Uptake and effectiveness of an Instagram intervention on AMR for undergraduate students

Abstract Background With the large volume, diversity and amount of information shared on social media, this offers opportunities to deliver and disseminate health interventions through these platforms. Social media campaigns have been found to be effective in raising public awareness of health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media is however not widely used to raise awareness on antimicrobial prescribing and resistance. Aim To study the potential of Instagram as a tool for promoting awareness and understanding of critical health issues such as AMR among undergraduate students. Methods A 3-month Instagram-based educational intervention with Instagram posts with messages on AMR was implemented from January to April 2024. The planning phase involved two co-design sessions and two key-informant interviews, which provided valuable insights and guidance for structuring the intervention. The messages on AMR were developed based on the planning phase to ensure relevance and effectiveness. To evaluate the impact of the intervention, pre and post-intervention surveys were conducted to measure the knowledge levels of the participants. Results 126 students signed up for the intervention by following the instagram account and filling the pre-intervention survey. A total of 36 messages were posted during the intervention with an engagement of 2.5% and a daily engagement of 4.6%. The average likes per post was 14. Conclusions Type of message and change in knowledge on AMR will be explored to inform future Instagram AMR awareness campaigns. Key messages • Social media interventions can be effective in raising awareness when co-designed with the target audience. • A good content mix with engaging short format content is key in capturing the attention of the target audience on social media.