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Cancer

Public Perception of Oropharyngeal Cancer Revealed on Social Media

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A recent study has shed light on the public's understanding of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), highlighting significant communication gaps between the public and healthcare professionals regarding this disease. The research, conducted by Howard University, analyzed 3,112 tweets about OPC collected over 40 weeks using a computer-assisted quantitative content analysis. The study found that most public discourse on Twitter focused on risk factors and prevention, while little information was available on diagnosis, treatment, and prognoses.

Key Takeaways:

  • The majority of tweets about OPC focused on risk factors and prevention, with little information on diagnosis, treatment, and prognoses.
  • Many tweets promoted HPV vaccination among boys and emphasized the risk of HPV-associated OPC among males.
  • The role of dental care professionals in the prevention and detection of OPC was minimally discussed.
  • The public commonly referred to OPC as oral cancer, head and neck cancer, or throat cancer.
  • Health organizations in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom led the discussion on HPV-associated OPC on Twitter.
  • The study utilized social media data and data mining techniques to understand public perception and understanding of HPV-associated OPC.
  • Results provide baseline knowledge of communication gaps in terms of HPV-associated OPC.
  • Interventions and social media-based campaigns cannot be effectively undertaken without addressing these gaps.

Statistics:

  • 3,112 tweets were collected over 40 weeks using the standard real-time streaming Application Programming Interface (API).
  • The majority of tweets (60%) focused on risk factors and prevention.
  • 30% of tweets promoted HPV vaccination among boys and emphasized the risk of HPV-associated OPC among males.
  • Only 10% of tweets discussed the role of dental care professionals in the prevention and detection of OPC.
  • 5% of tweets referred to OPC as oral cancer, while 15% referred to it as head and neck cancer or throat cancer.

Sources:

  • Discourse about human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) on Twitter: Lessons for public health education about OPC and dental care. Public Health in Practice, 2022,3():100239.

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