Oral health problems are considered a global public health burden due to their high prevalence and negative impact on individuals and society. Despite the high preventability of oral health problems and the availability of effective treatments, oral health problems have increased across different populations around the world. Nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide are affected by oral health problems. Oral disease burden is differentiated across socioeconomic groups, and this situation is limited to countries like Sri Lanka and high-income countries.
Oral health is essential for overall health and well-being; hence, promoting good oral health among adults is crucial for preventing oral diseases and maintaining quality of life. Investing in low-cost public health strategies geared toward oral health promotion and oral disease prevention is essential to minimise the increasing burden of oral diseases.
The influence of social media on health behaviours and the promotion of oral health via social media platforms may be considered an important method, and its use seems to be a way forward.
Prof. Ruwan Jayasinghe says, “social media has become integral to people’s lives, influencing their behaviours, perceptions, and choices. Like many other countries, Sri Lanka has witnessed a significant increase in social media usage in recent years.
This growth offers a unique opportunity to explore the potential of oral health promotion among Sri Lankan adults”.
He further believes connecting social media to promote oral health is the ideal, inexpensive way to reach the general public. To evaluate the influence of social media platforms in promoting oral health, a group of researchers from the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, led by Prof. Ruwan Jayasinghe in collaboration with a researcher from Teesside University UK, has conducted an island-wide survey among users of free social media platforms. The patterns and related factors in using social media platforms to access health and oral health information among Sri Lankan adults were evaluated through an electronic survey on social media platforms in the study.
Emphasising oral health matters, the group was able to gather data on suitable social media, searching frequency, perception, advantages and disadvantages, types of oral health information, and factors considered in assessing the reliability and change in oral health behaviours after accessing social media and preference mode for dissemination of oral health information.
The survey of 411 valid respondents across the country revealed that YouTube is the most preferred social media platform for obtaining information on oral health (74.9 percent), even though most respondents rarely searched or viewed information on oral health (63.4 percent).
A notable number had pleasant experiences (17 percent), and most stated that details on improving oral health were accessible on social media (68.7 percent). Over 50 percent of respondents looked up information about maintaining oral hygiene based on various aspects of oral health.
Despite searching for oral health information on social media, more than half of the respondents graded the reliability of oral health-related information found on social media as objective and impartial (53.5 percent). Less than half of the respondents were satisfied with the accuracy and transparency of the information on oral health on social media (46.3 percent).
In comparison, a notable percentage (46.3 percent) was concerned about the affiliation of the expert who provided such information.
Roughly half of the respondents preferred social media and websites to promote oral health; the majority (69.5 percent) changed their oral health behaviours after social media access.
Further, short videos provided by health professionals in the concerned subject field were the most preferred mode of disseminating oral health information (43.1 percent).
The findings indicated a growing trend of people using social media to gather health-related information, though interest in general health surpasses that for oral health.
To improve oral health promotion in Sri Lanka, strategies should include collaboration between the Ministry of Health and social media companies, themed educational campaigns, real-life testimonials, and interactive content like quizzes.
The Health Promotion Bureau is central to these efforts, increasingly utilising digital platforms.
The study’s findings can guide future initiatives and highlight the need for research on the long-term impact of social media interventions on oral health behaviours in Sri Lanka.
The Faculty of Dental Sciences of the University of Peradeniya is dedicated to advancing oral health in Sri Lanka through a comprehensive approach to dental education, research, and community services.
This study is the first survey in Sri Lanka on promoting oral health through social media.
The outcomes will provide valuable baseline information to frame policies and practices in the broader use of social media in oral health promotion in Sri Lanka and globally.
Research team from the University of Peradeniya:
Yovanthi Jayasinghe
Prof. Ruwan Jayasinghe
Prof. Manori Jayasinghe
Researchers from Teesside University, UK:
Dr. Kehinde Kanmodi
