A short summary of the project’s aims:

Social media serves as a powerful platform for public health agencies to promote population health. However, there is limited understanding of which types of social media messages are linked to specific health outcomes and how to engage audiences effectively online. To address this gap, the current project aims to (1) explore the health information shared by health agencies on social media in Singapore, and (2) examine how public consumption of this information impacts health outcomes. Specifically, Study 1 utilizes topic modelling to analyse social media posts from the Singapore Health Promotion Board, revealing that the agency disseminates various types of health information (e.g., disease prevention, self-management, and health services). However, engagement with online audiences remains low (e.g., organisational disclosure, audience interaction, and community building). Study 2 examines how individuals’ scanning and seeking of health topics identified in Study 1 influence their knowledge, attitude, and behaviour through a two-wave panel survey. The findings from this project will not only expand health information models by considering both the types and uses of health information on social media but also help health agencies develop more targeted and engaging health communication strategies in the digital age.