{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T20:40:33Z","timestamp":1769978433023,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,21]],"date-time":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1663718400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Social Fund (ESF) component","award":["CENTRO-04-3559-FSE-000162"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CENTRO-04-3559-FSE-000162"]}]},{"name":"European Social Fund (ESF) component","award":["UIDB\/00709\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00709\/2020"]}]},{"name":"European Social Fund (ESF) component","award":["UIDP\/00709\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDP\/00709\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology\/MCTES","award":["CENTRO-04-3559-FSE-000162"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CENTRO-04-3559-FSE-000162"]}]},{"name":"Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology\/MCTES","award":["UIDB\/00709\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00709\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology\/MCTES","award":["UIDP\/00709\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDP\/00709\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media became an important and easily accessible source of information to keep the population informed. In this study, we explored how Portuguese health entities used social media during the public health emergency caused by COVID-19 disease. Methods: A retrospective study on Portuguese public health entities\u2019 communication with the public using social media platforms was performed. Data were retrieved from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All retrieved posts were analyzed, and the engagement of the public was calculated. A thematic analysis of all COVID-19-related posts was conducted. Results: The analysis of each social media platform revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, health entities reinforced their presence on social media platforms. The most published posts were related to \u201cepidemiological context\u201d and \u201cencouragement to take actions\u201d to avoid the spread of COVID-19. High engagement frames were not associated with the most frequently published posts. Conclusions: Although health entities have reinforced their presence on social media platforms, they do not take full advantage of these platforms to improve health literacy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph191911942","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,22]],"date-time":"2022-09-22T01:47:06Z","timestamp":1663811226000},"page":"11942","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["How Portuguese Health Entities Used Social Media to Face the Public Health Emergency during COVID-19 Disease"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1993-4711","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniela","family":"Azevedo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2316-6770","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Isabel","family":"Pl\u00e1cido","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0500-4049","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Teresa","family":"Herdeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0169-3788","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"F\u00e1tima","family":"Roque","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal"},{"name":"Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6027-3340","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"V\u00edtor","family":"Roque","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e19996","DOI":"10.2196\/19996","article-title":"Influence of Social Media Platforms on Public Health Protection Against the COVID-19 Pandemic via the Mediating Effects of Public Health Awareness and Behavioral Changes: Integrated Model","volume":"22","author":"Salman","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. 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PLoS ONE, 15.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0240010"}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/19\/19\/11942\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:36:41Z","timestamp":1760143001000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/19\/19\/11942"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,21]]},"references-count":42,"journal-issue":{"issue":"19","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph191911942"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph191911942","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,21]]}}}