The COVID-19 Infodemic Through Facebook: Comparison of Content and the Accuracy of Breastfeeding Information

Abstract

Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in the number of people seeking online support and information, particularly on social media. Nevertheless, the nature and trend of internet information, as well as its accuracy, are questionable. This study aimed to assess and compare the content, type/form, and degree of accuracy of breastfeeding information on Facebook before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 288/phase). Methodology The data were gathered from Malaysian public and group/page Facebook posts (n = 456). Keyword searches were conducted using Malay and English breastfeeding terms. The dataset was screened and entered into a structured codebook. The Delphi approach was used to assess the accuracy of posts’ content performed by breastfeeding experts. Results Sharing personal experience (53.2%) was the most common topic in breastfeeding-related posts, followed by seeking questions (39.3%) and knowledge (8.0%). Sharing personal stories and knowledge posts were higher during COVID-19 than before (p = 0.001), although the seeking questions category was higher before the pandemic (p = 0.001). Most information posted was in text form (94.5%). About half of the posts (46.5%) were misleading, while (43.7%) were accurate. There was a significant difference in the accuracy of online posts before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.001). Conclusions Compared to the pre-pandemic phase, forms/types of information on Facebook remained consistent, whereas the breastfeeding information content and its degree of accuracy differed during the pandemic.We need to explore other aspects of breastfeeding online content as well as its engagement, especially during a pandemic. Knowing the infant feeding-related topics that have been discussed and questioned on social media, as well as the accuracy of the data, allows policymakers and scientific communities to plan strategies for spreading credible breastfeeding information online. This includes creating interactive online media types of visual guidelines, web resources, and breastfeeding apps.

Mapping breastfeeding and COVID‐19 related content and engagement on Facebook: Results from an online social listening study

“…While in this study the highest number of posts were from non‐profit Organisations, posts from personal and government pages had the highest average number of interactions per posts, with personal posts receiving the highest percentages of love reactions, and Government the highest percentage of angry reactions. These findings differ from a Malaysian breastfeeding study on Facebook during the COVID‐19 pandemic that found sharing personal experiences accounted for the most content in the groups and pages they explored 34 . Knowing which pages and posts are more likely to attract the most interactions has important implications for information dissemination, particularly in an emergency situation.…”

“…These findings differ from a Malaysian breastfeeding study on Facebook during the COVID-19 pandemic that found sharing personal experiences accounted for the most content in the groups and pages they explored. 34 Knowing which pages and posts are more likely to attract the most interactions has important implications for information dissemination, particularly in an emergency situation.…”

“…The CrowdTangle platform is a useful resource for researchers that searches all public Facebook posts using user‐set criteria 24 . Some other studies using Facebook data investigations during the COVID‐19 pandemic have undergone different procedures including directly inserting keywords into identified public posts and groups on Facebook, 34 using paid services to source data and analytics, 35 or focusing on known pages or groups 36 . CrowdTangle is an easy‐to‐use tool, provided free for researchers that can help to navigate barriers and to identify new and emerging narratives and pages posting content of interest.…”

Impact of personal and environmental factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding practices in the first six months during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand: a mixed-methods approach

“…In contrast during the first wave, an uncertain situation of the COVID-19 pandemic led to misinformation about the safety of breastfeeding and an inability to breastfeed if the mother had symptoms of COVID-19 [ 53 ]. Over two years, mothers may adapt their lives to find available resources and support through online platform more than the past [ 54 ].…”