Term of Award

Fall 2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Public Health in Community Health Behavior and Education (Dr.P.H.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

College of Public Health

Committee Chair

Gulzar Shah

Committee Member 1

James Thomas

Committee Member 2

Robert Bohler

Abstract

Cervical cancer remains a significant public health concern for minority women in the United States. Social determinants of health and Social Media use are influential factors to screening behaviors. Guided by the Health belief model, this study analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) to examine the relationship between health-related social media use and cervical cancer screening among women in the United States. Among the study sample (n=2545), 69% had been screened for cervical cancer in the last 3 years. Of those screened 68% reported social media for health decision making. White participants reported using social media to make health decisions more compared to other races. A multivariable analysis showed those 51-60 years (AOR = 0.46, 95% CI [0.35, 0.60]) were less likely to experience screening and Black (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI [1.29, 2.14]) and Hispanic (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI [1.41, 2.38]) participants are more likely to be screened compared to White participants. Those with insurance and perceived severity were more likely to be screened. Social media provides though valuable for health information, was not statistically significant. Interventions should integrate digital engagement with strategies addressing structural barriers to improve screening rates.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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Available for download on Thursday, January 01, 2026

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