Can social media encourage young Polish adults to visit a dermatologist? An original study.

INTRODUCTION

Social media (SM) play an important role in contemporary world, influencing all areas of life, including dermatology, as people are often obtaining medical knowledge from content-sharing platforms on the Internet.

AIM

The objective of this study was to evaluate if Polish adults aged 18-35 follow dermatological news on SM, which platforms and contents they find the most interesting and to assess if SM content can encourage them to visit a healthcare professional.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Online questionnaires were distributed from January to March 2024 among young adult people from Poland. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics.

RESULTS

44% of respondents confirmed that SM content prompted them to visit a dermatologist. The most popular platform was Instagram. The main reason for visiting a specialist was the desire to improve the appearance of one's skin. In 34% of the cases, the dermatological examination revealed skin disease. According to 92% of respondents, SM can have a positive impact on the willingness to visit a dermatologist.

CONCLUSIONS

81% of young Polish adults read dermatology-related content on SM. The main areas of interest were skincare and skin diseases. Almost half of the respondents were encouraged by SM to visit a dermatologist, with 56% consistency of diagnosis made by a healthcare professional and SM user.