Social Media Usage Intervention Experiment for Enhanced Personal Healthcare Management of Predominant Chronic Diseases: The Case of Graduate Students of Selected Ethiopian Universities

Background: Chronic diseases are a global concern and though many studies have been conducted, there is still scant information when it comes to postgraduate students. Leveraging social media for health education can fill this gap, empowering students to manage chronic conditions, seek timely care, and enhance overall well-being. Objective: The objective of this research was to assess the influence of social media on postgraduate students’ personalised management of predominant chronic diseases (diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease) using an experimental approach. Methods: An experimental research design was employed. A total of 282 postgraduate students from four Ethiopian universities: Jimma, Mizan-Teppi, Adama, and Bonga were sampled and a stratified random sampling ensured proportional representation. Control and experimental groups were formed, with 141 students in each. Pre- and post-intervention data were collected. Contents validated by physicians were released on social media for the experimental group during the study period, while the control group never received such an intervention. A comparative analysis of measurement outcomes between control and experimental groups was done using Mean scores and paired [Formula: see text]-tests. Results: The baseline data indicated that there is no significant difference between the groups. Post-intervention data, however, revealed that the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in various healthcare knowledge and management dimensions. The rate of specific diagnoses within the control group increased from 7.8% to 86.5% in the experimental group. Likewise, the utilisation of the platform for healthcare purposes saw an increase from 14.2% prior to the experiment to 40.4% following the experiment. The comparative analysis of measurements before and after the intervention in both the control and experimental groups revealed a significant increase in mean values with the experimental group yielding a paired [Formula: see text]-test [Formula: see text]-value of 0.00 for all assessments, whereas for the control group, there is no significant increase. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the tailored multimedia-rich intervention had a significant and positive effect on the experimental group, with marked improvements across all measured outcomes after the intervention. By accommodating the time constraints of graduate students, the approach successfully enhanced their understanding of chronic diseases. Furthermore, the intervention promoted informed health decision-making and highlighted the vital role of social media in raising healthcare awareness and engagement among graduate students. These findings underscore the potential of targeted, flexible, and media-enriched educational strategies in public health promotion within academic settings.