Using Online Memes to Communicate About Health: A Systematic Review

Objective: We conducted a systematic review of the literature on online health memes to (a) detect and describe the available research, (b) identify key findings, and (c) delineate future research needs/opportunities. Data Source: Databases, communication and public health journals, and ancestry search. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Empirical studies, in English, published in peer-reviewed academic journals, and focused on memes to discuss health-related topics. Data Extraction: We scrutinized 357 empirical articles and included 35. Data Synthesis: Descriptive summary of the locations where studies were conducted, the health topics addressed, theories and methods used, features of memes analyzed, study outcomes, and researchers’ challenges. Results: Most studies were conducted in the USA (n = 14); focused on COVID-19 (n = 15); were a-theoretical (n = 19); and quantitative (n = 19). Most explored the themes and use of the memes available online (n = 19); compared meme variations (n = 12) by health issue, content, or participants’ group; examined meme’ effects on health outcomes (n = 1); or evaluated memes as part of a health campaign (n = 3). We summarized the studies’ limitations and key findings. Conclusions: Memes are a promising message strategy for health promotion and education, but more research is necessary. Considering the information retrieved, we provide five specific recommendations for future research directions when studying health memes, including suggestions on the multiple health issues to address and promising theories to adopt and expand.