Global Handwashing Day 2012: a qualitative content analysis of Chinese social media reaction to a health promotion event

Authors

  • Isaac Chun-Hai Fung Georgia Southern University
  • Jingxian Cai Georgia Southern University
  • Yi Hao Georgia Southern University
  • Yuchen Ying The University of Georgia
  • Benedict Shing Bun Chan Hang Seng Management College
  • Zion Tsz Ho Tse The University of Georgia
  • King-Wa Fu The University of Hong Kong

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2015.6.2.003

Abstract

Background: Global Handwashing Day (GHD) is a handwashing promotion campaign organized by the Global Public-Private Partnership of Handwashing with Soap. In China, it has been promoted by the Chinese public health authorities, international organizations and multinational corporations through various channels including social media such as Sina Weibo, the leading Chinese microblogging site similar to Twitter. The objective of this study is to qualitatively assess Chinese social media users’ reactions to a health promotion campaign using Global Handwashing Day (GHD) 2012 as an example.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative content analysis of 552 Weibo posts generated on GHD 2012 by Weibo users with 1000 or more followers with the Chinese keyword for “handwashing.” We categorized the Weibo posts into groups by keywords that frequently appeared in the data set. These groups were either exact reposts of an original post, or they conveyed similar information.

Results: We observed the interconnections between traditional media and social media in handwashing promotion. Social media were found to serve as amplifiers of contents provided by traditional media. We observed the contextualization of global hygiene messages in a unique national social media market in China.

Discussion: Our study showed that social media and traditional media are two interconnected arms of the GHD campaign in China. Our analysis demonstrated that public health campaigns in China can be evaluated using social media data. The themes and topics identified in this study will help public health practitioners evaluate future social media handwashing promotion campaigns.

Author Biographies

Isaac Chun-Hai Fung, Georgia Southern University

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

Department of Epidemiology

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health

Jingxian Cai, Georgia Southern University

Department of Biostatistics

DrPH student

Yi Hao, Georgia Southern University

Department of Biostatistics

DrPH student

Yuchen Ying, The University of Georgia

Department of Computer Science

MS student (graduated)

Benedict Shing Bun Chan, Hang Seng Management College

Department of General Education, School of Humanities and Social Science

Assistant Professor

Zion Tsz Ho Tse, The University of Georgia

College of Engineering

King-Wa Fu, The University of Hong Kong

Journalism and Media Studies Centre

Assistant Professor

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Published

09-07-2015

How to Cite

1.
Fung IC-H, Cai J, Hao Y, Ying Y, Chan BSB, Tse ZTH, Fu K-W. Global Handwashing Day 2012: a qualitative content analysis of Chinese social media reaction to a health promotion event. Western Pac Surveill Response J [Internet]. 2015 Jul. 9 [cited 2026 Mar. 22];6(3). Available from: https://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/332

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 3 (2015): July – September

Section

Original Research

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