Can social media encourage young Polish adults to visit a dermatologist? An original study.

Abstract

Introduction: Social media (SM) play an important role in contemporary world, influencing all areas of life, including dermatology, as people are often obtaining medical knowledge from content-sharing platforms on the Internet.

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate if Polish adults aged 18-35 follow dermatological news on SM, which platforms and contents they find the most interesting and to assess if SM content can encourage them to visit a healthcare professional.

Material and methods: Online questionnaires were distributed from January to March 2024 among young adult people from Poland. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics.

Results: 44% of respondents confirmed that SM content prompted them to visit a dermatologist. The most popular platform was Instagram. The main reason for visiting a specialist was the desire to improve the appearance of one's skin. In 34% of the cases, the dermatological examination revealed skin disease. According to 92% of respondents, SM can have a positive impact on the willingness to visit a dermatologist.

Conclusions: 81% of young Polish adults read dermatology-related content on SM. The main areas of interest were skincare and skin diseases. Almost half of the respondents were encouraged by SM to visit a dermatologist, with 56% consistency of diagnosis made by a healthcare professional and SM user.