COPH Faculty and Alumna Publish on Health Communication in Appalachia
McKenzie Liegel, alumna of the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health Master of Public Health degree, has authored an article in the Journal of Appalachian Health. The article, “Social Media Use Among Nonprofit Organizations in Rural Appalachia” examines adoption and use of social media for health communication purposes in rural Appalachia.
Dr. Jodi Southerland, alumna of the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health Doctor of Public Health degree, and Dr. Katie Baker, faculty member in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health, are co-authors.
Social media have changed the landscape of health communication for nonprofit organizations. Today nearly 90% of U.S. adults are online and seven-in-ten use social media. YouTube and Facebook are the most widely used platforms among U.S. adults, with more than half returning to these sites daily.
Nonprofit organizations that promote, protect, and improve the public’s health can take advantage of social media, as social media have the potential to allow for advocacy and engagement on important health-related issues, which, in turn, can help create a culture of health and improve health outcomes. This is particularly important in Appalachia which has experienced widespread and persistent poverty and poor health outcomes.
In this qualitative study of representatives in an 8-county region of rural Appalachian Tennessee, the analyses revealed that the majority of nonprofit organizations had a Facebook page and recognized its promise as a communication tool. Resource constraints limited the ability to use this platform effectively. As a result, most organizations used social media as a secondary communication strategy to complement traditional approaches (e.g., mass media, word of mouth). Representatives identified several obstacles to social media use including limited broadband infrastructure and household resources as well as limited organizational capacity.
Social media are inexpensive communication tools that nonprofit organizations in rural Appalachia can use to expand their digital footprint into hard-to-reach populations. Therefore, eliminating the digital divide across the U.S. is an important step toward enhancing rural nonprofit capacity. Opportunities for staff to access low-cost professional development and training in the use of social media, specifically for social marketing purposes, are also essential.