JMIR Infodemiology

The month of June has been recognized as the National Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness Month since 2011 in the United States. Established by government resolution, the goal is to increase awareness and reduce the incidence of congenital CMV infection, a leading cause of preventable birth defects and developmental disabilities. Social media is a powerful tool to support public health by making health information easily accessible. With an estimated 246 million users in the United States and more than half of adults seeking health information through such platforms, social media offers an unparalleled opportunity to promote CMV awareness and prevention.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss, particularly in the Middle East. With the rise of online health information, many patients turn to the internet for knowledge about health conditions. However, the accuracy and quality of this information can be questionable, particularly in languages other than English. Objectives: We sought to evaluate the quality and reliability of Arabic websites on DR to address this knowledge gap and improve patient care.

Alcohol consumption in China poses significant public health challenges. Alcohol marketing has been shown to increase public alcohol consumption, with social media platforms such as Douyin (Tiktok in Mainland China) being among the main channels for alcohol marketing.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are foundational to both individual autonomy and global well-being. Misinformation in this domain poses serious risks by undermining evidence-based decision-making, weakening systems of accountability, and perpetuating social injustices.

Digital media memes have emerged as influential tools in health communication, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. While they offer opportunities for emotional engagement and community resilience, they also act as vectors for health misinformation, contributing to the global infodemic. Despite growing interest in their communicative power, the role of memes in shaping public perception and misinformation diffusion remains underexplored in infodemiology.

Patients with knee osteoarthritis have a considerable need for information about their condition, its progression, and available treatments. Decision-making is often complex and requires evidence-based health information material (HIM). When medical consultations do not sufficiently address patients’ needs, many seek additional information independently.

In Taiwan, high prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) intensifies public health concerns. With the growing reliance on online resources for health information, platforms like Google Trends (GT) offer a valuable method to capture public interest. This approach also allows for the exploration of potential associations between DED public interest and environmental parameters, which may further illuminate underlying factors contributing to the disease's rising prevalence.

Social media platforms are increasingly used for both sharing and seeking of health-related information online. Especially TikTok has become one of the most widely used social networking platforms. One health-related topic trending on TikTok recently is Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, the accuracy of health-related information on TikTok remains a significant concern. Misleading information on ADHD on TikTok can increase stigmatization and lead to false “self-diagnosis”, pathologizing of normal behavior and overuse of care.

With the advances in digital information sharing channels, democratization of content and access, as well as social shifts in information exchange, we live in increasingly complex information environments. How people process and manage this is layered with multiple determinants which can impact on information seeking, health behaviours and public health. Understanding the dynamics of the information environment in priority populations and its impact on communities and individuals is critical for those working in public health and health emergencies.

Opioid overdose has become a global public health emergency, with the United States experiencing particularly high rates of morbidity and mortality due to both prescription and illicit opioid use. Traditional public health monitoring systems often fail to provide real-time insights, limiting their capacity for early detection and intervention. Social media platforms, especially Reddit, offer a promising alternative for timely toxicovigilance due to the abundance of user-generated, real-time content.

The quality of health information on social media is a major concern, especially during the early stages of public health crises. While the quality of the results of the popular search engines related to particular diseases have been analyzed in the literature, the quality of health-related information on social media such as X/Twitter during the early stages of a public health crisis has not been addressed.

The analysis of social networks should be considered by institutions and governments alongside surveys and other conventional methods for assessing public attitudes toward vaccines. X (formerly known as Twitter) has emerged as a significant source for studying vaccine hesitancy.