Mapping the conversation: A network analysis of World Continence Week on Twitter/X

Abstract

Introduction and Hypothesis Female urinary incontinence affects over 60% of women globally. Despite its prevalence, social stigma limits public discussions. World Continence Week (WCW) June 17-23, 2024, aimed to increase awareness using coordinated social media campaigns. We aimed to evaluate the impact of official hashtags and campaigns during WCW on public engagement on Twitter/X.MethodsWe searched the posts containing official WCW hashtags (#CommitmentToCollaborationIncontinenceCare, #WCW2024, #ContinenceMatters, and #SupportIncontinence) and additional hashtags (#incontinence, #femaleincontinence, and #UrinaryIncontinence) collected from June 10 to June 30, 2024, covering WCW, using NodeXL Pro drawing upon social network analysis. User interactions, geographic distribution, hashtag usage, and key influencers were identified in our analysis. Our study drew upon the Clauset-Newman-Moore clustering and betweenness centrality algorithms. Results Our analysis included 20,000 posts and accumulated 861,591 interactions. The network included 317 users, with medical organizations, healthcare professionals, and patient groups dominating the conversation. Official WCW accounts had the highest influence, while active news outlets amplified reach. Shared URLs were from reputable medical institutions. The use of official hashtags showed widespread alignment on campaign themes. Conclusions WCW 2024's social media strategy effectively raised incontinence awareness, highlighting the importance of coordinated digital campaigns for destigmatizing women's health issues.