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Impact of Social Media Health Campaigns on Health Information-Seeking Behaviour among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Social media has become an important channel for disseminating health information, particularly among young adults who frequently use digital platforms for communication, learning, entertainment, and information seeking. Social media health campaigns use platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, and other digital channels to disseminate health messages, promote healthy behaviours, provide information about diseases and prevention, and direct individuals to credible healthcare resources. University students constitute an important population for social media health communication because of their high exposure to digital technologies and frequent use of online platforms. Health information-seeking behaviour refers to the ways individuals actively search for, access, evaluate, compare, and use health-related information from social media, websites, healthcare professionals, digital platforms, and other information sources. In Nigeria, university students may encounter both credible health information and misinformation through social media, making the quality, accessibility, and credibility of online health communication important factors in health-information seeking. Effective social media health campaigns may improve students' awareness of reliable health information sources, encourage active health-information seeking, and promote verification of information before use. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of social media health campaigns on health information-seeking behaviour among university students in Nigeria. The study is anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the Uses and Gratifications Theory. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between health information exposure, self-efficacy, observational learning, social influences, and digital environments in shaping health-related information-seeking behaviour. The Technology Acceptance Model provides a framework for understanding students' acceptance and use of social media-based health information based on perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitudes toward digital health communication, and behavioural intention. Uses and Gratifications Theory explains how individuals actively select and use media channels to satisfy specific information needs, including health-information needs. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how social media health campaigns may influence health information-seeking behaviour among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. Primary data will be collected from undergraduate students in selected Nigerian universities using a structured self-administered questionnaire, social media health campaign exposure assessment, and health information-seeking behaviour scale. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select universities, faculties or departments, academic levels, and eligible students. Where feasible, selected student groups or university settings will be assigned to intervention and comparison groups. Students in the intervention group will be exposed to a structured social media health campaign developed around relevant health topics and delivered through appropriate social media platforms. The campaign will provide credible and evidence-based information on disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, vaccination, health service utilization, and other relevant health concerns. Students will also be guided on identifying credible health sources, verifying health claims, recognizing misinformation, and appropriately accessing professional healthcare information. Health information-seeking behaviour will be assessed using indicators such as frequency of seeking health information, preferred information sources, use of social media for health-information searches, verification of online health information, consultation of credible health websites or healthcare professionals, comparison of information from multiple sources, and use of obtained information in making health-related decisions. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' sociodemographic characteristics, social media use, exposure to health campaigns, preferred information sources, and health information-seeking patterns. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired-sample tests, independent-sample tests, and multiple regression analysis, will be used to determine the impact of social media health campaigns on health information-seeking behaviour. Where appropriate, information-seeking behaviour before and after exposure to the campaign will be compared. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability of the research instruments, model assumptions, goodness of fit, multicollinearity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that social media health campaigns have a significant positive impact on health information-seeking behaviour among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to credible and well-designed social media health campaigns are expected to demonstrate increased frequency of seeking health information, greater use of reliable health-information sources, improved verification of health information, and increased willingness to consult healthcare professionals when necessary. Campaigns that use concise, understandable, visually engaging, culturally appropriate, and evidence-based messages are expected to encourage greater interaction with credible health information. The use of trusted healthcare professionals, public health organizations, universities, and other credible sources is expected to strengthen students' confidence in campaign messages. However, exposure to social media health campaigns alone may not guarantee appropriate information-seeking behaviour because students may continue to encounter misinformation, conflicting health claims, algorithm-driven content, privacy concerns, information overload, and unreliable online sources. Consequently, social media health campaigns may be most effective when combined with digital health literacy education, credible information sources, fact-checking guidance, and clear links to professional healthcare services. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on social media health campaigns, health information-seeking behaviour, digital health communication, health education, digital health literacy, university students, health communication, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the impact of social media-based health communication on students' health-information seeking. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, universities, university health centres, public health agencies, healthcare professionals, health educators, digital health organizations, communication specialists, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving the dissemination and use of credible health information among young adults. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening social media health campaigns, improving digital health communication strategies, promoting health-information verification, addressing online health misinformation, increasing student engagement with credible health sources, and integrating social media into university-based health education and health-promotion programmes in Nigeria.

Keywords: Social media health campaigns, health information-seeking behaviour, university students, Nigeria, social media, health communication, health education, digital health, digital health literacy, health information, health promotion, misinformation, public health communication, health behaviour.