Facebook: The Use of Social Media to Engage Parents in a Preschool Obesity Prevention Curriculum

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study investigated the use of Facebook to deliver health-related education materials to augment a preschool classroom-based obesity prevention curriculum. DesignCross-sectional, mixed methods (descriptive and interviews). SettingHead Start classrooms administered by 2 large agencies (1 rural and 1 urban). ParticipantsConvenience sample of parents in 13 classrooms (cohort 1, 3 classrooms; cohort 2, 10 classrooms). InterventionDelivery of nutrition education curriculum content using social media (Facebook). Variables MeasuredQualitative interviews assessed barriers and facilitators to Facebook use. Parent views, likes, and comments were measured to reflect parent engagement with Facebook. AnalysisContent analyses (qualitative data) and descriptive statistics (quantitative data). ResultsFamily access (views) and interaction (comments and likes) with the posts varied based on type and content of posts. Rural families were more active. Barriers to parental Facebook engagement included a desire to see more posts from classroom teachers, lack of time, and misunderstanding about privacy protections. Facilitators of parental Facebook engagement included perceived utility of the content and social support. Conclusions and ImplicationsFacebook was found to be a feasible platform to provide nutrition education and facilitated varying levels of parental engagement. Lessons learned and implications for prevention and intervention programming are offered.