Abstract
Facebook Groups facilitate information exchange and engagement for patients with chronic conditions, including those living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD); however, little is known about how knowledge is diffused throughout these communities. This study aimed to evaluate the content that is available on COPD-related Facebook Groups, as well as the communication (self-disclosures, social support) and engagement (agreement, emotional reaction) strategies used by members to facilitate these resources. Two researchers independently searched the “Groups” category using the terms “COPD”, “emphysema”, and “chronic bronchitis”. Twenty-six closed (n = 23) and public (n = 3) COPD Facebook Groups were identified with 87,082 total members. The vast majority of Group members belonged to closed (n = 84,684; 97.25%) as compared to open (n = 2398; 2.75%) groups. Medications were the most commonly addressed self-management topic (n = 48; 26.7%). While overall engagement with wall posts was low, the number of “likes” (an indicator of agreement) was significantly greater for wall posts that demonstrated social support as compared to posts that did not (p < 0.001). Findings from this study showed that COPD Facebook group members share specific disease-related experiences and request information about select self-management topics. This information can be used to improve the quality of self-management support provided to members of popular COPD Facebook groups.
Highlights
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to a group of respiratory diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, characterized by airflow blockage and a progressive worsening of breathing [1]
Results from the Mann-Whitney U Test showed that the number of likes on COPD group wall posts was significantly greater for posts that did not provide information about COPD (Mdn = 4)
The findings of this study support several important implications for practice among health education specialists and health care providers; including, the potential of COPD Facebook groups for establishing social support networks among patients living with COPD, as the groups were found to primarily serve that purpose
Summary
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to a group of respiratory diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, characterized by airflow blockage and a progressive worsening of breathing [1]. As COPD progresses, symptoms often worsen and become disabling during the everyday lives of people living with the condition [2]. COPD is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the United States [3]. This debilitating chronic condition is responsible for killing more than three million people worldwide every year [4]. There are currently 16 million people diagnosed with COPD in the United States (U.S.) [5], and approximately
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