potential spread of medical misinformation. Conventional systematic reviews have been published on this topic to identify original articles and to summarize their methodological approaches and themes. A bibliometric study could complement their findings, for instance, by evaluating the geographical distribution of the publications and determining if they were well cited and disseminated in high-impact journals. Objective The aim of this study was to perform a bibliometric analysis of the current literature to discover the prevalent trends and topics related to medical misinformation on social media. Methods The Web of Science Core Collection electronic database was accessed to identify relevant papers with the following search string: ALL=(misinformati* OR “wrong informati*” OR disinformati* OR “misleading informati*” OR “fake news*”) AND ALL=(medic* OR illness* OR disease* OR health* OR pharma* OR drug* OR therap*) AND ALL=(“social media*” OR Facebook* OR Twitter* OR Instagram* OR YouTube* OR Weibo* OR Whatsapp* OR Reddit* OR TikTok* OR WeChat*). Full records were exported to a bibliometric software, VOSviewer, to link bibliographic information with citation data. Term and keyword maps were created to illustrate recurring terms and keywords. Results Based on an analysis of 529 papers on medical and health-related misinformation on social media, we found that the most popularly investigated social media platforms were Twitter (n=90), YouTube (n=67), and Facebook (n=57). Articles targeting these 3 platforms had higher citations per paper (>13.7) than articles covering other social media platforms (Instagram, Weibo, WhatsApp, Reddit, and WeChat; citations per paper <8.7). Moreover, social media platform–specific papers accounted for 44.1% (233/529) of all identified publications. Investigations on these platforms had different foci. Twitter-based research explored cyberchondria and hypochondriasis, YouTube-based research explored tobacco smoking, and Facebook-based research studied vaccine hesitancy related to autism. COVID-19 was a common topic investigated across all platforms. Overall, the United States contributed to half of all identified papers, and 80% of the top 10 most productive institutions were based in this country. The identified papers were mostly published in journals of the categories public environmental and occupational health, communication, health care sciences services, medical informatics, and medicine general internal, with the top journal being the Journal of Medical Internet Research. Conclusions There is a significant platform-specific topic preference for social media investigations on medical misinformation. With a large population of internet users from China, it may be reasonably expected that Weibo, WeChat, and TikTok (and its Chinese version Douyin) would be more investigated in future studies. Currently, these platforms present research gaps that leave their usage and information dissemination warranting further evaluation. Future studies should also include social platforms targeting non-English users to provide a wider global perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Wai Kan Yeung
- Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Applied Oral Sciences and Community Dental Care, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, CN.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT
| | - Anela Tosevska
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT.,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, US
| | - Elisabeth Klager
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT
| | - Fabian Eibensteiner
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT
| | | | - Emil D Parvanov
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT.,Department of Translational Stem Cell Biology, Medical University of Varna, Varna, BG
| | - Faisal A Nawaz
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, AE
| | - Sabine Völkl-Kernstock
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT
| | - Eva Schaden
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT.,Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, AT
| | - Maria Kletecka-Pulker
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT
| | - Harald Willschke
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT.,Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, AT
| | - Atanas Atanasov
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety (LBI-DHPS), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, AT.,Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, PL
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Moore JB, Harris JK, Hutti ET. 'Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it': social media and public health. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2021; 34:485-490. [PMID: 34175868 PMCID: PMC8384694 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To highlight the various uses of social media by public health practitioners and organizations, with special emphasis on how social media has been successfully applied and where applications have struggled to achieve the desired effects. RECENT FINDINGS Social media has been used effectively in improving the timeliness and accuracy of public health surveillance. Social media has also been used to communicate information between public health organizations and reinforce consistent messaging about enduring threats to public health. It has been applied with some success to coordinate of disaster response and for keeping the public informed during other emergency situations. However, social media has also been weaponized against the public health community to spread disinformation and misinformation, and the public health community has yet to devise a successful strategy to mitigate this destructive use of social media. SUMMARY Social media can be an effective tool for public health practitioners and organizations who seek to disseminate information on a daily basis, rapidly convey information in emergent situations, and battle misinformation. Social media has been uniquely valuable and distinctly destructive when it comes to protecting and improving public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin B Moore
