Analyzing Discussions Around Rural Health on Twitter During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Network Analysis of Twitter Data

Wasim Ahmed; Josep Vidal-Alaball; Josep Maria Vilaseca Llobet

doi:10.2196/39209

Analyzing Discussions Around Rural Health on Twitter During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Network Analysis of Twitter Data

JMIR Infodemiology. 2023 Mar 8:3:e39209. doi: 10.2196/39209. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Wasim Ahmed^#¹, Josep Vidal-Alaball^#^{2

3

4}, Josep Maria Vilaseca Llobet^#^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Stirling University Management School University of Stirling Stirling United Kingdom.
² Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina Sant Fruitós de Bages Spain.
³ Health Promotion in Rural Areas Research Group Gerència Territorial de la Catalunya Central Institut Català de la Salut Sant Fruitós de Bages Spain.
⁴ Faculty of Medicine University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia Vic Spain.
⁵ Primary Care Service Althaia Xarxa Assistencial Universitària de Manresa Manresa Spain.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 36936067
PMCID: PMC10012181
DOI: 10.2196/39209

Abstract

Background: Individuals from rural areas are increasingly using social media as a means of communication, receiving information, or actively complaining of inequalities and injustices.

Objective: The aim of our study is to analyze conversations about rural health taking place on Twitter during a particular phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This study captured 57 days' worth of Twitter data related to rural health from June to August 2021, using English-language keywords. The study used social network analysis and natural language processing to analyze the data.

Results: It was found that Twitter served as a fruitful platform to raise awareness of problems faced by users living in rural areas. Overall, Twitter was used in rural areas to express complaints, debate, and share information.

Conclusions: Twitter could be leveraged as a powerful social listening tool for individuals and organizations that want to gain insight into popular narratives around rural health.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Twitter messaging; coronavirus; rural health; social media; social network analysis.

©Wasim Ahmed, Josep Vidal-Alaball, Josep Maria Vilaseca Llobet. Originally published in JMIR Infodemiology (https://infodemiology.jmir.org), 08.03.2023.