Objective:
This research aimed at identifying which types of social media content could achieve higher engagement rate and encourage smokers' motivational language. Intervention contents were classified according to motivational interviewing (MI) strategies.
Methods:
We categorized the included 701 Facebook posts (N=701) into five different groups according to specific MI strategies. Entertaining and informative strategies were in the control group. Facebook users’ interactions were the primary outcomes (engagement rate, negative feedback, and fan-total reach ratio). The comments reflecting smokers’ motivational language were the secondary outcomes (change talk and sustain talk).
Results:MI strategies achieved significantly higher engagement rate, higher fan-total reach ratio, and evoked more change talk. “Elaborating change talk” strategies elicited considerably more change talk. “Affirming change talk” strategies obtained higher fan-total reach ratio and generated significantly more change talk. “Relational MI” strategies achieved significantly higher engagement rate.
Conclusions:
This study offers an important insight into the Facebook post creating for public health professionals who design Facebook-based interventions. These MI strategies can increase the engagement rate: ”Building Partnership” and ”Expressing Empathy”. These MI strategies can reach more fans: ”Affirming Change Talk” and ”Reflecting Change Talk” strategies. Finally, these MI strategies can support smoking cessation: ”Elaborating Change Talk” and ”Affirming Change Talk” strategies.
Source: Pócs D, Óvári T, Watti J, Hamvai Cs, Kelemen O. How to create social media contents based on Motivational Interviewing approach to support tobacco use cessation? A content analysis. Journal of Substance Use 2021; DOI: 10.1080/14659891.2021.1967484. [Full preprint with appendix is available at ResearchGate.]