- Department of Implementation Science, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Jenine K Harris
- George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Ellen T Hutti
- George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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9
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Zhang S, Ma F, Liu Y, Pian W. Identifying features of health misinformation on social media sites: an exploratory analysis. LIBRARY HI TECH 2021. [DOI: 10.1108/lht-09-2020-0242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the features of health misinformation on social media sites (SMSs). The primary goal of the study is to investigate the salient features of health misinformation and to develop a tool of features to help users and social media companies identify health misinformation.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data include 1,168 pieces of health information that were collected from WeChat, a dominant SMS in China, and the obtained data were analyzed through a process of open coding, axial coding and selective coding. Then chi-square test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were adopted to identify salient features of health misinformation.FindingsThe findings show that the features of health misinformation on SMSs involve surface features, semantic features and source features, and there are significant differences in the features of health misinformation between different topics. In addition, the list of features was developed to identify health misinformation on SMSs.Practical implicationsThis study raises awareness of the key features of health misinformation on SMSs. It develops a list of features to help users distinguish health misinformation as well as help social media companies filter health misinformation.Originality/valueTheoretically, this study contributes to the academic discourse on health misinformation on SMSs by exploring the features of health misinformation. Methodologically, the paper serves to enrich the literature around health misinformation and SMSs that have hitherto mostly drawn data from health websites.
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Safarnejad L, Xu Q, Ge Y, Krishnan S, Bagarvathi A, Chen S. [Contrasting Misinformation and Real-Information Dissemination Network Structures on Social Media During a Health Emergency]. Rev Panam Salud Publica 2021; 45:e61. [PMID: 33995523 PMCID: PMC8110855 DOI: 10.26633/rpsp.2021.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objetivos. Elaborar un esquema operativo integral para detectar la información errónea principal sobre el zika distribuida en Twitter® en el 2016; reconstruir las redes por las que se difunde información mediante retuiteo; contrastar la información verídica frente a la errónea con diversos parámetros; e investigar cómo se difundió en las redes sociales la información errónea sobre el zika durante la epidemia. Métodos. Revisamos sistemáticamente los 5 000 tuits más retuiteados con información sobre el zika en inglés, definimos “información errónea” a partir de la evidencia, buscamos tuits que tuvieran información errónea y conformamos un grupo equiparable de tuits con información verídica. Elaboramos un algoritmo para reconstruir las redes de retuiteo de 266 tuits con información errónea y 458 tuits equiparables con información verídica. Calculamos y comparamos nueve parámetros para caracterizar la estructura de las redes a varios niveles, entre los dos grupos. Resultados. En los nueve parámetros se aprecian diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre el grupo de información verídica y el de información errónea. La información errónea en general se difunde mediante estructuras más sofisticadas que la información verídica. También hay una considerable variabilidad intragrupal. Conclusiones. Las redes de difusión de la información errónea sobre el zika en Twitter fueron sustancialmente diferentes que las de información verídica, lo cual indica que la información errónea se sirve de mecanismos de difusión distintos. Nuestro estudio permitirá formar una comprensión más holística de los desafíos que plantea la información errónea sobre salud en las redes sociales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lida Safarnejad
- Departamento de software y sistemas de información, Universidad de Carolina del Norte Estados Unidos de América Departamento de software y sistemas de información, Universidad de Carolina del Norte, Estados Unidos de América
| | - Qian Xu
- Facultad de Comunicación, Universidad de Elon Estados Unidos de América Facultad de Comunicación, Universidad de Elon, Estados Unidos de América
| | - Yaorong Ge
- Departamento de software y sistemas de información, Universidad de Carolina del Norte Estados Unidos de América Departamento de software y sistemas de información, Universidad de Carolina del Norte, Estados Unidos de América
| | - Siddharth Krishnan
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación, Universidad de Carolina del Norte Estados Unidos de América Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación, Universidad de Carolina del Norte, Estados Unidos de América
| | - Arunkumar Bagarvathi
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación, Universidad Estatal de Oklahoma Estados Unidos de América Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación, Universidad Estatal de Oklahoma, Estados Unidos de América
| | - Shi Chen
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias de Datos, Universidad de Carolina del Norte Estados Unidos de América Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias de Datos, Universidad de Carolina del Norte, Estados Unidos de América
