Social media and health information: The effectiveness of the “ask the paediatricians” Facebook group for childcare

Abstract

This study assessed social media use for childcare information among members of the “Ask the Pediatricians” Facebook group. This study was anchored on Uses and Gratification and Media Dependency theories. Four objectives were explicitly raised for the study, they are: to find out the nature of childcare information questions raised on the ‘Ask the Pediatricians Facebook group; to assess the level of pediatricians’ responsiveness to information requests of members of the ‘ask the Pediatricians Facebook group; to assess the accuracy of responses given by the pediatricians on childcare questions raised by parents on the group; to find out the challenges associated with the use of the group for childcare consultations. A survey research method was employed for the study. Four hundred (400) copies of the questionnaire in Google form were sent to respondents online, and only 385 responded. Data were analyzed using a simple frequency table. Findings from the study revealed that members of the “Ask the Pediatricians” group on Facebook usually asked questions related to the health conditions of their children, and such questions, as revealed by the study, range from infant health, food introduction, teething, breastfeeding to child growth and development. The Pediatricians in the group responded to these questions well within the space of 10 to 20 minutes, and parents considered the doctors’ responses to be very accurate. Challenges associated with using the group for childcare consultations were also identified as a lack of social media confidentiality and a lack of internet and constant electricity. Therefore, health professionals and organizations should use social media groups to influence parents positively.