Breathing together: A global hashtag analysis of #LungHealth on platform X (formerly Twitter)

Abstract

Background The X platform has gained popularity in healthcare, with posts among physicians increasing by 112% over five years. In the context of pulmonology, #LungHealth is used for engagement, spreading awareness, and disseminating information on respiratory diseases, yet its impact remains unexplored. Objective We aim to analyze #LungHealth by measuring outreach and quantitative engagement metrics associated with #LungHealth. Methods We conducted an analysis of #LungHealth posts over social media platform X (formerly Twitter) using Fedica, an analytic tool over 2 years from 1st May 2022 to 1st May 2024. This analysis studied quantitative metrics such as the number of posts, likes, views, user's geographical distribution, and co-occurring hashtags. Results This hashtag analysis of #LungHealth for 2 years resulted in a total of 13,824 posts. The study showed that these posts were generated by 6100 active users producing over 80 million impressions. The posts garnered 1116 replies and 19,006 likes. Geographical distribution showed the posts spanning across 105 countries. The top 10 countries with the highest number of posts were the USA, India, UK, Canada, Australia, Nigeria, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Kenya. Common co-occurring hashtags identified were #COPD, #COVID19, #Lungcancer, and #Asthma. The top 10 influencers consisted of six Indian media outlets, one health company, one educational institution, one Arabic media outlet, and one American journalist. Conclusion This is the first study that provides a unique perspective on utilizing #LungHealth as a tool for global engagement in promoting lung health awareness and reaching various audiences on a global scale.