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Exploring the effects of algorithm-driven news sources on political behavior and polarization. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Vos SC, Sutton J, Gibson CB, Butts CT. #Ebola: Emergency Risk Messages on Social Media. Health Secur 2020; 18:461-472. [PMID: 33326333 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2019.0158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Public health threats require effective communication. Evaluating effectiveness during a situation that requires emergency risk communication is difficult, however, because these events require an immediate response and collecting data may be secondary to more immediate needs. In this article, we draw on research analyzing the effectiveness of social media messages during times of imminent threat and research analyzing the emergency risk communication conceptual model in order to propose a method for evaluating emergency risk communication on social media. We demonstrate this method by evaluating 2,915 messages sent by local, state, and federal public health officials during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in the United States. The results provide empirical support for emergency risk communication and identify message strategies that have the potential to increase exposure to official communication on social media during future public health threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Vos
- Sarah C. Vos, PhD, is a Lecturer, Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; and Jeannette Sutton, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Department of Communication, College of Communication and Information; both at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. C. Ben Gibson, PhD, is an Associate Sociologist, RAND, Washington, DC. Carter T. Butts, PhD, is a Professor, Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA. The views presented here represent the views of the authors, not of the National Science Foundation
| | - Jeannette Sutton
- Sarah C. Vos, PhD, is a Lecturer, Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; and Jeannette Sutton, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Department of Communication, College of Communication and Information; both at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. C. Ben Gibson, PhD, is an Associate Sociologist, RAND, Washington, DC. Carter T. Butts, PhD, is a Professor, Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA. The views presented here represent the views of the authors, not of the National Science Foundation
| | - C Ben Gibson
- Sarah C. Vos, PhD, is a Lecturer, Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; and Jeannette Sutton, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Department of Communication, College of Communication and Information; both at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. C. Ben Gibson, PhD, is an Associate Sociologist, RAND, Washington, DC. Carter T. Butts, PhD, is a Professor, Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA. The views presented here represent the views of the authors, not of the National Science Foundation
| | - Carter T Butts
- Sarah C. Vos, PhD, is a Lecturer, Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; and Jeannette Sutton, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Department of Communication, College of Communication and Information; both at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. C. Ben Gibson, PhD, is an Associate Sociologist, RAND, Washington, DC. Carter T. Butts, PhD, is a Professor, Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA. The views presented here represent the views of the authors, not of the National Science Foundation
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13
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Safarnejad L, Xu Q, Ge Y, Krishnan S, Bagarvathi A, Chen S. Contrasting Misinformation and Real-Information Dissemination Network Structures on Social Media During a Health Emergency. Am J Public Health 2020; 110:S340-S347. [PMID: 33001726 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2020.305854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Objectives. To provide a comprehensive workflow to identify top influential health misinformation about Zika on Twitter in 2016, reconstruct information dissemination networks of retweeting, contrast mis- from real information on various metrics, and investigate how Zika misinformation proliferated on social media during the Zika epidemic.Methods. We systematically reviewed the top 5000 English-language Zika tweets, established an evidence-based definition of "misinformation," identified misinformation tweets, and matched a comparable group of real-information tweets. We developed an algorithm to reconstruct retweeting networks for 266 misinformation and 458 comparable real-information tweets. We computed and compared 9 network metrics characterizing network structure across various levels between the 2 groups.Results. There were statistically significant differences in all 9 network metrics between real and misinformation groups. Misinformation network structures were generally more sophisticated than those in the real-information group. There was substantial within-group variability, too.Conclusions. Dissemination networks of Zika misinformation differed substantially from real information on Twitter, indicating that misinformation utilized distinct dissemination mechanisms from real information. Our study will lead to a more holistic understanding of health misinformation challenges on social media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lida Safarnejad
- Lida Safarnejad and Yaorong Ge are with the Department of Software and Information Systems, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Qian Xu is with the School of Communications, Elon University, Elon, NC. Siddharth Krishnan is with the Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Arunkumar Bagarvathi is with the Department of Computer Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Shi Chen is with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the School of Data Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Qian Xu
- Lida Safarnejad and Yaorong Ge are with the Department of Software and Information Systems, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Qian Xu is with the School of Communications, Elon University, Elon, NC. Siddharth Krishnan is with the Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Arunkumar Bagarvathi is with the Department of Computer Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Shi Chen is with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the School of Data Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Yaorong Ge
