Examining the Twitter Discourse on Dementia During Alzheimer's Awareness Month in Canada: Infodemiology Study.
Juanita-Dawne R BacsuAllison CammerSoheila AhmadiMehrnoosh AziziKarl S GrewalShoshana GreenRory Gowda-SookochoffCorinne BergerSheida AhmadiRaymond J SpiteriMegan E O'connellPublished in: JMIR formative research (2022)
Although our study identified many educational, promotional, and fundraising tweets to support dementia awareness, we also found numerous tweets with cursory messaging (ie, simply referencing January as Alzheimer's Awareness Month in Canada). While these tweets promoted general awareness, they also highlight an opportunity for targeted educational content to counter stigmatizing messages and misinformation about dementia. In addition, awareness strategies partnering with diverse stakeholders (such as celebrities, social media influencers, and people living with dementia and their care partners) may play a pivotal role in fostering dementia dialogue and education. Further research is needed to develop, implement, and evaluate dementia awareness strategies on Twitter. Increased knowledge, partnerships, and research are essential to enhancing dementia awareness during Canada's Alzheimer's Awareness Month and beyond.