Social Support Perspective Research Articles

Role of online health communities in patient compliance: a social support perspective

Purpose Online health communities (OHC) can transform the healthcare industry, particularly in developing economies. Technology advancement and increased health literacy pave the way for these communities to become powerful tools for empowering patients. The purpose of this study was to empirically validate the linkages between social support and how it overarchingly influences patient compliance. Following social support theory, this study delineates how support from the community affects the patient–physician relationship (PERP) and consequently patient compliance regarding the treatment plan. This study also invents the role of patient trust in an OHC in moderating the relationship between PERP and engagement. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on social support and empowerment theories to investigate the importance of social support in improving patients’ health behaviours and health outcomes via patient empowerment, patient engagement and patient compliance. The authors surveyed users from three Facebook cancer communities in India to collect data. The authors used partial least squares structured equation modelling and necessary condition analysis (NCA) with 265 participants to support the proposed model. Findings The result demonstrates that PERP is a crucial factor for patient engagement in OHC, and patient engagement has a significant effect on patient compliance. The results also showed that trust was a significant moderator between PERP and engagement. The NCA analysis shows all the relationships are significant; however, emotional support is not a necessary condition for PERP. Research limitations/implications By empowering cancer patients and enabling them to meet their emotional and informational needs through OHCs, the study model can aid in the development of solutions that will improve compliance with their treatment in an emerging economic context. The findings indicate the potential chain reaction of social support and PERP in online cancer health communities. This study also contributes to quantifying the social impacts of online healthcare services and how to enhance the healthcare compliance framework. Originality/value This study combines social support and empowerment theory with patient, physician, and technology to provide a fine-grained picture of PERP in OHC. It explains how social support in OHC promotes self-care behaviour. This linkage validation enables readers and the community at large to gain a more nuanced understanding of how social support – through PERP, engagement and trust – enables patient compliance using primary data.

Paths of knowledge sharing of core and periphery users in online health communities: social support perspective

Paths of knowledge sharing of core and periphery users in online health communities: social support perspective

The formation and evolution of vulnerability risk of rural poor groups under the perspective of social support —— based on the analysis of “sensitivity-resilience”

The anticipated sensitivity and resilience practices of the poor groups expose them to significant vulnerability risks, with social support actions arising from the return to poverty posing additional interference. To comprehensively prevent and mitigate vulnerability risks, breakthroughs in corresponding social support are essential. This study, through questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews, collected original data from 750 impoverished households in Lantian County, northwest China. Using a bottom-up approach, it constructed a “sensitivity-resilience” framework to assess the vulnerability and resilience mechanisms of the relatively poor groups. The research reveals that vulnerability and resilience interact in response to risk shocks. The strong livelihood dependence, capital accumulation deficiency, and sensitivity characteristics of social marginalization among rural relatively poor groups, coupled with fragmented and inefficient social support, exacerbate the degree of vulnerability risks, leading to an amplification of sensitivity and a reduction in resilience. Based on these findings, targeted at the characteristics of vulnerability risks and the fatigue factors of social support, this study proposes policy recommendations at two levels: system reengineering to reduce sensitivity and long-term reengineering to enhance resilience, aiming to prevent large-scale return to poverty.

Temporal Dimensions of Crisis and Online Hotel Reviews: A Social Support Perspective of Narcissists During the Pandemic

This study sought to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the online reviewing behavior of individuals with narcissistic traits. We conducted a textual analysis of online reviews submitted to TripAdvisor.com for hotels in New York City, covering the period from August 1, 2019, to July 31, 2022. This time frame allowed us to examine the phases before the COVID-19 crisis, during the early stages of the pandemic, and in the later stages of the crisis. We observed that the negative correlation between narcissism and review ratings was less evident during the initial phase of the COVID-19 crisis but became more pronounced as the crisis progressed. Conversely, the positive correlation between narcissism and the perceived helpfulness of reviews was stronger in the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis compared with the later stages. This suggests that the behavior of posting online reviews may serve as a form of social support mechanism, particularly utilized by narcissistic individuals to address their vulnerabilities, which was more apparent during the early phase of the COVID-19 crisis. These findings open new avenues for research and have practical implications for professionals in the hospitality, tourism, and service industries, especially in understanding consumer behavior during crisis periods.