- Lida Safarnejad and Yaorong Ge are with the Department of Software and Information Systems, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Qian Xu is with the School of Communications, Elon University, Elon, NC. Siddharth Krishnan is with the Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Arunkumar Bagarvathi is with the Department of Computer Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Shi Chen is with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the School of Data Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Siddharth Krishnan
- Lida Safarnejad and Yaorong Ge are with the Department of Software and Information Systems, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Qian Xu is with the School of Communications, Elon University, Elon, NC. Siddharth Krishnan is with the Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Arunkumar Bagarvathi is with the Department of Computer Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Shi Chen is with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the School of Data Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Arunkumar Bagarvathi
- Lida Safarnejad and Yaorong Ge are with the Department of Software and Information Systems, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Qian Xu is with the School of Communications, Elon University, Elon, NC. Siddharth Krishnan is with the Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Arunkumar Bagarvathi is with the Department of Computer Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Shi Chen is with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the School of Data Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Shi Chen
- Lida Safarnejad and Yaorong Ge are with the Department of Software and Information Systems, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Qian Xu is with the School of Communications, Elon University, Elon, NC. Siddharth Krishnan is with the Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Arunkumar Bagarvathi is with the Department of Computer Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Shi Chen is with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the School of Data Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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Edelmann A, Wolff T, Montagne D, Bail CA. Computational Social Science and Sociology. ANNUAL REVIEW OF SOCIOLOGY 2020; 46:61-81. [PMID: 34824489 PMCID: PMC8612450 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-soc-121919-054621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The integration of social science with computer science and engineering fields has produced a new area of study: computational social science. This field applies computational methods to novel sources of digital data such as social media, administrative records, and historical archives to develop theories of human behavior. We review the evolution of this field within sociology via bibliometric analysis and in-depth analysis of the following subfields where this new work is appearing most rapidly: (a) social network analysis and group formation; (b) collective behavior and political sociology; (c) the sociology of knowledge; (d) cultural sociology, social psychology, and emotions; (e) the production of culture; (f) economic sociology and organizations; and (g) demography and population studies. Our review reveals that sociologists are not only at the center of cutting-edge research that addresses longstanding questions about human behavior but also developing new lines of inquiry about digital spaces as well. We conclude by discussing challenging new obstacles in the field, calling for increased attention to sociological theory, and identifying new areas where computational social science might be further integrated into mainstream sociology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achim Edelmann
- Institute of Sociology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Sociology, London School of Economics and Political Science, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Wolff
- Department of Sociology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Danielle Montagne
- Department of Sociology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Christopher A Bail
- Department of Sociology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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15
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Jenkins EL, Ilicic J, Molenaar A, Chin S, McCaffrey TA. Strategies to Improve Health Communication: Can Health Professionals be Heroes? Nutrients 2020; 12:E1861. [PMID: 32580495 PMCID: PMC7353280 DOI: 10.3390/nu12061861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Communicating evidence-based nutrition messages to the public is challenging and is often in conflict with popular opinions, particularly from social media influencers (SMIs). In order to increase engagement with nutrition professionals (NPs) on social media, we aimed to explore young adults' perceptions of the authenticity and trustworthiness of SMIs and NPs Instagram posts. A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to students (n = 149) from an Australian University. Participants viewed a real-life Instagram profile and one post from both a NP and a SMI. Main outcomes were post authenticity and trustworthiness, and emotional message appeals measured on five-point Likert scales. Regression models were developed to assess whose post (the NP or SMI) was perceived to be more authentic and trustworthy. Participants were young adults (median age (25th, 75th percentiles): 20 (19,21)), with approximately half identifying as female. A high heroic message appeal (+1SD above mean) significantly increased the perceived authenticity of the NPs post only (p = 0.01). Post authenticity enhanced post trustworthiness, but only when a heroic message appeal was used by the NP. When appropriate, NPs should convey positive emotions such as bravery and success to enhance the authenticity and trustworthiness of their posts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva L. Jenkins
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill 3168, Australia; (E.L.J.); (A.M.)
