Social media and health behaviour in Sub Saharan Africa

Abstract

Social media has become an influential tool in causing Health Behavioral change globally and more especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. This study sought to analyze and model the Health Behavioral changes that were being presented through the use of social media using social cognitive and learning theories. A quantitative research approach encompassing descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and Structural Equation Modeling techniques was applied. A survey research design was implemented using questionnaires. Data were analyzed and presented using quantitative methods. Purposive sampling was used to select three countries from the Sub-Sahara Africa region – including Uganda in East Africa, Cameroon in Central Africa and Nigeria in West Africa. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 150 survey respondents from each of these three countries. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, correlation and Multiple Hierarchical Regressions, and Structural Equation Modeling techniques. Findings indicated that Cognitive Factors significantly influenced Health Behaviors as well as Self-Regulation; Self-Regulation had a significant positive relationship with Health Behavior as well as External Locus of Control; External Locus of Control had a positive significant relationship with Health Behavior; Outcome Expectations positively influenced External Locus of Control; Age Sensitivity negatively influenced Health Behavior; Age Sensitivity positively moderates the relationship between Cognitive Factors and Self-Regulation; Self-Regulation has a partial mediation effect on the relationship between Cognitive Factors and Health Behavior; Self- Regulation and External Locus of Control had a partial mediation effect in the relationship between Cognitive Factors and Health Behavior; Self-Regulation has a partial mediation effect in the relationship between Age Sensitivity and Health Behavior; External Locus of Control has a partial mediation effect in the relationship between Self-Regulation and Health Behavior. Generally, the current study provides empirical evidence in examining the cognitive and social learning theories on Health Behavioral change. The three theories were triangulated and tested to see how bet they explained the learning of new Health Behaviors by social media users in Sub- Saharan Africa. This was probably the first study that investigated social media and Health Behavioral change in the region. As had been indicated in chapter one, most studies on e-health concentrated mainly technology transfer, adoption and sustainability. Little or nothing had been done on investigating the Health Behavioral implications caused by adoption and usage of technology especially social media. Specifically, this study makes a contribution to the body of knowledge on social media and Health Behavior by proposing a model for social media and Health Behavior. The proposed model was tested on empirical data and found to adequately explain how and why individuals learned new Health Behaviors via social media. Since Outcome Expectations were found to positively affect External Locus of Control of social media users, it is important for social media platforms to be designed in such a way that they will make its users better and more acceptable people in society. The also recommends online community education, sensitization and policing programs to help educate the careless learners on the dangers of learning bad Health Behaviors. Further, parents, teachers, and elders in the community should take keen interest in monitoring the activities of their young one online. In addition, Social media users should be taught on the benefits of using social media for positive health gain. It is also important to improve on the knowledge and beliefs of social media users to ensuring that social media users learn how to regulate themselves while using online platforms. In terms of policy, parliaments of affected countries should enact laws that force social media developers to use local content. Using local content will ensure that only appropriate information is consumed by citizens via social media.