Analysis of "Dr Ding Xiang" on WeChat in China to Determine Factors Influencing Readership on Medical Social Media: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND

With the rapid expansion of social media platforms, the demand for health information has increased substantially, leading to innovative approaches and new opportunities in health education.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to analyze the characteristics of articles published on the "Dr Ding Xiang" WeChat official account (WOA), one of the most popular institutional accounts on the WeChat platform, to identify factors influencing readership engagement and to propose strategies for enhancing the effectiveness of health information dissemination.

METHODS

A total of 5286 articles published on the "Dr Ding Xiang" WOA from January 2021 to December 2021 were collected and analyzed. Additionally, a random sample of 324 articles was selected for detailed text analysis. Univariate analysis was conducted using the chi-square test, and multivariate analysis was performed using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

In 2021, the total number of reads for "Dr Ding Xiang" articles reached 323,479,841, with an average of 61,196 reads per article. Articles exceeding 100,000 reads accounted for 33.90% of the total. Most articles were published during the time slots of 8:00-10:00 AM, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and 8:30-10:30 PM. Analysis indicated that the order of publication, style of the title sentence, number of likes, number of in-views, total likes on comments, and number of replies to comments were significantly associated with an article's number of reads. Text analysis further revealed that the article's reasoning approaches and concluding methods also had a significant impact on readership.

CONCLUSIONS

To enhance readership and the effectiveness of health communication, health-focused WOAs should consider key factors such as optimal publication timing, engaging title design, and effective content structuring. Attention to these elements can improve user engagement and support the broader dissemination of health information.