| | - Jasmina Ilicic
- Monash Business School, Monash University, Caulfield East 3145, Australia;
| | - Annika Molenaar
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill 3168, Australia; (E.L.J.); (A.M.)
| | - Shinyi Chin
- School of Media and Communications, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne 3004, Australia;
| | - Tracy A. McCaffrey
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill 3168, Australia; (E.L.J.); (A.M.)
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16
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17
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Vos SC, Sutton J, Yu Y, Renshaw SL, Olson MK, Gibson CB, Butts CT. Retweeting Risk Communication: The Role of Threat and Efficacy. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2018; 38:2580-2598. [PMID: 30080933 DOI: 10.1111/risa.13140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook provide risk communicators with the opportunity to quickly reach their constituents at the time of an emerging infectious disease. On these platforms, messages gain exposure through message passing (called "sharing" on Facebook and "retweeting" on Twitter). This raises the question of how to optimize risk messages for diffusion across networks and, as a result, increase message exposure. In this study we add to this growing body of research by identifying message-level strategies to increase message passing during high-ambiguity events. In addition, we draw on the extended parallel process model to examine how threat and efficacy information influence the passing of Zika risk messages. In August 2016, we collected 1,409 Twitter messages about Zika sent by U.S. public health agencies' accounts. Using content analysis methods, we identified intrinsic message features and then analyzed the influence of those features, the account sending the message, the network surrounding the account, and the saliency of Zika as a topic, using negative binomial regression. The results suggest that severity and efficacy information increase how frequently messages get passed on to others. Drawing on the results of this study, previous research on message passing, and diffusion theories, we identify a framework for risk communication on social media. This framework includes four key variables that influence message passing and identifies a core set of message strategies, including message timing, to increase exposure to risk messages on social media during high-ambiguity events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yue Yu
- University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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18
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Suragh TA, Lamprianou S, MacDonald NE, Loharikar AR, Balakrishnan MR, Benes O, Hyde TB, McNeil MM. Cluster anxiety-related adverse events following immunization (AEFI): An assessment of reports detected in social media and those identified using an online search engine. Vaccine 2018; 36:5949-5954. [PMID: 30172632 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.08.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) arising from anxiety have rarely been reported as a cluster(s) in the setting of a mass vaccination program. Reports of clusters of anxiety-related AEFIs are understudied. Social media and the web may be a resource for public health investigators. METHODS We searched Google and Facebook separately from Atlanta and Geneva to identify reports of cluster anxiety-related AEFIs. We reviewed a sample of reports summarizing year, country/setting, vaccine involved, patient symptoms, clinical management, and impact to vaccination programs. RESULTS We found 39 reports referring to 18 unique cluster events. Some reports were only found based on the geographic location from where the search was performed. The most common vaccine implicated in reports was human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (48.7%). The majority of reports (97.4%) involved children and vaccination programs in school settings or as part of national vaccination campaigns. Five vaccination programs were reportedly halted because of these cluster events. In this study, we identified 18 cluster events that were not published in traditional scientific peer-reviewed literature. CONCLUSIONS Social media and online search engines are useful resources for identifying reports of cluster anxiety-related AEFIs and the geographic location of the researcher is an important factor to consider when conducting these studies. Solely relying upon traditional peer-reviewed journals may seriously underestimate the occurrence of such cluster events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany A Suragh
- Immunization Safety Office, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States.
