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Effect of Social Media Health Campaigns on Vaccination Awareness among Young Adults in Nigeria

Abstract

Vaccination remains one of the most effective public health interventions for preventing infectious diseases and reducing illness, disability, and mortality. However, inadequate awareness, misconceptions, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, concerns about vaccine safety, and limited access to reliable health information may affect vaccination knowledge and acceptance among young adults in Nigeria. Social media platforms provide an increasingly important channel for disseminating health information because of their wide reach, rapid communication, interactive features, and ability to engage young populations. Social media health campaigns can provide information about vaccine benefits, eligibility, safety, schedules, availability, and the importance of completing recommended vaccinations. However, exposure to inaccurate information, distrust of health authorities, negative online narratives, and differences in digital health literacy may influence the effectiveness of social media-based vaccination campaigns. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of social media health campaigns on vaccination awareness among young adults in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Theory of Planned Behavior. The Health Belief Model explains how young adults' perceptions of susceptibility to vaccine-preventable diseases, perceived severity, perceived benefits of vaccination, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence vaccination awareness. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the roles of social interaction, observational learning, self-efficacy, reinforcement, and digital social environments in shaping health-related knowledge and behaviours. The Theory of Planned Behavior explains how attitudes toward vaccination, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and behavioural intentions may influence vaccination-related awareness and decisions. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how social media health campaigns may influence vaccination awareness among young adults in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative analytical cross-sectional or quasi-experimental research design. The study population will comprise young adults aged 18–35 years residing in selected areas of Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, local government areas, communities, institutions, and eligible participants. Social media health campaigns will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to vaccination campaigns, frequency of exposure, duration of campaign exposure, social media platforms used, campaign content, message clarity, source credibility, use of visual materials, interaction with health professionals, sharing and engagement with campaign content, and exposure to vaccination information through social media influencers or health organizations. Vaccination awareness will be assessed using indicators such as knowledge of vaccine-preventable diseases, awareness of vaccine benefits, knowledge of recommended vaccination schedules, awareness of vaccine safety, knowledge of eligibility requirements, awareness of vaccination locations, recognition of misinformation, and awareness of the importance of completing recommended vaccination schedules. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, social media campaign records, and relevant health communication programme documents. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, social media use, campaign exposure, and vaccination awareness. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of social media health campaigns on vaccination awareness. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, vaccination awareness scores before and after exposure to structured social media campaigns may be compared, while relevant demographic, socioeconomic, educational, and digital-health factors are appropriately controlled. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that social media health campaigns have a significant positive effect on vaccination awareness among young adults in Nigeria. Young adults who are regularly exposed to credible and well-designed vaccination campaigns are expected to demonstrate greater knowledge of vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine benefits, safety information, eligibility, and vaccination schedules than those with limited exposure. Social media campaigns may improve access to timely vaccination information, correct misconceptions, increase awareness of available vaccination services, and encourage discussions about vaccination among young adults. However, misinformation, distrust, low digital health literacy, exposure to conflicting health messages, concerns about vaccine safety, and limited access to vaccination services may reduce the effectiveness of social media campaigns. The study therefore expects credible, engaging, culturally appropriate, and evidence-based social media health campaigns to contribute significantly to improved vaccination awareness among young adults in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on social media health campaigns, vaccination awareness, vaccine communication, digital health promotion, health misinformation, health literacy, vaccine hesitancy, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, state ministries of health, public health organizations, universities, healthcare professionals, digital health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving vaccination communication among young adults. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening social media vaccination campaigns, improving the credibility and clarity of online health messages, engaging young adults through interactive digital communication, addressing vaccine misinformation, strengthening digital health literacy, partnering with trusted health professionals and community voices, and linking online vaccination campaigns with accessible vaccination services across Nigeria.

Keywords: Social media health campaigns, vaccination awareness, young adults, vaccine communication, digital health promotion, vaccine misinformation, health literacy, vaccination, health education, Nigeria, public health.