Qualitative investigation of the role of quality in online community support for people living with HIV and AIDS

Abstract

This research advances a new P2PSNSQual model, a peer-to-peer (P2P) social networking site quality construct. This study derived its theoretical background from SNSQUAL, a social networking quality model, and qualitatively confirmed that two independent dimensions -- perceived usefulness and information quality -- influence the quality of P2P support groups on social media and continued user engagement. For people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA), this study determined that perceived usefulness is based on five dimensions identified here: reduced felt stigma, reinforced safe space, critical life line, perceived social support, perceived material support. Information quality is determined for PLHA users by the availability of information critical to PLHA, access to which is facilitated by a social media-based health intervention. This study contributes to information systems (IS) research and practice by: 1) introducing a new quality construct, P2PSNS quality; 2) recognizing six required dimensions of P2PSNS quality for PLHA; 3) and creating the first P2P social media quality model (P2PSNSQUAL), contextualized for use within a unique user group; and 4) investigating the impact of P2PSNS quality on continued user engagement, and fills a gap in the IS literature. The new P2PSNSQUAL model identifies a need for further study of P2P SNS use by targeted user groups in the health intervention context.