BACKGROUND

The burgeoning rise in social media use has revolutionized information dissemination, rendering social media a vital tool for promoting health campaigns and enhancing 2-way health communication between senders and users. Health planners and policy makers consider social media platforms (SMPs) vital for transferring useful health information to the public. However, there are important concerns about the decision makers' perceptions of the evolving role of social media in health promotion and education campaigns.

OBJECTIVE

This qualitative study explored how decision makers perceive the role of social media in health promotion and education. We aimed to shed light on strategic efficacy, real-world challenges, and valuable prospects of using social media for health communication.

METHODS

We adopted a qualitative research method involving in-depth, semistructured, face-to-face interviews. We included 13 participants from government and private health care sectors in the Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia, who were key players and decision makers in health care programs and reforms. Data were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes and patterns.

RESULTS

Five main themes were identified: (1) use of social media (frequency, type of content, target audience, purpose of communication), (2) perceptions of decision makers (how social media influences public health behavior), (3) benefits, (4) challenges, and (5) implications for future use. Participants recognized the positive role of SMPs in spreading health information, particularly in health promotion and awareness campaigns. Communication emerged as a key concept, and WhatsApp, X (Twitter), and Facebook were recognized as major platforms for digital health literacy. The participants used these applications extensively for communication with colleagues, patients, and the public, intending discussion, information exchange, and health promotion campaigns. Content inaccuracy and reliability were identified as major challenges. Furthermore, misinformation and social inequalities were identified as barriers to effective communication. Participants suggested that social media influencers play a more effective role in information dissemination than the health care staff. Far-reaching audiences, visually appealing and engaging content using videos and graphics, and assessing campaign effectiveness using metrics, such as views, shares, likes, and comments, were recognized as major benefits of social media. Participants stressed the promising role of social media in the future as technological advancements in eHealth could revolutionize health care.

CONCLUSIONS

SMPs play a vital role in sharing information about health-related initiatives. This research highlights the complexities and potential challenges of using social media for health promotion in Saudi Arabia. It emphasizes the need to develop strategies to combat misinformation, address privacy and confidentiality concerns, and ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards. Encouraging communication among key stakeholders, including health promotion experts, government organizations, social media companies, and the general public, can help establish effective guidelines and protocols to overcome the challenges.