BACKGROUND: Bangladesh is one of the top ten countries globally in terms of Facebook usage. Facebook plays a role in raising awareness about tobacco control in Bangladesh. Organizations involved in tobacco control increasingly use Facebook to disseminate tobacco-induced disease messages. This study aimed to evaluate the content and quality of tobacco control-related Facebook (TCFB) posts and assess their impact on tobacco users in Bangladesh.
METHODS: cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted from April to November 2019. Sixteen TCFB pages active in Bangladesh were identified, and their posts from July 2018 to June 2019 were analyzed. Content analysis was performed on a randomly selected month’s posts to assess message quality. An online survey with 601 page followers was conducted to measure user engagement and behavior. Additionally, page administrators were interviewed to explore challenges and potential improvements.
RESULTS: The sixteen pages had a combined 624569 followers and published 2118 posts, averaging one post per week. Posts offering tobacco cessation services generated the highest user engagement, with 1336 interactions per post. Among survey respondents, 92% were male, 85% aged 18–35, and 64% had followed TCFB pages for over two years. 98% of respondents were aware of tobacco-related diseases, 80% of tobacco users planned to quit, and 74% had attempted quitting. Health hazard awareness significantly increased quitting attempts (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.2–6.5, p<0.05) and advice given to others. Administrators highlighted challenges, including limited funding and a lack of dedicated page managers and training.
CONCLUSIONS: Social media “Facebook” offers significant potential for tobacco control campaigns. Innovative, visually appealing, and specific posts, supported by funding for skill development and promotion, can enhance the dissemination of tobacco control messages in the digital age.