Online social support for obese adults: Exploring the role of forum activity

被引:19
|
作者
Reifegerste, Doreen [1 ]
Wasgien, Katrin [2 ]
Hagen, Lutz M. [2 ]
机构
[1] Hanover Univ Mus Drama & Media, Dept Journalism & Commun Res, Hannover, NH, Germany
[2] Tech Univ Dresden, Inst Media & Commun, Dresden, Germany
关键词
Obesity; Social support; Online forum; Active participation; WEIGHT-LOSS; PATIENT EMPOWERMENT; VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES; PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY; SELF-REGULATION; HEALTH; COMMUNICATION; PARTICIPANTS; OVERWEIGHT; INTERNET;
D O I
10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2017.02.003
中图分类号
TP [自动化技术、计算机技术];
学科分类号
0812 ;
摘要
Purpose: Worldwide, the number of obese persons continues to grow. Online-mediated self-help groups represent an opportunity for obese persons to support each other. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether and how the use of and active participation in online self-help groups is associated with perceived informational and emotional support among obese adults. Methods: We conducted an online-based questionnaire (N= 230) with users of online self-help groups for obese adults in Germany. Results: Findings revealed that forum activity is significantly correlated with perceived informational and emotional support. While asking questions was strongly correlated with both types of social support, sharing opinions and answering posts were more strongly correlated with perceived emotional support. Conclusion: The level of social support in online communities depends on an individual's forum activity. Our findings offer a foundation for professionals in the health care sector to enhance their understanding, make recommendations, and further develop online self-help groups. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:1 / 8
页数:8
相关论文
共 50 条
  • [21] Stress and physical activity in young adults treated for cancer: the moderating role of social support
    Brunet, Jennifer
    Love, Caitlin
    Ramphal, Raveena
    Sabiston, Catherine M.
    [J]. SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER, 2014, 22 (03) : 689 - 695
  • [22] Exploring Obese Adults' Preferences for a Physical Activity Chatbot: Qualitative Study
    Larbi, Dillys
    Wynn, Rolf
    Arsand, Eirik
    Denecke, Kerstin
    Zanaboni, Paolo
    Gabarron, Elia
    [J]. CARING IS SHARING-EXPLOITING THE VALUE IN DATA FOR HEALTH AND INNOVATION-PROCEEDINGS OF MIE 2023, 2023, 302 : 478 - 479
  • [23] Acquiring Social Support in an Online HPV Support Group: Exploring the Roles of Threat and Efficacy
    Chen, Liang
    Fu, Lunrui
    Yang, Xiaodong
    Li, Linhan
    Ding, Sitong
    [J]. HEALTH COMMUNICATION, 2023,
  • [24] Risk of Disordered Eating Among a Sample of Indian Adolescents: The Role of Online Activity, Social Anxiety and Social Support
    Piko, Bettina F.
    Patel, Kosha
    Kiss, Hedvig
    [J]. JOURNAL OF INDIAN ASSOCIATION FOR CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH, 2022, 18 (04): : 315 - 321
  • [25] Food Insecurity and Obesity: Exploring the Role of Social Support
    Ashe, Karen M.
    Lapane, Kate L.
    [J]. JOURNAL OF WOMENS HEALTH, 2018, 27 (05) : 651 - 658
  • [26] The role of identification in soliciting social support in online communities
    An, Zheng
    Meng, Jingbo
    Mendiola-Smith, Luana
    [J]. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR, 2020, 104
  • [27] Comparing the use of a social annotation tool and a threaded discussion forum to support online discussions
    Sun, Yanyan
    Gao, Fei
    [J]. INTERNET AND HIGHER EDUCATION, 2017, 32 : 72 - 79
  • [28] Role strain and online social support for childless stepmothers
    Craig, Elizabeth A.
    Johnson, Amy J.
    [J]. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, 2011, 28 (06) : 868 - 887
  • [29] Exploring Older Adults' Social Influences for Physical Activity
    Wilson, Kathleen
    Spink, Kevin
    [J]. ACTIVITIES ADAPTATION & AGING, 2006, 30 (03) : 47 - 60
  • [30] Exploring the role of volunteers in social care for older adults
    Cameron, Ailsa
    Johnson, Eleanor K.
    Willis, Paul B.
    Lloyd, Liz
    Smith, Randall
    [J]. QUALITY IN AGEING AND OLDER ADULTS, 2020, 21 (02): : 129 - 139