https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191119075303.htm

In a study published today in the journal Health Education and Behavior, researchers from Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health analyzed 360 randomly selected Instagram posts from a pool of 3,378 English-language posts about HPV vaccination. Although the majority of posts were pro-vaccine (56 percent), anti-vaccine messages -- the majority of which featured a narrative structure -- experienced much higher engagement, including more "likes" (24 vs 86 "likes," on average). The team's findings on the value of narratives in increasing social media engagement could guide public health communications efforts, and are among the first to look at HPV vaccine-related content on Instagram.

The majority of pro-vaccine posts -- 61 percent -- shared actionable information about the vaccine, while only 45 percent featured personal narratives (i.e., elements of a story). Researchers suggest that pro-vaccine posts may garner greater engagement if they continue to provide information and evidence, while communicating this through a more narrative structure.