ABSTRACT
This research investigated the efficacy of a social media advocacy campaign in promoting positive community practices related to water sanitation among active Facebook users in Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines. Employing a descriptive quantitative research design, the study utilized a structured questionnaire with a four-point Likert scale to assess community awareness, evaluate the campaign's content, clarity, and accuracy, and determine its overall effectiveness.
Findings revealed that respondents possessed a high baseline level of awareness regarding essential and sanitation practices and perceived the campaign as highly successful in delivering clear, accurate, and relevant content The campaign was effective in motivating behavioral change particularly in household sanitation such as safer waste disposal. However, the lowest-rated indicators highlighted a significant knowledge-behavior gap, showing content was least effective at encouraging responsible water habits and transforming viewers into active advocates who share information. Despite high success, participation was hindered by reported technical quality issues and limited internet access.
The study concludes that social media is a powerful tool for enhancing awareness and motivating individual behavior, but future campaigns must prioritize engaging and interactive content to strengthen motivational cues and bridge the gap between knowledge and sustained community action.
Keywords: social media, behavior, awareness, campaign, sanitation, safe water disposal, internet access
INTRODUCTION
Access to clean and safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene practices (collectively known as WASH) are fundamental to human health, dignity, and sustainable development. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that safe and sufficient WASH services play a key role in preventing numerous neglected tropical diseases and reducing diarrheal mortality. (World Health Organization, 2025) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention similarly emphasizes that reliable access to safe water and sanitation significantly reduces the global burden of disease. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025) In light of these facts, addressing water and sanitation practices at the community level remains a major public-health priority.
Despite global progress, large gaps remain in sanitation and hygiene services, particularly among low-income and marginalized communities. According to United Nations, access to safely managed water and sanitation services is still far from universal, undermining health, education and equity. Inadequate sanitation not only contributes to disease spread but also perpetuates cycles of poverty and under-development. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025) Moreover, the social determinants of health literature recognize water and sanitation as foundational elements influencing health outcomes, inequality and well-being. (Sheel V et al., 2024) These realities underscore the importance of promoting community practices that ensure safe water and sanitation habits.
In recent years, social media has emerged as a powerful channel for health communication, public awareness and advocacy. Studies show that social media platforms are increasingly used by health institutions, researchers and practitioners to disseminate health information, engage communities and shape public behaviors. (Chen & Wang, 2021) As digital platforms continue to expand their reach and influence, they offer a promising opportunity to mobilize community action, foster peer learning and drive behavior change in the domain of water and sanitation. In particular, these platforms can be used for timely spreading of information on hygiene practices, emerging issues, and initiatives within the community. They also provide interactive space that allows shared experiences, reporting of sanitation concerns, and finding solutions. Digital tools bridge the gaps in communication and access to knowledge, thus allow communities to make informed decisions and sustain improvements in water and sanitation practices.
However, the potential of social media for behavior change in WASH contexts is under‐explored and poses unique challenges. While awareness-raising through social platforms shows promise, systematic reviews indicate that translating social media engagement into sustained behavioral change remains complex and insufficiently studied. (Gharahmani et al., 2022) This gap suggests that more empirical research is needed to understand how online advocacy interacts with offline community practices, cultural contexts, and structural factors in sanitation interventions.
This research aims to investigate how social media advocacy can be leveraged to promote community practices in water sanitation. Specifically, the study will examine the mechanisms through which social media drives knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to water sanitation at the community level, identify enabling and hindering factors, and propose strategic recommendations for designing effective digital-community interventions. In doing so, the research contributes to both the WASH and health communication fields, offering insights for practitioners, policymakers and communities striving for healthier, more sustainable water-sanitation systems.
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