Pillar 1: Social Media
The rise of social media allows users to share personal experiences, particularly in the area of health. When it comes to obesity, the internet is particularly valuable for affected users, who can share and discuss their experiences, fears, needs, and personal stories with one another. This can lead to the creation of genuine support communities. These testimonials represent a new source of data for patient-centered analyses.
Les réseaux sociaux et ces échanges virtuels ont déjà été utilisés et étudiés dans le domaine de la pharmacovigilance, de la santé publique et de la surveillance d’épidémies. Detec’t est une base de données contenant des messages issus des réseaux sociaux qui s’enrichit quotidiennement et qui couvre une période de plus de quinze années.
In 2023, Kap Code conducted a study on perceptions of bariatric surgery in France and the United States based on accounts from more than 45,000 patients on social media. The analyses demonstrated that this data provides clinicians with valuable tools to enhance patient-centered care by taking into account the needs and concerns of patients and their caregivers in the context of bariatric surgery.
What can we learn from posts by patients with obesity on social media in France, the United States, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom regarding their quality of life and needs, in order to better anticipate the care pathways of obese patients? Are there differences across countries?
OBJECTIVES:
Volumetry
Topics of discussion
Quality of life and challenges faced
Identified care pathways
Compare results across the countries included in the study.
OUR METHOD:
The goal is to extract secondary public data (posts written by internet users describing their experiences with obesity) published on social media and forums.
The study population consists of obese patients who have posted at least one message related to their condition on social media sites. The analysis includes geotagged posts written in the language of the selected country that contain one of the extraction keywords from the predetermined list.
OUR RESULTS:
Obesity on Social Media: What Do Those Affected in France Have to Say?
359 095
166 690
836
*Data collection period: January 1, 2016, through April 30, 2025
Key Takeaways
Discussions about obesity have changed significantly over time, with several peaks corresponding to major media or medical events.
TOPICS OF DISCUSSION
