BACKGROUND

Social media platforms have become ubiquitous online tools, fundamentally altering how individuals connect, share information, and interact with the healthcare system. Given the inherently visual nature of skin conditions, the quest for dermatologic information has surged in parallel with the exponential growth of social media over the past decade.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to characterize Filipino adults who seek dermatology-related health information on social media and to investigate how this information influences their behavior regarding skin, hair, and nail problems.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2022 using nonprobability, purposive sampling. Data were collected via a validated 16-item online questionnaire distributed across various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Descriptive statistics were computed from Google Form Responses, saved as a Microsoft Excel sheet.

RESULTS

A total of 263 individuals participated in the online survey. The majority of Filipino adult social media users in this study were female (60.5%), single (92%), possessed high educational attainment (53.6% postgraduate degrees), and belonged to the middle-class income bracket (54%). Facebook was identified as the most commonly used social media platform (94.3%). A substantial proportion, approximately 87.5% (230/263), reported using social media to search for health information pertaining to the skin, hair, and/or nails. Crucially, most of these individuals (80.6%) verified the credibility of the information they received. The information gleaned from social media significantly influenced the majority of respondents (74.1%), with reported changes including starting (52.5%), changing (36.5%), and stopping (20.2%) treatment after seeking dermatology-related health information online. More than half of the respondents (51%) subsequently sought consultation with a board-certified dermatologist.

CONCLUSION

To the investigators’ knowledge, this is the inaugural local descriptive study exploring the characteristics of Filipino patients who leverage social media as a health information tool for dermatologic concerns. The study provides crucial baseline information on how this digital engagement impacts their perception of disease, influences decisions to seek further evaluation and management, and alters treatment compliance. These findings are poised to significantly benefit both patients and healthcare providers in the Philippines.

Human ; Dermatology ; Social Media