Use and Acceptance of Social Media among Health Educators

Background: As social media use grows in popularity, health educators are challenged to think differently about how to communicate with audiences. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore social media use and factors that determine acceptance of social media use among health educators. Methods: A random sample of Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) (N = 503) completed an online survey consisting of items related to the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Results: Findings revealed that health educators most commonly used social networking sites (34.8%), podcasts (23.5%), and media sharing sites (18.5%) within their organizations. Social influence (P < 0.0001) and performance expectancy (P < 0.0001) were both positively associated with increased behavioral intentions to use social media for health promotion. Reasons for lack of use included employers monitoring or blocking social media, difficulty of use among older health educators, and the belief that social media would not enhance job performance. Discussion: Many health educators are using social media and intentions to use in practice are associated with social influence and performance expectancy. Translation to Health Education Practice: Social media use holds promise as a supporting methodology to enhance health education practice. Implementation should include attention to guidelines and best practice.