Background

Many public health institutions and research organizations use social media to disseminate results, recruit study participants, or provide prevention messages. In addition, influencers distribute their own health knowledge, attitudes, or products via social media. However, hardly any established standards can assess and evaluate the success of social media activities for prevention and health promotion.

Purpose of the study

This study aims to identify relevant and available success indicators for social media activities for prevention and health promotion in an expert consensus process.  

Study lead

This study is being conducted by the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS under the lead of PD Dr. Tilman Brand.

Study procedure

If you agree to participate in the study, you will participate in 1-2 survey rounds using the Delphi method with approximately 40 other European social media experts. The survey rounds are anonymous and take place online via LimeSurvey. Each survey round takes about 10 minutes. At the beginning of each survey round, we will ask you a few details about your person (i.e., country, professional role, years of experience in public health/health promotion/social media, primary area of expertise, social media platforms used). We will then ask you to assess a pre-defined list of success indicators of social media activities for prevention and health promotion. You are invited to add important indicators to you that are missing from the list. In addition, we will ask you to participate in an online group discussion via Zoom with five to eleven other European social media experts. The online group discussion will last approximately 60 minutes and be recorded using a recording device.

Data collection and confidentiality

Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential. All information about your participation in this study will be used exclusively for scientific purposes and following EU general Data Protection Regulation. To be able to contact you, we have stored a list with your contact details (your name and your email address) in a protected folder at BIPS. This list is not connected to any answers that you provide during the Delphi rounds and will be deleted by 31.12.2025.

The online surveys (Delphi rounds 1 and 2) are anonymous, i.e., it is impossible to trace whether a person who has been contacted has taken part in the survey. The online survey(s) data is stored on BIPS servers. The analysis data set is stored in a digital project folder that can only be accessed by members of the BIPS study team. The data set is stored for 10 years after completion of the study and then deleted (31.12.2035).

To participate in the online group discussion, all participants sign a digital non-disclosure agreement, in which they undertake to treat all statements made by persons participating in the online group discussion round as strictly confidential. The digitally signed non-disclosure agreement will be stored in the BIPS project folder and deleted at the end of the study (31.12.2025). The online group discussion will be recorded using a device not connected to the internet and then stored in the BIPS project folder. The audio recording of the online group discussion will be transcribed and deleted after the correction hearing (31.12.2025). During the transcription process, the content is anonymized. This means that all personally identifying information is deleted or changed so that it is impossible to assign the research data to a person. The anonymized transcript will be kept for 10 years after the end of the project for scientific review and then deleted (31.12.2035). Consequently, you can withdraw your consent after the online group discussion, but your contribution can no longer be deleted because it can no longer be assigned to you personally.

Risks and benefits

There are no risks for you, as you only participate in 1-2 two online survey rounds and possibly an online group discussion. By participating, you help us to identify relevant and available success indicators for social media activities for prevention and health promotion.

Voluntary participation

Participation in the study is entirely voluntary. You are not obliged to participate in the study and can refuse to answer specific questions. You can withdraw your participation anytime without giving reasons or incurring any disadvantages. On request, we will provide you with information about your existing contact data and correct or delete it or restrict its processing at your request. We also want to draw your attention to the statutory right to complain with a supervisory authority.

Contact

For questions or concerns about the study, please contact: 

PD Dr. Tilman Brand

Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS

Department of Prevention and Evaluation

Phone: +49 (0)421 218 56917

E-Mail: brand@leibniz-bips.de

Download the study information

References

1. Percentage of active social media users in the population in selected European countries in February 2025 [Graph] [Internet]. Statista. [cited 27/03/2025]. Available from: https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/209186/umfrage/zugriff-auf-social-media-via-mobiler-endgeraete-in-ausgewaehlten-laendern/.

2. Neiger BL, Thackeray R, Van Wagenen SA, Hanson CL, West JH, Barnes MD, et al. Use of social media in health promotion: purposes, key performance indicators, and evaluation metrics. Health Promot Pract. 2012;13(2):159-64.

3. Manera K, Hanson CS, Gutman T, Tong A. Consensus Methods: Nominal Group Technique. In: Liamputtong P, editor. Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2019. p. 737-50.

4. Kuckartz U, Rädiker S. Qualitative content analysis. Methods, practice, computer support. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa; 2021.

5. Nasa P, Jain R, Juneja D. Delphi methodology in healthcare research: How to decide its appropriateness. World J Methodol. 2021;11(4):116-29.

6. Ahmed F, Ahmad G, Brand T, Zeeb H. Key indicators for appraising adolescent sexual and reproductive health in South Asia: international expert consensus exercise using the Delphi technique. Glob Health Action. 2020;13(1):1830555.