COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES IN HEALTH EDUCATION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC DISEASES: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Social media have emerged as promising tools for health education, especially among people with chronic diseases, which represent a major cause of global mortality. This integrative review aimed to analyze the communication strategies used on social networks focused on health education for individuals with chronic conditions. The search was carried out in the PubMed, LILACS, and SciELO databases, considering publications between 2014 and 2024. Eight studies that met the eligibility criteria were included. Facebook was the most used platform, followed by YouTube, Instagram, and mobile applications with social functions. The main strategies included educational videos, live streams, co-created content, gamification, and multichannel campaigns. Reported impacts involved improved health knowledge, behavioral changes, and strengthened emotional support. It is concluded that evidence-based and context-adapted interventions can make social media effective and accessible resources for health education and self-care in chronic disease management.

Keywords: Digital health literacy; Digital interventions; Health promotion.