1.1 Background to the Study
Major social networking platform such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter have become popular means through which people can communicate and pass information, regardless of whether the messages spread through these channels are genuine. Despite efforts put in by some of these platforms to deploy factchecking algorithms Iftikhar& Abaalkhail (2017), not muchcan be done with the tie required to fact check, and the expectation of instantaneous messaging. Many people would have seen the messages on thesesocial media before the fact checkingwould have been completed.
According to Rahila Iftikhar &Bahaa Abaalkhail (2017) social Media platform like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp has become mainstream online tools that permit individuals to connect and share information and they permit individuals to share uncontrolled, unsupervised, and unfiltered content, irrespective of time and place. The rise in social media by user has been attributed to its ability to influence the thought, attitude and decision of individuals. The increase in the use of social media has also been attributed to the rise in the use of mobile phones (Montages 2012). One of the social media platforms that have benefitted from the rise in the use of social media is WhatsApp. WhatsApp, a social media platform is used by a large number of people. According to Ying Lin (2021), over 2billion people around the world use WhatsApp.
Good health is crucial to human existence, and its contribution to prosperity cannot be overemphasized. Good health important for the prosperity of any society. The importance of good health was exemplified during the Covid-19 pandemic when countries were placed on lockdown and an international travel was banned. The lockdown was to presented spread of the virus and ensure good health for the human race. Several verified and unverified health information circulated during the pandemic on actions that people should take or not take during the pandemic.
Health information is a problem that is always current and cannot be separated from human life. Bhaskaran, Kumar, and Janodia (2017) confirmed in their study that the use of social media for sourcing for health-related information as an investigative study through its beneficiaries has to be carefully corrected when used for sharing health information. Health information has to do with the general wellbeing of a person either physically, mentally and emotionally. Most of these messages may be shared in form of health tips, health-line advice, health product advertisement, and admonitions on obnoxious healthy living practices (Olubunmi, Fadeke, &Osore, 2017) and sexual health (Oladeji&Ayangunna, 2017). Health information-seeking through WhatsApp, a social media platform like other platforms, has a number of advantages and disadvantages owing to its vulnerabilities such as the unverifiable nature or source of the information and its commercial interests.
Women's health refers to the health of women, which differs from that of men in many unique ways. Women's health is an example of population health, where health is defined by the World Health Organization as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Often treated as simply women's reproductive health. Easy access to health information through social media is certainly beneficial in terms of health education for the public. In the health program, women are the target population in health education. This is because women have a major role in the implementation of healthy lifestyles family.
1.2 Statement Of Problem
Health information’s information is critical to survival for everyone and especially young females. An information source regarding health messages requires trust. An information source regarding health messages requires trust.
Put differently, females receive health messages on Social media platform but can they or should they trust these messages?
This project seeks to examine the level of trust of females on health messages received via social media.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Gendered Health Communication Investigating young Females’ trust Level of Whatsapp Messages. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To know whether females receive health messages on Social Media.
- To determine whether females trust messages received on Social Media.
- To determine whether information received have been utilized.
- To examine the effectiveness of Social Media health related messages on young females of Bowen University.
- To ascertain whether utilization of Social Media in significant benefit to females.
1.4 Research Questions
The following questions will be addressed to examine the Gendered Health Communication Investigating young Females’ trust Level of Whatsapp Messages:
- Do young females receive health messages on Social media?
- To what extent do young females trust Social media health related messages?
- How effective are these Social media health related messages on young females in Bowen University?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study is significant because it examines the trust level of young females when it comes to social media health related messages. The findings of this study are supposed to provide solution to reasons why young females in Bowen University have trust issues with Social media health related information.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on Gendered Health Communication Investigating young Females’ trust Level of Whatsapp Messages, which is limited to female undergraduate of Bowen University ages 14-25.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.8 Definition of Terms
- Health Communications: Health communication includes verbal and written strategies to influence and empower individuals, populations, and communities to make healthier choices.It is also to inform and influence decisions and actions to improve health.
- Social Media; Social media is a computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks This are websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.
- WhatsApp: WhatsApp is a messaging app that uses the internet to send messages, images, audio or video. The cost is significantly less than texting.