What Drives Health Information Exchange on Social Media? Social Media Affordances and Social Support Perspectives

ABSTRACT Despite the prevalence of health communication on social media, the mechanisms by which social media affect health information exchange have received less than adequate investigation. By integrating the lenses of affordance and social support, this study examines the effect of social media affordances on health information exchange, with a particular focus on the mediation effect of social support and the boundary condition of health consciousness. Results of an online survey indicated that the affordances of information accessibility and metavoicing are positively related to both general and experiential informational support. Moreover, the affordance of association is positively related to experiential informational support and emotional support. Additionally, three types of social support have positive effects on health information exchange, and health consciousness positively moderates the effect of experiential informational support on health information exchange. This study enriches existing literature by revealing the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of the relationship between social media affordances and health information exchange. Furthermore, it provides new insights for practitioners to promote health information exchange on social media.

Measuring social support for depression on social media: A multifaceted study on user interaction and emotional spread

User interaction within social media groups is increasingly vital for offering social support to individuals experiencing mental health issues. However, measuring social support in these online communities is challenging due to the dynamic and complex nature of user interaction, which conventional research methods struggle to capture. To cope with the challenge, we propose a mixed-measurement approach that combines network theory and social support perspectives to enhance existing measures. Our methods offer a more comprehensive understanding of social support online by estimating emotional spread within these communities and examining the impact of information exposure and government control on community activities and users’ mood stability. Our findings highlight the importance of considering multiple dimensions and factors when measuring social support in social media groups, adding insights into the underlying mechanism of social support cultivation on social media platforms.

“Do the right thing”: Immigrant perspectives of social worker support in the United States

AbstractSocial workers play a distinctive role in serving all communities, especially immigrants. Heightened immigrant stress and deteriorating well‐being have been reported amid recent anti‐immigrant socio‐political climate. Given the unique challenges of immigrants, they have distinct needs. In our study, we utilize data from a larger study including a sample of first‐ and second‐generation immigrants, to understand “How can social workers support immigrant communities?” In total, N = 265 participants responded to this prompt. We employed a content analysis approach to analyze participant responses. Our analysis yielded four main themes: (1) Resources for immigrants, (2) Doing right by immigrants, (3) Advocacy, and (4) Understanding immigrants. Our findings are timely in highlighting the diverse perspectives about immigrant needs in the current socio‐political climate. Study findings have implications for social workers as well as service providers/agencies that engage with immigrants.

Research on Privacy Disclosure Behavior of Mobile App Users from Perspectives of Online Social Support and Gender Differences

The provision of information and emotions is the core competitive edge for mobile apps to attract users to utilize their services and functionalities. Considering user demands and gender differences, it holds great significance for mobile apps to optimize personalized services by elucidating the formation mechanism of privacy disclosure behavior from the perspective of online social support (information and emotional). We adopt online social support theory and construct a model based on Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework to collect questionnaire data from 548 respondents for empirical analysis. The results showed that both online information support and online emotional support have direct or indirect positive effects on privacy disclosure behavior, with perceived justice and privacy concern mediating this effect. Perceived justice has a negative impact on privacy concern. Besides, females exhibit higher levels of privacy concern and lower levels of disclosure, and there are differences in the types of demand support between males and females in privacy decision-making.

Research on the Development of Urbanization Employment of Rural Migrant Women from the Perspective of Social Support

Research on the Development of Urbanization Employment of Rural Migrant Women from the Perspective of Social Support

Correlation among irrational parenthood cognitions, fertility stress, and social support in patients with repeated implantation failure and the mediating effect of fertility stress: a cross-sectional survey

