A Bibliometric Analysis of Digital Technologies Used in Health Promotion Interventions

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19564541

Michael Daka¹, Christopher Dick-Sagoe², Mogopodi Hazel Lekorwe³, and David Mandiyanike⁴ (Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana, Southern Africa^1,2,3 and Department of Development Studies, University of South Africa, South Africa⁴)

Over the past two decades, digital technologies have transformed health promotion delivery from the traditional face-to-face to internet-based platforms. This study explored the research trends, hotspots and emerging themes in the digital health promotion research. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used to collect data from the Scopus database using digital technologies and health promotion keywords. Bibliometric analysis was used to map research trends and hotspots while thematic analysis was used to identify the main themes. The results show that 1,366 papers were retrieved and 48 of them were included in the study for themes identification. The annual publications increased over time, with a tremendous increase in the past five years due to the growth of interests by researchers in digital technologies, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The leading journal and country on digital health promotion research are the Journal of Medical Internet Research and the United States of America, respectively. Digital technologies available for health promotion are mobile apps, wearable devices, artificial intelligence, social media and websites. These have been used to connect health professionals with individuals and empower them with the capacity to make decisions regarding their health. However, a digital divide exists among internet users including health professionals. The study concludes that the use of digital technologies has a great potential to promote health and recommends that governments and health institutions promote digital literacy among internet users.