| | | | | | - Anagha R Loharikar
- Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Oleg Benes
- World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Terri B Hyde
- Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Michael M McNeil
- Immunization Safety Office, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States
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19
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Yap JE, Zubcevic-Basic N, Johnson LW, Lodewyckx MA. Mental health message appeals and audience engagement: Evidence from Australia. Health Promot Int 2017; 34:28-37. [DOI: 10.1093/heapro/dax062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jo En Yap
- Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Mail H23, Cnr John and Wakefield Streets, Hawthorn, Australia
| | - Nives Zubcevic-Basic
- Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Mail H23, Cnr John and Wakefield Streets, Hawthorn, Australia
| | - Lester W Johnson
- Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Mail H23, Cnr John and Wakefield Streets, Hawthorn, Australia
| | - Michaela A Lodewyckx
- North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network, Level 1 369 Royal Parade, Parkville, Australia
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20
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Gough A, Hunter RF, Ajao O, Jurek A, McKeown G, Hong J, Barrett E, Ferguson M, McElwee G, McCarthy M, Kee F. Tweet for Behavior Change: Using Social Media for the Dissemination of Public Health Messages. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2017; 3:e14. [PMID: 28336503 PMCID: PMC5383801 DOI: 10.2196/publichealth.6313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social media public health campaigns have the advantage of tailored messaging at low cost and large reach, but little is known about what would determine their feasibility as tools for inducing attitude and behavior change. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of designing, implementing, and evaluating a social media-enabled intervention for skin cancer prevention. METHODS A quasi-experimental feasibility study used social media (Twitter) to disseminate different message "frames" related to care in the sun and cancer prevention. Phase 1 utilized the Northern Ireland cancer charity's Twitter platform (May 1 to July 14, 2015). Following a 2-week "washout" period, Phase 2 commenced (August 1 to September 30, 2015) using a bespoke Twitter platform. Phase 2 also included a Thunderclap, whereby users allowed their social media accounts to automatically post a bespoke message on their behalf. Message frames were categorized into 5 broad categories: humor, shock or disgust, informative, personal stories, and opportunistic. Seed users with a notable following were contacted to be "influencers" in retweeting campaign content. A pre- and postintervention Web-based survey recorded skin cancer prevention knowledge and attitudes in Northern Ireland (population 1.8 million). RESULTS There were a total of 417,678 tweet impressions, 11,213 engagements, and 1211 retweets related to our campaign. Shocking messages generated the greatest impressions (shock, n=2369; informative, n=2258; humorous, n=1458; story, n=1680), whereas humorous messages generated greater engagement (humorous, n=148; shock, n=147; story, n=117; informative, n=100) and greater engagement rates compared with story tweets. Informative messages, resulted in the greatest number of shares (informative, n=17; humorous, n=10; shock, n=9; story, n=7). The study findings included improved knowledge of skin cancer severity in a pre- and postintervention Web-based survey, with greater awareness that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer (preintervention: 28.4% [95/335] vs postintervention: 39.3% [168/428] answered "True") and that melanoma is most serious (49.1% [165/336] vs 55.5% [238/429]). The results also show improved attitudes toward ultraviolet (UV) exposure and skin cancer with a reduction in agreement that respondents "like to tan" (60.5% [202/334] vs 55.6% [238/428]). CONCLUSIONS Social media-disseminated public health messages reached more than 23% of the Northern Ireland population. A Web-based survey suggested that the campaign might have contributed to improved knowledge and attitudes toward skin cancer among the target population. Findings suggested that shocking and humorous messages generated greatest impressions and engagement, but information-based messages were likely to be shared most. The extent of behavioral change as a result of the campaign remains to be explored, however, the change of attitudes and knowledge is promising. Social media is an inexpensive, effective method for delivering public health messages. However, existing and traditional process evaluation methods may not be suitable for social media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisling Gough
- UKCRC Centre of Excellence in Public Health Northern Ireland, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth F Hunter
- UKCRC Centre of Excellence in Public Health Northern Ireland, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Oluwaseun Ajao
- School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Jurek
- School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Gary McKeown
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Jun Hong
- School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Eimear Barrett
- UKCRC Centre of Excellence in Public Health Northern Ireland, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gerry McElwee
- Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Miriam McCarthy
- Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Frank Kee
- UKCRC Centre of Excellence in Public Health Northern Ireland, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
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