The Role of social media in Health Education on Drug Risks A Survey Study (The Iraqi Society as a Model)

Abstract

This study sought to examine the role of social media platforms in health education regarding drug-related risks within Iraqi society by analyzing individuals’ levels of awareness, their sources of information, and the impact of digital information on their daily health-related behaviors. The spread of diseases and the decline in health standards in any country are not primarily attributable to a lack of curative health services, but rather to individuals’ insufficient knowledge of how to maintain their own health and assume responsibility for protecting the health of others. Therefore, health education has become an urgent necessity to help individuals acquire positive behaviors that contribute to safeguarding public health by encouraging individuals, families, and groups to adopt lifestyles that transform unhealthy behaviors into healthy ones.

The study adopted a descriptive–analytical research design. A validated field questionnaire was developed and distributed to a sample of 386 individuals from Iraqi society, with the aim of collecting data, describing the phenomenon under investigation, and clarifying its key characteristics. The results revealed a statistically significant correlation between the amount of daily time spent on social media platforms and the level of health education regarding drug-related risks. The findings also indicated that the level of health education increases with the credibility of the information source, particularly when the source is official or accredited. Moreover, the results demonstrated variations in health education levels among individuals according to the type of digital platform used, duration of use, credibility of the published content, and the degree of interaction with that content. The findings further showed that the most common methods of disseminating health-related content on social media are videos, followed by news content, then articles and images at equal proportions, and finally statistical content at the lowest proportion.

In light of the lack of in-depth local field studies addressing this topic, the researcher recognized the necessity of examining the impact of social media use on health education related to drug risks, with the aim of providing practical recommendations to enhance health awareness.

The study recommended strengthening cooperation between media outlets and health institutions to ensure the delivery of accurate and reliable drug-related information to the public, with a particular emphasis on producing and disseminating short videos and simplified infographics due to their attractiveness and ease of understanding for audiences, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of digital health education.