PurposeThis study investigated the relationships among irrational conceptions of parenthood, fertility stress, and social support, as well as the mediating effect of fertility stress, in patients with repeated implantation failure.MethodsPatients who underwent assisted reproductive technology due to repeated implantation failure at the Reproductive Centre at Women's Hospital between January 2020 and August 2022 were selected using cross-sectional research and convenience sampling. A total of 129 patients with recurrent implantation failure were investigated using the Irrational Parenthood Cognitions Questionnaire (IPCQ), Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS).ResultsThe differences in irrational parenthood cognitions, fertility, stress, and social support among patients with repeated implantation failure in the education and yearly household income subgroups were statistically significant (P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that irrational parenthood cognitions were favorably correlated with all measures of reproductive stress (r=0.384 to 0.664, all P<0.01) and negatively correlated with social support (r=-0.310, p<0.01). The fertility stress of patients with repeated implantation failure fit the structural equation model of irrational parenthood cognitions and social support well [X2/df=2.04, Comparative Fit Index (CFI)=0.944, Tucker–Lewis (TLI)=0.905, Root Mean Squared Error of Approximation (RMSEA)=0.090]. The bootstrap test results revealed that the mediating effect of the 95% CI ranged between -0.506 and -0.109, and the interval did not contain 0. Fertility stress had a strong mediating effect on the relationship between irrational parenthood cognitions and social support.ConclusionsThe mediating effect of reproductive stress on the relationship between irrational parenthood cognitions and social support in patients with repeated implantation failure was significant. It is important for medical and nursing staff to address physical and psychological illnesses and develop effective intervention strategies from the perspectives of fertility stress, social support, and cultural background, with the ultimate goal of improving mental health.

Psychological implication of student unrest on student leaders: A social support perspective

The study explored the psychological implications of student unrest on student leaders in South African universities, focusing on both the negative and positive implications. The study is underpinned by social support theory and lensed within transformative paradigm. The study is qualitative in nature and employs participatory research design. Three universities were randomly selected across three provinces in South Africa, and four student leaders from each univesity were selected as participants using convenient sampling technique. Semi-structured interview was used to elicit information from the participants, and the data was analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that social and unpleasant anxiety and social group conflict tendencies are major negative psychological implications on student unrest. On the other hand, it also revealed that student unrest enhances the sense of empowerment and solidarity and also promotes self-esteem and political awareness among student leaders, with a recommendation that universities should provide adequate social support for student leaders.

Final Year Student Dynamics in the Perspective of Social Support and Academic Reciprocity

This study aims to determine the correlation between social support and academic resilience in final year students working on their undergraduate thesis. This research method uses a quantitative approach. The subjects in this study were 100 final year students working on their undergraduate thesis at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Mulawarman University using a purposive sampling technique. The data collection method used is the scale of academic resilience and social support. The data analysis technique used is the Pearson Product Moment statistical correlation test. The result showed that there was a significant correlation between social support and academic resilience in final level students working on undergraduate thesis with a value of r count 0.508 &gt; r table 0.197 and a sig value of 0.000 (p &lt; 0.05) which indicates that there is a positive correlation. The higher social support, the higher academic resilience, otherwise the lower the social support, the lower the academic resilience in final level students working on undergraduate thesis.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan dukungan sosial dengan resiliensi akademik pada mahasiswa tingkat akhir yang mengerjakan skripsi. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif. Subjek dalam penelitian ini 100 mahasiswa tingkat akhir yang mengerjakan skripsi di Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Universitas Mulawarman dengan menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah dengan skala resiliensi akademik dan dukungan sosial. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah uji statistik korelasi Pearson Product Moment. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara dukungan sosial dengan resiliensi akademik pada mahasiswa tingkat akhir yang mengerjakan skripsi dengan nilai r hitung 0.508 &gt; r tabel 0.197 dan nilai sig 0.000 (p &lt; 0.05) yang menunjukkan bahwa ada hubungan dengan arah positif. Artinya semakin tinggi dukungan sosial, maka semakin tinggi resiliensi akademik, dan sebaliknya semakin rendah dukungan sosial, maka semakin rendah resiliensi akademik pada mahasiswa tingkat akhir yang mengerjakan skripsi.

