CONTENT ANALYSIS ABOUT LOW BACK PAIN IN SOCIAL NETWORKS AND WEBSITE: INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

J.T. Santos Cerqueira¹, L. Yung Santos Maciel², G. Vasconcelos Mesquita³

¹Faculdade Santo Agostinho de Itabuna (FASAI - AFYA), Medicine, Itabuna, Brazil, ²Federal University of Sergipe, Lagarto, Brazil, ³UNINOVAFAPI University Center, Medicine, Teresina, Brazil

Background:With the increasing availability of information on the internet and through various media channels, patients are actively seeking information about their health conditions. This often occurs before they consult with healthcare professionals. Patient education on back pain can take several forms, including providing information about the condition, offering guidelines and advice, and aimed at changing behavior for more informed and shared decision-making. It is important to ensure that the sources of information used in this education are reliable and accurate, to help improve the health of individuals suffering from low back pain.

Purpose: To assess the quality of information regarding low back pain that is available on social networks and websites.

Methods: An integrative literature review was conducted with the research question based on the PICOT strategy, using search engines in the PUBMED, LILACS, and SCIELO databases completed in November 2022. The inclusion criteria were scientific articles that analyzed the content of social media and websites regarding low back pain in Portuguese, English, or Spanish, without any time restrictions. The PRISMA guidelines were followed to report the research findings.

Results: The search resulted in 56 articles, 9 of which were included for final analysis. The studies, published between 2003 and 2022, were from various countries and analyzed different information platforms such as websites, Youtube, and TikTok. The most commonly used quality assessment tools were DISCERN, JAMA benchmark, HONcode, Global Quality Score, FLESCH-Kincaid Grade level, structured questionnaires, a synthesis list of recommendations for assessment and treatment (ALBPGuide), guideline compliance, and previous studies on necessary information for patients with low back pain.

Conclusions: The results obtained from the studies analysis were of poor scientific quality and their information did not match the guidelines and recommendations of the best evidence described in the literature. Adequate online information sources are urgently needed for patients with low back pain as the internet is a practical and accessible resource for them to seek knowledge about their health condition and its proper management.

Implications: Misleading information can contribute to unnecessary increases in healthcare system costs and unfavorable health outcomes for patients, leading to increased disability caused by low back pain. Additionally, health-related government agencies and healthcare professionals need adequate understanding and training in the best evidence-based educational strategies for approaching low back pain patients, to translate this into clinical practice and improve pain, disability, and quality of life for their patients.

Funding acknowledgements: No research funding

Keywords:
Low back pain education
Content quality
Internet

Topics:
Musculoskeletal: spine
Orthopaedics
Primary health care

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Reason: Some studies may be exempt from review. For example, when publicly available data are analysed or the data for the study are generated by observation of public behaviour, and data that could identify individual persons or groups are anonymized or coded, the study may be exempt.