An Exploratory Study of Predictors of Participation in a Computer Support Group for Women With Breast Cancer (original) (raw)

The number of people participating in computermediated social support (CMSS) groups currently counts in the millions 1 and has been rising steadily in the past few years. 2 Experts have predicted that computer-based health communication services will continue to expand, and consumers will increasingly turn to them for health information, communication, and support. 3 In the past decade, several studies on the ways women with breast cancer use CMSS groups have been published. Numerous descriptive accounts related to whether people will use such groups, the extent to which they will do so, and the general nature of the support exchanged within these groups have been published. 4-6 Other research offers a more qualitative, phenomenological account of the discourse within CMSS groups for women with breast cancer. 7,8 Recent research illustrates some of the unique ways that women with breast cancer from different demographic backgrounds participate in CMSS groups 9 and demonstrates that participation in CMSS groups can affect various mental health outcomes. 10,11 Despite the growing body of research, there is still a lack of understanding about these groups. 12,13 One current gap in nursing informatics and health communication research is an understanding of what types of people are most likely to use computer-mediated support groups in the first place. The purpose of this current study is to provide insights about the characteristics of individuals who participate in CMSS groups for women with breast cancer. Such questions are relevant to a number of practical concerns. First, it is important to know whether certain population segments are more likely to be the most active participants in CMSS groups. If training and access are removed as barriers to use, what characteristics predict level of participation in such groups? Research