Ending Health Promotion Lethargy: A Social Media Awareness Campaign to Face Hypothyroidism
Paloma Acacia Guzman-Garcia, Efrain Orozco-Quintana, Diego Sepulveda-Gonzalez, Alexis Cooley-Magallanes, Daniela Salas-Velazquez, Cynthia Lopez-Garcia, Andrea Ramírez-Treviño, Ana Laura Espinoza-Moran, Mildred Lopez, Nancy de los Angeles Segura-Azuara
Copyright: © 2022
|Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-8783-6.ch009
Abstract
Hypothyroidism is a condition characterized by a deficit of thyroid hormones that leads to a low metabolic rate, typically associated with lethargy. The causes are diverse and may vary from congenital defects and autoimmune disorders to iodine deficiency, the latter being easily preventable with the appropriate strategies. For this chapter, the authors documented a social media awareness campaign via Instagram, whose purpose was to do popular science about hypothyroidism's symptoms to promote early detection and prevention. This campaign took place from October to November 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign consisted of informative posts and engaged the audience via questionnaires through Instagram stories. Lastly, an online questionnaire was shared to assess the gained knowledge of the viewers and evaluate the campaign's efficacy. The social media awareness campaign showed to be a feasible way to educate the community, enabling efficient health promotion strategies through digital platforms.
TopPresentation Of The Disease
Definition and Epidemiology
Hypothyroidism (HT) is a condition characterized by a deficit of thyroid hormones. Physiologically, the correct hormonal secretion implies a good functioning of the endocrine organs involved in the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis (HPTa). In HT, the pathological state of hormonal hyposecretion occurs through two main mechanisms: a high elimination rate or a low hormone synthesis, later on they are classified based on their etiology as either an autoimmune disease or an iodine deficiency, the latter constitutes the most common cause of HT worldwide (Hueston, 2020). Therefore, as a preventive technique, government entities from multiple developed countries decided to fortify frequently consumed foods (such as table salt) with iodine, in order to reduce the prevalence of HT. Therefore, leaving iodine deficiency aside, Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis disease represents the most common cause of HT in industrialized countries (Fitzgerald, 2020).
Etiology
The causes of hypothyroidism are diverse, and their incidence varies widely between populations and geographic regions. In iodine-sufficient areas, the most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s disease, also called chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. In iodine deficient areas, the lack of absorption of this component continues to be the leading cause of goiter and hypothyroidism (Chaker, 2017). Other causes of hypothyroidism include radioiodine treatment, neck radiation, thyroid deposits of amyloid or iron, among others (Chiovato, 2017).
Key Terms in this Chapter
HPTa: Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Thyroid axis.
TG: Thyroglobulin.
Gene: Essential component of the genetic information. The multiple combinations lead to individual differentiations of the organisms.
Hyperprolactinemia: Oversecretion of prolactin to the blood (>20-25 ng/ml).
Endocrine System: A series of glands and organs in charge of hormonal production, secretion and reabsorption that regulates metabolism, sex behavior, development, etc.
TSH: Thyrotropin.
Hypogonadism: Reduction or absence of sexual hormones that reflects on the gonads.
T3: Triiodothyronine.
TRH: Thyrotropin releasing hormone.
Parenchyma: Essential organ tissue.
Amenorrhea: Lack of menstrual bleeding in women during reproductive age.
Physiology: The good biological function of the body.
HT: Hypothyroidism.
TPO: Thyroid peroxidase.
T4: Thyroxine.
Hormones: Molecules that orchestrate the signalization process in living organisms through organ interaction. Promoting the coordinate function of the structures in order to maintain the homeostasis.
Iodine: Chemical element used by the thyroid as an indispensable substrate for the hormonal production.
Galactorrhea (Pathology): Milk production in the absences of a pregnancy.
Autoimmunity: Abnormal immune response against specific proteins or cells that belong to the body.