Abstract:

Abstract Background: In an era where social media serves as a powerful medium for information dissemination and interaction, this study focuses on examining and comparing social media hashtags in the English and Turkish languages related to allergic rhinitis on Instagram. Method: The investigation includes an analysis of the number of followers associated with these hashtags and the extent of their alignment with allergic conditions and the property of the information about allergy according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 2023. The study period ranged from January 11, 2022, to April 15, 2023, during which posts tagged with #Allergicrhinitis (English) and #Allerjikrinit (Turkish) on Instagram were meticulously investigated. Results: The study reveals that the median follower count for #Allerjikrinit and #Allergichinitis hashtags were 4971 (200-231,000) and 469 (130-2321), respectively, with a significant portion of posts (35.2% to 47.8%) being unrelated to allergic rhinitis. The prevalence of advertisements was notably high, with 90% of #Allerjikrinit profiles and 55.7% of their posts containing promotional content. Remarkably, a considerable percentage (75%) of allergy-related information shared in posts contradicted the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 2023 guidelines. Interestingly, 15% of those sharing content were medical professionals, demonstrating the potential influence of healthcare experts on social media platforms. Conclusion: This study underscores the need for accurate medical information on social media, particularly with the active participation of medical specialists and regulatory institutes given allergic rhinitis since the majority of videos are unrelated to the topic.

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