Epidemiology for Health Action via Social Media

Introduction

The process of demographic, social, and technological transition occurs naturally in all countries, appearing in either advanced or delayed stages. However, as it progresses, a parallel change in population morbidity and mortality patterns is observed. In this sense, Epidemiology becomes a vital tool for the health field, fostering studies that elucidate new trends and disease profiles in specific locations. Consequently, it provides the necessary foundation for the discussion and construction of public health policies, prevention strategies, disease control, and health promotion (TAVARES; LOVATE; ANDRADE, 2018).

By revealing a population's morbidity and mortality profile, epidemiological investigation allows health education and promotion actions to provide clear, accessible knowledge about the most relevant diseases and their prevention, facilitating activities and services that enhance the biopsychosocial well-being of individuals (CARVALHO; COHEN; AKERMAN, 2017). These primary prevention activities have the capacity to impact society as they aim for health maintenance and possess the potential to reduce waiting lines in higher complexity services. Furthermore, they can occur remotely, utilizing the internet to reach a larger audience and transcend spatial and temporal boundaries, as informative materials can be viewed anywhere and at any time (PENG et al., 2014).

Epidemiology Applied to Social Mobilization (EPIMOBS) is an extension project that works at the interface between the epidemiological situation of the municipality of Governador Valadares and its surrounding region (Eastern Macro-region of Minas Gerais) and social mobilization actions through popular health education practices. The activities carried out by EPIMOBS are related to health problems faced at the municipal level, ranging from the development of epidemiological content and podcasts to informative materials on health-related themes and the debunking of myths.

Even with the current pandemic scenario caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the EPIMOBS project did not cease its activities. Instead, it maintained its line of action intact but modified for social media (online) engagement, emphasizing information regarding COVID-19 and neglected diseases. In view of this, the project's objectives were to carry out public health actions with informative, educational, preventive, and collective characteristics, and to develop materials on health promotion for intervention in the local and regional epidemiological reality.

Methodology

After the public health demands from the Municipal Health Department of Governador Valadares (SMS) and the Regional Health Superintendence of Governador Valadares (SRS-GV) were made available, extension students and faculty advisors met to discuss and plan the EPIMOBS project's actions for 2020 within the pandemic scenario in Minas Gerais. Due to the epidemiological and academic context, the methodological approaches initially conceived had to be reformulated and directed toward mobilization through social media (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), as social distancing is a fundamental action for controlling this health crisis in our country (AQUINO et al., 2020).

Thus, students were divided into groups responsible for developing educational materials such as booklets, flashcards, quizzes, summaries, and podcasts. They also dedicated themselves to creating content to combat fake news and misinformation related to the pandemic and prevention actions. It is important to emphasize that all materials were based on Evidence-Based Health (EBH) practices, utilizing recent and reliable articles and documents, as well as protocols provided by the Ministry of Health and the State Health Department of Minas Gerais (SES-MG). Furthermore, to reach the general population, popular and accessible language was adopted, addressing the prevention and control of prevalent diseases in Minas Gerais society.

With the growing number of infected and suspected Coronavirus cases, and given that Governador Valadares and its region were among the municipalities with high morbidity and mortality rates, the project determined that greater attention should be given to the pandemic. Consequently, weekly updates of epidemiological data (new suspected, confirmed, and recovered cases; number of deaths and lethality) were posted, based on bulletins released by the SMS, SES-MG, and the Ministry of Health. Additionally, materials were developed explaining the pathophysiology of the disease simply and detailing the sanitary protection measures the population should adopt. Finally, more recently, we adapted all this information into a podcast format, providing audio explanations and updates to our target audience.

The EPIMOBS project primarily used two existing social media accounts, which together have nearly 600 steady followers, to disseminate health actions: the EPIOBS-EPIMOBS account (belonging to the EPI-Obs and EPIMOBS projects) and the EPIMED account (from the annual EPIMED-GV event), used to disseminate epidemiological concepts to the population.

Development and Discussions

The EPIMOBS project began at the start of the pandemic (March 2020) and already has over 80 publications on its social networks (Instagram and Facebook) and in collaboration with SRS-GV (podcasts on COVID-19 and Arboviruses). These publications are liked and shared daily by the population with access to such media. The podcasts are shared with health professionals (aiming mainly at the general population) across 50 municipalities in the Eastern Macro-region by the SRS-GV.

Among the themes addressed by the project, the following stand out: Arboviruses (Dengue, Zika virus, and Chikungunya), Tuberculosis, Sporotrichosis, Visceral and Tegumentary Leishmaniasis, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Leprosy, Schistosomiasis, and COVID-19. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which recorded nearly 100 million cases worldwide by January 27, 2021, and the constant need for individual protection measures, the EPIMOBS extension project sought new methods to promote health education (PAHO, 2021). Among these methods was the adoption of social media such as Facebook and Instagram—platforms created after 2010 that allow the sharing of videos and photos and are widely used by the Ministry of Health for public health themes (SARDINHA et al., 2020).

In addition to social media, EPIMOBS defined its extension activities during the pandemic through the construction of interactive podcasts using popular language. A podcast is an information and communication technology tool where knowledge is transmitted through audio interviews and lessons. This form of transmission is effective according to the VAC theory, which argues that human knowledge acquisition occurs in three ways: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. One advantage of the podcast is its accessibility, as individuals can listen to the audio using a simple communication tool like a smartphone (GOMES et al., 2019).

The production of podcasts by EPIMOBS is carried out in partnership with the SRS-GV. Two weekly podcasts are produced, covering epidemiological bulletin data for arboviruses and COVID-19 in the Eastern macro-region. In addition to this data, the podcasts address the importance of prevention measures for both.

Thus, we can perceive that the EPIMOBS project achieved its objectives by adapting its actions to the current reality and maintaining the proposed extension activities, thereby fulfilling the concept of health education proposed by the Ministry of Health:

"An educational process of knowledge construction in health that aims for the population's thematic appropriation [...]. A set of practices in the sector that contributes to increasing people's autonomy in their care and in the debate with professionals and managers to achieve health care according to their needs" (FALKENBERG; MENDES; MORAES; SOUZA, 2014, p. 848).

Conclusion

Through the social media engagement promoted by the EPIMOBS project, it is possible to establish a positive communication interface with the population and health professionals by fostering the dissemination of scientific knowledge and educational health practices. Furthermore, the production and dissemination of knowledge allowed extension students to develop a perception of the magnitude and factors involved in the shared construction of knowledge, recognizing the importance of effective social communication for their academic training and interaction with the population.

Thus, intending to continue acting alongside the SMS and SRS-GV within the perspective of Popular Health Education, the project aims to continue applying new forms of production and dissemination through effective social communication. This serves to strengthen the health surveillance of locally and regionally relevant diseases and conditions, in addition to promoting actions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and other health issues.

References

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