The impact of job stress on burnout in Chinese teachers: The mediating roles of social support and psychological empowerment

AbstractThis study aimed to explore the mediation mechanism of how sources of job stress impact teacher burnout. The participants were 502 Chinese teachers (Mage = 35.51, SDage = 9.56) in primary and secondary schools. The data were collected utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Occupational Stress Scale, Social Support Scale, and Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire. A structural equation model (SEM) was conducted to analyze whether social support and psychological empowerment mediate the relationship between job stress and teacher burnout. The results showed that the dimensions of job burnout were affected by different sources of job stress. Importantly, social support and psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between job stress and burnout. This study identified the important factors of job stress that affect teachers' burnout and provided a foundation for developing interventions for teachers experiencing burnout from the perspective of social support and psychological empowerment.

A basic healthy food basket approach to evaluate the affordability of healthy eating in South Africa and Kenya

IntroductionUnderstanding the affordability of healthy eating has always been a critical question but has escalated in importance considering the global context of more recent soaring food prices and the worsening of food and nutrition security indicators since the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost and affordability of basic healthy eating in South Africa and Kenya, through the application of a Basic Healthy Food Basket (BHFB) modeling framework applied within the food intake and nutritional context of the target countries.MethodsThe construction of the BHFB models was based on a number of key considerations (i.e., ‘building blocks’): household demographic (size and composition), socio-economically disaggregated household income levels, minimum wage data, typical food intake patterns, nationally monitored food retail prices and official country-specific nutrient intake and food consumption guidelines. For both countries BHFB’s were compiled and interpreted at a national level, as well as for a ‘more plant-based’ BHFB. The nutritional adequacy of the national BHFB’s was evaluated.ResultsBased on national demographical statistics in Kenya and South Africa, the reference family was defined as a four-member reference household consisting of 2 adults and 2 children. The detailed composition of the national BHFB’s is presented, consisting of 31 food items in Kenya and 24 food items in South Africa – covering all the food groups according to nutritional guidelines. The nutritional adequacy of the various BHFB’s is discussed and were generally deemed adequate for the majority of micro-nutrients – particularly the micro-nutrients of concern in the various countries. In January 2023 the cost of the national BHFB in Kenya and South Africa amounted to KSh33 800 (US$270) and R4 715 (US$ 262) respectively, − potentially excluding approximately 60% of the population from being able to afford a basic healthy food basket. A movement to ‘more plant-based’ BHFB’s (i.e., proportionally less meat/fish/eggs and proportionally more legumes) reduced the cost of the BHFB’s with 15% in Kenya and in South Africa. From a social support perspective, the analyses indicated that social support in the form of child support grants and children benefiting from school feeding programmes could result in the share of households able to afford basic healthy eating to increase by approximately 10 percentage points in the South African context.Conclusions and recommendationsThe study showed that the high (and rising) cost of basic healthy eating prevents large numbers of households in South Africa and Kenya from being able to afford basic healthy eating when considering current income distribution data. The research outcomes of the BHFB methodology applied in this study to monitor and evaluate the cost and affordability of basic healthy eating, should be monitored regularly and taken into consideration to inform food and nutrition policy decisions and actions. However, from a methodological perspective several critical challenges will have to be addressed to improve the measurement accuracy of the BHFB models, including the availability of official food retail price monitoring of a wider range of food items; household demographics, household income data, food intake data and household-level food expenditure data that are more frequently updated, as well as socio-economically and geographically disaggregated data on typical food intake behavior. From the perspective of plant versus animal protein sources, the study suggested that food intake patterns with an increased focus on legumes as a source of plant-based protein could help to improve the affordability of basic healthy eating. However, it is also important to consider consumer acceptability in this context from various perspectives, including sensory acceptability, cultural acceptability, and the available time for food preparation. The study identified the critical need to evaluate the cost of basic healthy eating on a geographically more refined level. This is based on the diversity of food intake behavior in different regions within the target countries as pointed out by in-country experts. However, future research to develop an improved understanding of food intake pattern in different regions/provinces/counties will be a critical enabler, along with geographically disaggregated food retail price data and demographical information.

