Promoting neurosurgery interest among medical students in Africa: An analysis of the social media handles of the Association of Future African Neurosurgeons

Abstract

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Background: Social media is a powerful tool in the armamentarium of the modern-day physician, advancing education, research, and advocacy in neurosurgery. The African continent bears a considerable neurosurgical disease burden yet lacks the requisite human resources. Comprehensive analyses of social media strategies and their impacts on neurosurgical practices and interest groups in Africa are scarce. The Association of Future African Neurosurgeons (AFAN), an African neurosurgery interest group, assessed how its social media platforms have influenced neurosurgery interest among aspiring African neurosurgeons.

Methods: This social media analysis involved collecting and examining data on the types of publications, impressions, and reach from the Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels of AFAN from 31 December 2019 through 11 September 2020. Descriptive statistics were produced, and both the Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman’s correlation were applied, with P values <0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Facebook, with 7002 followers, was the most popular platform, followed by Twitter (409 followers) and YouTube (199 subscribers). The primary audience consisted of sub-Saharan Africans, predominantly males aged 25 to 34 years, who mostly accessed the platforms via mobile phones. Photos and links led to more engagement across all post types, with the highest access occurring over the weekend (P<0.001).

Conclusions: AFAN’s social media activities have effectively impacted aspiring African neurosurgeons, thanks to a strategic approach informed by analytics on social media visibility and engagement.