Use of social media platforms for promoting healthy employee lifestyles and occupational health and safety prevention: A systematic review

Abstract

This systematic review assesses the feasibility and efficacy of social networking or enterprise social networking for promoting healthy lifestyles or for occupational health and safety (OHS) prevention. Literature searches were conducted in several indexed databases in order to retrieve studies whose main objective was the promotion of healthy lifestyles or the prevention of occupational injuries by means of social media or enterprise social networking alone or in combination with others promotional or preventive interventions. Ten studies were included. Results suggest that social media may be considered a possible means of communication for the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits in organizations, however further study into this technology has been recommended by several authors to judge the incremental impacts of social media on the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Similar conclusions were drawn from studies that included the use of a social media platform for OHS prevention. Based on current evidence, an organization's use of social media to promote a healthy lifestyle or OHS among its employees can constitute an innovative and promising means of intervention. It is important to mention that due to the scarcity and poor methodological quality of existing evidence, it is difficult at this time to draw firm conclusions regarding its effectiveness and relevance.