IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i19p11942-d921024.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Portuguese Health Entities Used Social Media to Face the Public Health Emergency during COVID-19 Disease

Author

Listed:
  • Daniela Azevedo

    (Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal)

  • Ana Isabel Plácido

    (Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal)

  • Maria Teresa Herdeiro

    (Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal)

  • Fátima Roque

    (Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal
    Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal)

  • Vítor Roque

    (Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal)

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media became an important and easily accessible source of information to keep the population informed. In this study, we explored how Portuguese health entities used social media during the public health emergency caused by COVID-19 disease. Methods: A retrospective study on Portuguese public health entities’ communication with the public using social media platforms was performed. Data were retrieved from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All retrieved posts were analyzed, and the engagement of the public was calculated. A thematic analysis of all COVID-19-related posts was conducted. Results: The analysis of each social media platform revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, health entities reinforced their presence on social media platforms. The most published posts were related to “epidemiological context” and “encouragement to take actions” to avoid the spread of COVID-19. High engagement frames were not associated with the most frequently published posts. Conclusions: Although health entities have reinforced their presence on social media platforms, they do not take full advantage of these platforms to improve health literacy.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniela Azevedo & Ana Isabel Plácido & Maria Teresa Herdeiro & Fátima Roque & Vítor Roque, 2022. "How Portuguese Health Entities Used Social Media to Face the Public Health Emergency during COVID-19 Disease," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-13, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:11942-:d:921024
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/11942/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/11942/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. repec:cup:judgdm:v:15:y:2020:i:6:p:1037-1043 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Bernadette Hyland-Wood & John Gardner & Julie Leask & Ullrich K. H. Ecker, 2021. "Toward effective government communication strategies in the era of COVID-19," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Sara Valente de Almeida & Eduardo Costa & Francisca Vargas Lopes & João Vasco Santos & Pedro Pita Barros, 2020. "Concerns and adjustments: How the Portuguese population met COVID-19," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Ana Isabel Plácido & Maria Teresa Herdeiro & João Lindo Simões & Odete Amaral & Adolfo Figueiras & Fátima Roque, 2020. "Voices of Polymedicated Older Patients: A Focus Group Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-10, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ana Isabel Plácido & Maria Teresa Herdeiro & Fátima Roque, 2022. "Health and Wellbeing in Aging," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-3, July.
    2. Loiacono, Luisa & Puglisi, Riccardo & Rizzo, Leonzio & Secomandi, Riccardo, 2022. "Pandemic knowledge and regulation effectiveness: Evidence from COVID-19," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 768-783.
    3. Tassisius Muzivi, 2022. "An Effective and Prompt Assessment of Good Corporate Governance on Public Sector Entities- Evaluation of Ideal Best Practices," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 6(1), pages 690-698, January.
    4. Shin-Ae Hong, 2023. "COVID-19 vaccine communication and advocacy strategy: a social marketing campaign for increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake in South Korea," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Marta Estrela & Maria Teresa Herdeiro & Pedro Lopes Ferreira & Fátima Roque, 2020. "The Use of Antidepressants, Anxiolytics, Sedatives and Hypnotics in Europe: Focusing on Mental Health Care in Portugal and Prescribing in Older Patients," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-12, November.
    6. Kelly Cosgrove & Maricarmen Vizcaino & Christopher Wharton, 2021. "COVID-19-Related Changes in Perceived Household Food Waste in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-11, January.
    7. Wheatley Dawn, 2022. "Irish audiences and news information from official sources during Covid-19," Administration, Sciendo, vol. 70(3), pages 7-32, August.
    8. Ding, Hongxiang & Zhang, Junyi, 2021. "Dynamic associations between temporal behavior changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and subjective assessments of policymaking: A case study in Japan," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 58-70.
    9. Alicia M. Paul & Clarice Lee & Berhaun Fesshaye & Rachel Gur-Arie & Eleonor Zavala & Prachi Singh & Ruth A. Karron & Rupali J. Limaye, 2022. "Conceptualizing the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives of Pregnant and Lactating Women, Male Community Members, and Health Workers in Kenya," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-14, August.
    10. Shalini Upadhyay & Nitin Upadhyay, 2023. "Mapping crisis communication in the communication research: what we know and what we don’t know," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-19, December.
    11. Uma Shankar Yadav & Ravindra Tripathi & Mano Ashish Tripathi & Ashish Kumar & Mitu Mandal, 2023. "Evaluation of factors affecting entrepreneurship: a case of Indian women in the handicraft industry," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, December.
    12. Peer Henri Kieweg & Stefanie Schöberl & Gabriele Palozzi, 2021. "The Role of Communication In COVID-19 Crisis Management: Findings about Information Behavior of German and Italian Young People," International Journal of Business Research and Management (IJBRM), Computer Science Journals (CSC Journals), vol. 12(5), pages 263-288, October.
    13. Jida Liu & Zheng Fu & Yuwei Song & Ruining Ma & Zebin Zhao, 2024. "How to improve the effectiveness of the cooperation networks of emergency science communication for public health emergencies," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    14. Boqiang Lin & Huanyu Jia, 2023. "The role of peers in promoting energy conservation among Chinese university students," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    15. Eleanor Redwood & Karice Hyun & John French & Derek Chew & Leonard Kritharides & David Brieger, 2022. "Impact of the “Warning Signs Campaign” on Characteristics of Patients Presenting with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) to Hospitals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-7, August.
    16. Ana Margarida Alves & Alexandre Rodrigues & Pedro Sa-Couto & João Lindo Simões, 2021. "Effect of an Educational Nursing Intervention on the Mental Adjustment of Patients with Chronic Arterial Hypertension: An Interventional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-22, December.
    17. Melody M. Terras & Dominic Jarrett & Sharon A. McGregor, 2021. "The Importance of Accessible Information in Promoting the Inclusion of People with an Intellectual Disability," Disabilities, MDPI, vol. 1(3), pages 1-19, June.
    18. Bin Yang & Naipeng Chao & Cheng-Jun Wang, 2023. "A solid camp with flowing soldiers: heterogeneous public engagement with science communication on Twitter," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    19. Van Thanh Vu, 2021. "Public Trust in Government and Compliance with Policy during COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Evidence from Vietnam," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 779-796, December.
    20. Andrey A. Zaytsev & Roman S. Blizkyi & Irina I. Rakhmeeva & Nikolay D. Dmitriev, 2021. "Building a Model for Financial Management of Digital Technologies in the Areas of Combinatorial Effects," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-15, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:11942-:d:921024. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.