Addressing anemia among women in India—An informed intervention using Facebook Ad Manager (original) (raw)

Women in India continue to have high rates of anemia, especially in critical periods of adolescence and pregnancy. Anemia persists despite decades of government programs aimed at combatting anemia, including through the provision of iron folic acid tablets (IFA). With growing access to mobile phones and social media, even among women, mobile interventions hold potential for influencing knowledge and behaviors. Social media consumption, including on Facebook, is high in India. However, little research has explored if women can be reached with health messages using social media, if data can be collected through this mechanism, and if interventions using social media impact knowledge and behaviors surrounding important health issues such as anemia. The aims of this study were to test an advertising campaign on Facebook about anemia and IFA to women, collect data through social media, and measure its impact.