Health promotion in digital media

the experience of an undergraduate course of Dentistry in pandemic times

Abstract

 The goal of this article is to report on the experience of a Dentistry course at a private higher education institution in Fortaleza/CE that, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, adopted a virtual approach on Instagram to continue promoting health. Descriptive analyses were conducted from September 2020 to January 2024 of a profile created on a social network, which revealed a total of 165 publications addressing various topics such as arboviruses, breast and prostate cancer prevention, oral cancer, the importance of vaccination, leisure and culture, racism, sexually transmitted infections, integrative and complementary practices, hypertension, diabetes, physical exercises, healthy eating, among others. Comments from the users themselves highlighted the importance of health promotion moments. The course, which already employed the Health Promotion Space (EPS), adapted to the need for social distancing, maintaining the integrity of care by creating a virtual environment for the exchange of knowledge about oral and general health. This experience reveals the effectiveness of the strategic use of social networks, especially in times of crisis, to maintain health promotion and connection with the academic community, contributing to the dissemination of relevant information and the building of virtual bonds, as well as contributing to the educational process in the academic environment.