Epilepsy on social media: An exploratory study of Arabic language content

Epilepsy Behav. 2021 Jun 6;121(Pt A):108089. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108089. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThis exploratory study provides an overview of Arabic language content for epilepsy available on three social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, from the time that the platforms came into being up to the end of the year 2020. Two Arabic keywords that mean "epilepsy" and "convulsion" were used on the search engine of each platform to extract related content. Two reviews were conducted for 300 randomly selected pages, accounts, and videos from a total of 795 related published ones on the targeted platforms. Results revealed that Arabic language content related to epilepsy on social media platforms has been available for about one decade. Various sources from almost all Arab countries contributed to the content. Most of the content (43%) was from medical and healthcare professionals and institutions. Definition and classification of epilepsy were the most common topics (21%) within posts and shares. Moreover, seeking information and advice were the dominant types of engagement found among users (32%). Findings of the study suggest that more attention on content for underrepresented topics is required and that enhanced engagement by health professionals and specialists with the users on social media platforms would be beneficial. Implications for current use and available content related to epilepsy on social media, as well as related recommendations, are inc...
Source: Epilepsy and Behaviour - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research