A feasibility study examining the impact of an Instagram intervention to improve awareness of antimicrobial resistance among undergraduate students

BackgroundSocial media offers opportunities to deliver and disseminate health interventions. Social media campaigns have been found to be effective in raising public awareness of health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic but little social media is used to raise awareness on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). ObjectiveTo study the potential of Instagram as a tool for promoting awareness and understanding of AMR among undergraduate students. Methods and AnalysisA 3-month Instagram-based educational intervention with messages about AMR was implemented from January to April 2024 guided by the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). The planning phase involved two co-design sessions and two key-informant interviews which informed the AMR messages. To evaluate the impact of the intervention, pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted to measure knowledge levels of students. A focus group was also conducted six months post-intervention to assess impacts of the social media intervention. Engagement was calculated by the follower count and reach of the post. Results402 students answered the pre-intervention survey and 78 answered the post-intervention survey. 128 students signed up for the intervention by following the Instagram account. A total of 36 messages were posted during the intervention with an overall engagement of 2% by reach. The average likes per post was 14. The co-design sessions and key-informant interviews highlighted visual appeal and content clarity as most important with a preference for simple and concise health information, formal language and user interaction through quizzes. Our findings demonstrate that awareness-raising alone is insufficient and the initial development of understanding and motivation through the early-stage processes of change must be supported by mechanisms which enhance commitment, habit formation and environmental reinforcement. ConclusionA multi-channel planned intervention targeting the different stages of change is needed to ensure long-term knowledge retention.