Dr Melody Taba

Google blocked STI awareness ads as ‘adult content’, Senate estimates hears Search engine added ‘STI testing’ to list of sensitive topics, censoring important public health campaign, Greens leader says * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Google has blocked ads for a commonwealth-funded STI awareness campaign as “adult content” in a move sexual health organisations say frustrates efforts to share evidence-based public health information online. The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday that the tech company’s moderation practices had recently undermined the reach and cost-effectiveness of the national campaign, run by Sexual and Reproductive Health Australia (SRHA). Continue reading...

Google blocked STI awareness ads as ‘adult content’, Senate estimates hears

Q: Can soft moderation techniques (such as footnotes and blur screens) decrease engagement with misinformation on social media?

A: Yes, yes, they can.
socialmedialab.ca/2024/09/11/n...

*New publication*

Interventions to support patient decision making about taking part in health research: A systematic review

doi.org/10.1016/j.pe...

Just out in Patient Education & Counseling

@sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au @katiegillies.bsky.social

Medication delivery and dispensing interval preferences of people who use antihypertensive medications in Australia: a survey study Click on the article title to read more.

Should we deliver longer supplies of #hypertension medication by post, to reduce barriers to taking medication consistently? Our survey of >2000 people taking blood pressure medication suggests preferences are price sensitive: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/... @mja.com.au @sydney.edu.au

YouTube video by Ottawa Charter 40 Ottawa Charter at 40: Professor Ilona Kickbusch

🎥 Watch my interview with Prof Ilona Kickbusch about the history of the Ottawa Charter and the impact it has had on Health Promotion across the globe youtu.be/8pWr0YIJ-pE
 
🎧 Or listen to the interview on our new 'Ottawa at 40' Spotify podcast series open.spotify.com/episode/1GKA... #Ottawa40

So proud of Dr @melodytaba.bsky.social, awarded her PhD with no emendations! Her carefully codesigned framework will improve government health communication with young people, so we are better prepared for future emergencies. More here: www.sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au/social-media...

Huge, huge thanks to my co-authors, youth advisors and my supervisory dream team for their immeasurable support: A/Prof Carissa Bonner, Dr Julie Ayre and Prof Kirsten McCaffery!

@carissabonner.bsky.social
@julieayre.bsky.social
@kirstenmccaffery.bsky.social
@sydneyhealthlitlab.bsky.social

Melody standing in front of a University of Sydney building holding thesis

#PhDone!

Super excited to announce I’ve been awarded my PhD with no emendations!

Excited for the next chapter at the Sydney Health Literacy Lab where I’ll continue researching young people
and digital health literacy as a postdoc 💫

@sydney.edu.au
@sydneyfmh-emcr.bsky.social
#AcademicSky

Super happy that this is finally out. It started with lunch discussions & difficulties in the @sonja-utz.de (then) social media group finding 1 social media definition we agreed on. Our main point: we need to be TRANSPARENT how we understand social media in a specific project/paper.

Australia’s progress in reducing adolescent smoking has slowed — vaping may be why - InSight+ In October last year, we published findings from our retrospective cohort analysis of data from the Generation Vape study in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, accompanied by an ...

What happened to teen smoking rates in Australia as vaping emerged? New analysis out today insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/29/aust...

IN PRESS!
Collaborative project with Dr Alana Fisher on #healthliteracy of ppl using unguided #iCBT for #depression/#anxiety.

Despite diverse literacy challenges - esp. in often underserved groups - users engaged & benefited.

👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

@sydneyhealthlitlab.bsky.social

it's so funny that Australian adults are more likely to think its appropriate for kids under 16 to go on X than on LinkedIn.

"Literal gore videos, mega racism and close up explicit material being recommended to you is fine, son, but I draw the line at professional networking"

NEW 🔔 The effectiveness of podcasts in promoting health among young people: a scoping review

✍️ Yixuan Zou, Albie Sharpe, Daniel Demant

OPEN ACCESS doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaf102

A checklist for respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness planning This checklist is an operational tool to help national authorities develop or revise national respiratory pathogen (inclusive of influenza and coronaviruses) pandemic preparedness plans. It presents ...

"Strengthen scientific literacy and people’s understanding of evidence about respiratory pathogens and pandemics through community dialogue, integration into educational curricula and utilizing networks, media, updated online content (including myth-busting pages), social media and other" tech.

Google ends fact-checking funding in Australia after letting AAP FactCheck deal expire While the US search giant is signing new deals with Australian publishers, it will not renew its fact-checking contract with Australian Associated Press amid a global backlash on fact-checking.

Google will no longer fund fact-checking in Australia by letting its existing deal with an Australian publisher's team lapse, mirroring Meta's retreat amid a global backlash against fact-checkers.

www.crikey.com.au/20...

Better ways to communicate health messages to young people Introduction by Croakey: Social media is the main source of news for young people, according to the 2025 Australian Digital News Report,

Better ways to communicate health messages to young people – five recommendations, by Dr Melody Taba

www.croakey.org/better-ways-...

Thank you @croakeynews.bsky.social & Dr @melissasweetdr.bsky.social for showcasing Dr @melodytaba.bsky.social's expertise ⤵️ #PublicHealth

Better ways to communicate health messages to young people

Better ways to communicate health messages to young people www.croakey.org/better-ways-... #publichealth

🗣️ Now recruiting!

Are you an adult and speak a language other than English at home?

We want know how you find information about your health, both online and from other places.

Study involves a 45 min interview (online or in person).

More info here: sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Quality of Available Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge Tools: A Systematic Review | Global Heart

Our new review of #CVD knowledge scales is just published - there's a lot of options! globalheartjournal.com/articles/10....

Happy to share my new study, publ. in Social Science Research 🎉 Bottom line: Yes, adolescents use their phones a lot 🤳 But I find no support for the notion that this use displaces reading, homework, hobbies, physical act., sleep... Instead: Changing media preferences 📺 ->📱. doi.org/10.1016/j.ss...

Thanks Bob, would love to hear how it’s received in different countries! Our work was done with Australian young people but online youth cultures span borders!

@doh.wa.gov thought your comms team might appreciate this!

Fantastic tips for health communicators!

#SciComm needs to be a conversation, not unidirectional.

Thanks so much for the positive feedback and sharing with your network!

@sydney.edu.au
@sydneyfmh-emcr.bsky.social
@sydneyhealthlitlab.bsky.social
@carissabonner.bsky.social
@julieayre.bsky.social
@kirstenmccaffery.bsky.social
@julieleask.bsky.social
@publichealthaus.bsky.social

Graphic reads "engage more with the public. Enable two-way conversations to build trust with young people". Illustration shows an expert and young person talking through 2 phones.

5️⃣: Engage more with the public

Young people want to see public health agencies engage with the public on social media.

They want two-way conversations rather than impersonal one-way messaging from a faceless entity. 📲

Graphic reads "Use current social media marketing. Use influencers, memes, try trends and follow platform norms". Illustration shows influencer taking selfies and sharing posts with lots of likes and hearts.

4️⃣: Use current social media marketing

Young people expect engaging and trendy content on social media, even from public health agencies.

Collaborate with influencers, use humour and memes … but avoid coming across as cringeworthy and be sure to create content with a young person. 🫠

Graphic reads "capture attention fast. Use an engaging hook with strong visual to get attention". Illustration features a timer showing 2 seconds and a phone with a fish hook.

3️⃣: Capture attention fast

Young people only spend a few seconds on a post before moving on. ⏰

Use a hook and strong visual to capture attention fast, before delivering the message elsewhere in the post.