Social Media Platforms for Health Communication and Research in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross Sectional Survey in Uganda.

Objectives(1) To examine the usage of social media and other forms of media among medical students (MS) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Uganda. (2) To assess the perceived usefulness of social media and other forms of media for COVID-19 public health campaigns. DesignA descriptive WhatsApp messenger-based cross-sectional survey in April 2020. SettingMakerere University Teaching Hospitals (MUTH) and 9 of the 10 medical schools in Uganda. ParticipantsHCPs at MUTH and MS in the 9 medical schools in Uganda. Main outcome measuresWe collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, sources of information on COVID-19, preferences of social media platform and perceived usefulness of the different media platforms for acquisition of knowledge on COVID-19. ResultOverall, response rate was 21.5% for both MS and HCPs. In total, 877 (HCPS [136, 15.5%], MS [741, 85.5%]) were studied. Majority (n=555, 63.3%) were male with a median age of 24 (range: 18-66) years. Social media was a source of information for 665 (75.8%) participants. Usage was similar among MS and HCPs (565/741 (76.2%) vs. 100/136 (73.5%), p=0.5). Among the MS, commonly used social media were: WhatsApp (n=705, 95.1%) Facebook (n=405, 54.8%), Twitter (n=290, 39.1%), Instagram (n=178, 24.0) and Telegram (n=80, 10.8%). Except for WhatsApp, male MS we more likely to use the other social media platforms (p= <0.001 - 0.01). Mass media (television and radio) and social media were preferred the most useful tools for dissemination of COVID-19 related information. ConclusionMore than two-thirds of MS and HCPs are routinely using social media in Uganda. Social media platforms may be used for dissemination of information as well as a research tool among MS and HCPs. Social media alongside other media platforms can also be used as sources of reliable information on COVID-19 as well as for dissemination of research findings and guidelines. O_LSTStrengths and limitationsC_LSTO_LIThis is the first study in sub Saharan Africa on the use of social media for research during the COVID-19 pandemic. C_LIO_LIThe study also explores perceived usefulness of different media for COVID-19 public health campaigns. C_LIO_LIDiversity of the participants consisting both healthcare professionals and medical students. C_LIO_LIA relatively large sample size was enrolled in the survey despite a low response rate. C_LI