Exploring the Incentive Function of Virtual Academic Degrees in a Chinese Online Smoking Cessation Community: Qualitative Content Analysis

Background Previous studies on online smoking cessation communities (OSCCs) have shown how such networks contribute to members’ health outcomes from behavior influence and social support perspectives. However, these studies rarely considered the incentive function of OSCCs. One of the ways OSCCs motivate smoking cessation behaviors is through digital incentives. Objective This study aims to explore the incentive function of a novel digital incentive in a Chinese OSCC—the awarding of academic degrees—to promote smoking cessation. It specifically focuses on “Smoking Cessation Bar,” an OSCC in the popular web-based Chinese forum Baidu Tieba. Methods We collected discussions about the virtual academic degrees (N= 1193) from 540 members of the “Smoking Cessation Bar.” The time frame of the data set was from November 15, 2012, to November 3, 2021. Drawing upon motivational affordances theory, 2 coders qualitatively coded the data. Results We identified five key topics of discussion, including members’ (1) intention to get virtual academic degrees (n=38, 2.47%), (2) action to apply for the degrees (n=312, 20.27%), (3) feedback on the accomplishment of goals (n=203, 13.19%), (4) interpersonal interaction (n=794, 51.59%), and (5) expression of personal feelings (n=192, 12.48%). Most notably, the results identified underlying social and psychological motivations behind using the forum to discuss obtaining academic degrees for smoking cessation. Specifically, members were found to engage in sharing behavior (n=423, 27.49%) over other forms of interaction such as providing recommendations or encouragement. Moreover, expressions of personal feelings about achieving degrees were generally positive. It was possible that members hid their negative feelings (such as doubt, carelessness, and dislike) in the discussion. Conclusions The virtual academic degrees in the OSCC created opportunities for self-presentation for participants. They also improved their self-efficacy to persist in smoking cessation by providing progressive challenges. They served as social bonds connecting different community members, triggering interpersonal interactions, and inducing positive feelings. They also helped realize members’ desire to influence or to be influenced by others. Similar nonfinancial rewards could be adopted in various smoking cessation projects to enhance participation and sustainability.

Social Support During Reentry: Family, Mentor, Religious, Parole Officer, and Social Service Roles

Existing research on social support and reentry primarily focuses on a single dimension of support, such as family or community support. Informed by the social support perspective, this study assessed how combined support from family, mentors, religious groups, parole officers, and social service agencies influences reentry outcomes. Given that the social support one receives during reentry is time-variant rather than static, longitudinal multilevel modeling was employed to examine how temporal changes in social support were associated with temporal changes in recidivism and drug misuse among people on parole. Results indicated that simultaneous support from family, parole officers, and social service agencies exerted protective effects on reentry outcomes. However, community-based mentoring programs had no significant effect on recidivism, and religious and social service support increased substance misuse. Policy implications derived from this research are discussed to address the intersection of various sources of social support.

The relationship between social media use and collective identity among the HIV/AIDS-affected adolescents: from the online social support perspective

ABSTRACT Research has suggested social media use plays an important role in forming collective identity among marginalized groups. From the online social support perspective, this study aims to explore the relationship between social media use and collective identity of HIV/AIDS-affected adolescents. A field survey was conducted in Wen Lou village (a famous Chinese ‘AIDS Village’) and valid questionnaires were completed by the HIV/AIDS-affected adolescents. A linear regression analysis was conducted to detect how demographic variables, social media use and online social support predict the collective identity of the HIV/AIDS-affected adolescents. For social media use, △R2 = 0.157, p < .05; and for online social support, △R2 = 0.358, p < .001, specifically for instrumental support, β = .281, p < .05. Preference for social media use and online social support positively predict their collective identity, but social media use intensity negatively predicts their collective identity. There are no significant differences in the levels of social media use intensity, preference for social media use, online social support and collective identity between different genders of the HIV/AIDS-affected adolescents. The level of ‘ideology’ is quite low, many participants did not show negative emotions for being a member of the ‘AIDS Village’ adolescents, or show hatred to people outside the ‘AIDS Village’.

Use of participatory action research to support Syrian refugee mothers in the resettlement period in Canada: A longitudinal study.

