Health Crisis Communication on Instagram: An Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Colombia

Introduction: : The COVID-19 pandemic challenged governments and public health institutions to communicate effectively amid uncertainty, rapidly evolving science, and widespread misinformation. In this context, social media emerged as a pivotal channel for disseminating health information and influencing public behavior. Unlike traditional media, social media platforms enable institutions to share information quickly, interact directly with their audiences, and adapt messages in real-time. In Colombia, where more than 60% of the population uses social media as their primary news source, digital platforms have played a prominent role in shaping the public's understanding of the pandemic. Public health agencies and governmental organizations turned to these platforms to inform citizens, promote protective behaviors, and reinforce official government policies.

Despite the widespread use of social media by national, regional, and local institutions during the pandemic, little is known about the nature of these communications and the degree to which they aligned with established principles of effective risk messaging. This study examines how Colombian public health agencies and government organizations used Instagram throughout the COVID-19 crisis from the perspective of crisis communication. This work contributes to a growing body of literature seeking to understand how health communication functions in the digital age. It also offers insights into how communication practices can be strengthened in Latin American settings and beyond in preparation for future global health emergencies.

Materials and

Methods: : This study used a semi-quantitative and qualitative content analysis to examine how Colombian public health and government institutions communicated about COVID-19 on Instagram. We analyzed posts from five accounts: the President’s office (@infopresidencia), the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (@minsaludcol), the National Institute of Health (@insaludcolombia), the District Health Secretariat of Bogotá (@secretariasaludbogota), and the public engagement account of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (@todoesciencia_minciencias). To capture changes over time, we analyzed all Instagram posts published by each account during seven key phases of the pandemic timeline in Colombia from January 2020 to July 2022. Each phase was selected around key moments, such as the confirmation of the first case in the country, the implementation of lockdowns, and peaks in infection or vaccination campaigns.

We developed a coding instrument based on the CDC’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CREC) framework, adapted to the Colombian context. Each post was analyzed by a member of the research team and classified by format (e.g. infographic, short video), intended target audience, and epicenter of the information, among other categories. The content of each post was also examined to identify key topics that were grouped into key themes that follow critical recommendations in the CREC framework. Finally, the use of specific communication principles (e.g. clarity or empathy) was also documented.

Ongoing work is focusing on calculating engagement rates using counts of likes, comments, and visualizations to identify the communication strategies, content types, and themes that generated the highest and lowest engagement levels.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions:: We analyzed 2,776 posts, with the Health Secretariat of Bogotá publishing the most and the Ministry of Science the fewest posts (Figure 1A). Of those, 63% (1,735) were addressed COVID-19, the broader pandemic, or SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Posting peaked during phases 3 and 5, which coincided with major case and death surges in 2020 and 2021 (Figure 1B). Most content focused on national (42%) or Bogotá-specific (51%) information, highlighting the emphasis on addressing local public health needs (Figure 1C). Health and science agencies favored infographics and short videos, while the Office of the President relied more on photos and longer videos featuring government officials (Figure 1D).

Our analysis revealed distinct shifts in messaging over time. Early posts centered on alerts, information on the virus, and quarantine measures, while later phases emphasized vaccine promotion amid case surges in 2021 and 2022 (Table 1). Messaging on hand hygiene, facemasks, and social distancing exhibited a bimodal distribution with high frequencies in phases 2-3 and 6-7. Updates on cases and deaths appeared consistently across all phases to keep the public informed. Despite its importance throughout the pandemic, mental health and wellbeing received minimal attention.

Notably, the Colombian agencies studied here employed all thematic categories recommended by the CERC framework to build trust and communicate risk. In the early stages of the pandemic, messaging emphasized risk communication, warnings, and alerts. As the crisis evolved, posts more consistently incorporated elements of self-efficacy, sense-making, and reassurance (Figure 2A). In terms of communication principles, clarity, transparency, and calls to action were most commonly observed (Figure 2B). However, aside from the Ministry of Science, most agencies relied on formal and institutional tones, which may have limited engagement on platforms designed for more conversational and interactive communication. Compassionate and empathetic messaging, as well as efforts to correct misinformation, were notably scarce.

These findings underscore both the adaptability and the limitations of institutional social media use during public health crises. To strengthen future responses, institutions should better leverage the interactive potential of social media by adopting more relatable tones, correcting false information, and incorporating messages that build emotional connection and trust.

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