Impact of Social Media Use on the Development of Health Literacy

Background: Using social media to produce and present the content of the health literacy program can be effective in improving and promoting public health. This study was carried out to determine the impact of social media use on the development of health literacy. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the winter of 2022. The statistical population included all visitors to the health care centers of Ahvaz metropolis in the southwest of Iran, in which a total of 250 people participated. The standard health literacy questionnaire and the standard social media questionnaire were used to collect data. SPSS25 software was also used for data analysis. Results: The total score for using social media was 55.14 ± 14.14, and for health literacy, it was 64.18 ± 15.80, which was in the average range (upward and close to good). There was a statistically significant relationship between age (P-value < 0.001) and education (P-value = 0.005) and using social media (P-value < 0.001). In addition, the results showed that using social media affected health literacy (P-value=0.034). This study also showed that an increase in the development of health literacy decreased the use of social media (and vice versa). In addition, people who used social media asked fewer questions (regarding their health or illness) of doctors and healthcare workers (P-value < 0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that using social media affected people's health literacy, and people with low health literacy used social media more to promote and improve their health literacy. It is necessary to make the required plans for the optimal use of the potential capacities of these networks for the development of health literacy in society.