Government Social Media Engagement and Health Perceptions During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

ABSTRACTGovernment social media (GSM) accounts were increasingly used by governments worldwide to support strategic crisis communication efforts during the global COVID-19 pandemic, particularly to influence people’s perceptions and behaviors. However, little is known about the potential connections between users’ engagement on GSM platforms and their own health perceptions regarding COVID-19 and related preventive behaviors. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective and drawing on the Health Belief Model (HBM), the present study employed a survey research method to collect data from 2,163 Facebook followers of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in Lebanon. The collected data was subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate Pearson’s correlation tests. The findings reveal a significant association between active information-seeking on the MoPH Facebook page and all HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers), while passive exposure was associated with three of these constructs. GSM participation, including liking, commenting, and sharing, was significantly associated with perceived severity and benefits. These novel insights represent an initial step towards a deeper understanding of the purposeful and influential use of GSM during health crises. Theoretical contributions and policy implications are discussed in detail. AcknowledgmentsThe authors extend their sincere gratitude to Mrs. Lina Abour Mrad, the Director of the National E-Health Program in the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, along with her team members, Mrs. Zeinab Krayem and Mrs. Farah Mousa, for their valuable feedback on the survey process and their invaluable support in facilitating the posting of the online survey.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).