Isabelle Graf1, Hanna Gerwing2, Karolin Hoefer3, Daniel Ehlebracht4, Hildegard Christ5, Bert Braumann2. 1. Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: isabelle.graf@uk-koeln.de. 2. Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. 3. Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. 4. Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. 5. Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: In modern health care, social media has become an important tool for both patients and professionals. On platforms like Twitter and Instagram, patients can express their experiences, attitudes, and emotions regarding their orthodontic treatment or the available treatment options. This study aimed to investigate orthodontic-related social media use by analyzing the contents of posts made by patients and/or peers and exploring potential differences of users' attitudes on Twitter and Instagram. METHODS: During a 30-day period, we collected 361 orthodontic-related posts-153 from Twitter and 208 from Instagram-using the same search strategy on both platforms. A mixed-methods approach was applied. First, all posts were structured according to a qualitative content analysis. Subsequently, quantitative analysis was performed to detect potential differences between posts on Twitter and Instagram. RESULTS: The following main themes were identified: "Getting braces" and "Getting braces removed," "Limitations due to braces," "Seeking information," and "Comedy." In addition to this classification, all posts were categorized as positive, negative, or neutral. Pictures and emoticons were frequently used to express experiences, attitudes, and emotions regarding orthodontic appliances. There were significant differences between posts on Twitter and those on Instagram; that is, the latter contained more posts that were categorized as positive. CONCLUSIONS: To date, only a few studies addressed the role of social media for orthodontic patients. This study provided insights into the experiences, attitudes, and emotions of patients and their peers regarding orthodontics and helped to reveal the potential impact of social media use on the field of orthodontics. Attention must be paid to the functional differences between Twitter and Instagram because these might lead patients to express themselves in specific ways.
INTRODUCTION: In modern health care, social media has become an important tool for both patients and professionals. On platforms like Twitter and Instagram, patients can express their experiences, attitudes, and emotions regarding their orthodontic treatment or the available treatment options. This study aimed to investigate orthodontic-related social media use by analyzing the contents of posts made by patients and/or peers and exploring potential differences of users' attitudes on Twitter and Instagram. METHODS: During a 30-day period, we collected 361 orthodontic-related posts-153 from Twitter and 208 from Instagram-using the same search strategy on both platforms. A mixed-methods approach was applied. First, all posts were structured according to a qualitative content analysis. Subsequently, quantitative analysis was performed to detect potential differences between posts on Twitter and Instagram. RESULTS: The following main themes were identified: "Getting braces" and "Getting braces removed," "Limitations due to braces," "Seeking information," and "Comedy." In addition to this classification, all posts were categorized as positive, negative, or neutral. Pictures and emoticons were frequently used to express experiences, attitudes, and emotions regarding orthodontic appliances. There were significant differences between posts on Twitter and those on Instagram; that is, the latter contained more posts that were categorized as positive. CONCLUSIONS: To date, only a few studies addressed the role of social media for orthodontic patients. This study provided insights into the experiences, attitudes, and emotions of patients and their peers regarding orthodontics and helped to reveal the potential impact of social media use on the field of orthodontics. Attention must be paid to the functional differences between Twitter and Instagram because these might lead patients to express themselves in specific ways.
Authors: Matheus Lotto; Tamires Sá Menezes; Irfhana Zakir Hussain; Shu-Feng Tsao; Zahid Ahmad Butt; Plinio P Morita; Thiago Cruvinel Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2022-05-19 Impact factor: 7.076