Research has shown that refugees in a foreign country often experience physical and mental health challenges upon resettlement (Ahmad et al., 2021; Salam et al., 2022). In Canada, refugee women experience a range of physical and mental barriers, including poor access to interpreter services and transportation, and a lack of accessible childcare, all of which can negatively affect their successful integration (Stirling Cameron et al., 2022). Social factors that support Syrian refugees to settle successfully in Canada have been unexplored systematically. This study examines these factors from the perspectives of Syrian refugee mothers living in the province of British Columbia (BC). Framed by principles of intersectionality and community-based participatory action research (PAR), the study draws on Syrian mothers' perspectives of social support in early, middle, and later phases of resettlement. A qualitative longitudinal design consisting of a sociodemographic survey, personal diaries, and in-depth interviews was used to gather information. Descriptive data were coded, and theme categories were assigned. Six themes emerged from data analysis: (1) Steps in the Migration Journey; (2) Pathways to Integrated Care; (3) Social Determinants of Refugee Health; (4) COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts and Ongoing Resettlement; (5) Strength-Based Capabilities of Syrian mothers; (6) Peer Research Assistant's Research (PRAs) Experience. Results from themes 5 and 6 are published separately. Data obtained in this study contribute to the development of support services that are culturally appropriate and accessible to refugee women living in BC. Our objectives are to promote the mental health and improve the quality of life of this female population, and to enable it to access healthcare services and resources in a timely manner.

Trajectory tracking of changes digital divide prediction factors in the elderly through machine learning.

Recently, the digital divide problem among elderly individuals has been intensifying. A larger problem is that the level of use of digital technology varies from person to person. Therefore, a digital divide may even exist among elderly individuals. Considering the recent accelerating digital transformation in our society, it is highly likely that elderly individuals are experiencing many difficulties in their daily life. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly address and manage these difficulties. This study aims to predict the digital divide in the elderly population and provide essential insights into managing it. To this end, predictive analysis is performed using public data and machine learning techniques. This study used data from the '2020 Report on Digital Information Divide Survey' published by the Korea National Information Society Agency. In establishing the prediction model, various independent variables were used. Ten variables with high importance for predicting the digital divide were identified and used as critical, independent variables to increase the convenience of analyzing the model. The data were divided into 70% for training and 30% for testing. The model was trained on the training set, and the model's predictive accuracy was analyzed on the test set. The prediction accuracy was analyzed using logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), decision tree (DT), and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). A convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to further improve the accuracy. In addition, the importance of variables was analyzed using data from 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak, and the results were compared with the results from 2020. The study results showed that the variables with high importance in the 2020 data predicting the digital divide of elderly individuals were the demographic perspective, internet usage perspective, self-efficacy perspective, and social connectedness perspective. These variables, as well as the social support perspective, were highly important in 2019. The highest prediction accuracy was achieved using the CNN-based model (accuracy: 80.4%), followed by the XGBoost model (accuracy: 79%) and LR model (accuracy: 78.3%). The lowest accuracy (accuracy: 72.6%) was obtained using the DT model. The results of this analysis suggest that support that can strengthen the practical connection of elderly individuals through digital devices is becoming more critical than ever in a situation where digital transformation is accelerating in various fields. In addition, it is necessary to comprehensively use classification algorithms from various academic fields when constructing a classification model to obtain higher prediction accuracy. The academic significance of this study is that the CNN, which is often employed in image and video processing, was extended and applied to a social science field using structured data to improve the accuracy of the prediction model. The practical significance of this study is that the prediction models and the analytical methodologies proposed in this article can be applied to classify elderly people affected by the digital divide, and the trained models can be used to predict the people of younger generations who may be affected by the digital divide. Another practical significance of this study is that, as a method for managing individuals who are affected by a digital divide, the self-efficacy perspective about acquiring and using ICTs and the socially connected perspective are suggested in addition to the demographic perspective and the internet usage perspective.

A Study of Community-based Elderly Care Services for Older People from a Social Support Perspective

A Study of Community-based Elderly Care Services for Older People from a Social Support Perspective