Exploring the role of social support on self-monitoring and self-efficacy on Lose It! Facebook page
|
If you are the presenter of this abstract (or if you cite this abstract in a talk or on a poster), please show the QR code in your slide or poster (QR code contains this URL). |
Abstract
Background: Many Americans try to lose weight as one third of American adults are reported to be obese. While some still favor the traditional approaches including joining weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers, others quietly embark on the weight loss journey via popular mobile apps on their smart phones. Among the most popular mobile apps is Lose It! Easily installed on smart phones, mobile apps are effective self-management tools that can be used for weight loss.
A close examination of weight loss mobile apps reveals close ties to self-management theory, goal-setting, and goal-monitoring (monitoring the goal). Increasingly, weight loss mobile apps are also offering social media options, such as Facebook and Twitter, for social support. For example, Lose It! offers Facebook, Twitter and a Friends feature that allow users to invite other Lose It! users to be their online supporters.
The Facebook option in Lose It! taps the power of social media to create an online community of peers who can provide social support manifested in various forms including expressing emotional concern, offering appraisal, offering instrumental support, such as exercising together, and offering information, such as tips, suggestions or advice (House, 1981). A recent study with an online weight loss community identified themes in social support, which included encouragement, shared experience and information (Hwang, Etchegaray, Sciamanna, Bernstam & Thomas, 2011). Online social networks, like Facebook, facilitate social support by expanding opportunities for participants to be more activated in their ongoing care, to share data, and build “collective intelligence†among participants, which broadens self-efficacy for problem solving (Bernhardt, Mays, & Kreutzer, 2011; Hesse et al., 2011). A recent meta-analysis also revealed that social support facilitates weight loss. A recent meta-analysis of 28 Computer-Mediated Support Group (CMSG) interventions found a significant decrease in depression and increase in quality of life and self-efficacy to manage their health conditions among patients with illness ranging from breast cancer and Parkinson’s disease to depression and disordered eating (Rains & Young, 2009). Offline social support has been associated with improved adherence to healthy lifestyle, symptom self-monitoring and medication regimen (e.g., DiMatteo, 2004), and social support facilitates initial weight loss (Elfhag & Rossner, 2005) and weight loss maintenance (Wing & Jeffery, 1999).
Objective & Methods: The focus of this study is to build on research to examine the role of social support in an online weight loss community. Specially, we examine whether it improves the mediating effect of self-efficacy and self-monitoring, which in turn leads to weight loss. To examine this hypothesis, a survey was created in Qualtrics to explore the impact of social support experienced by the Lose It! Facebook users in a collaborative environment where they share information, experience, goals aspiration and emotions. Structural regression analysis will be used for data analysis.
Results and Conclusion: This is a research in progress. The full paper will be completed by September 2012.
A close examination of weight loss mobile apps reveals close ties to self-management theory, goal-setting, and goal-monitoring (monitoring the goal). Increasingly, weight loss mobile apps are also offering social media options, such as Facebook and Twitter, for social support. For example, Lose It! offers Facebook, Twitter and a Friends feature that allow users to invite other Lose It! users to be their online supporters.
The Facebook option in Lose It! taps the power of social media to create an online community of peers who can provide social support manifested in various forms including expressing emotional concern, offering appraisal, offering instrumental support, such as exercising together, and offering information, such as tips, suggestions or advice (House, 1981). A recent study with an online weight loss community identified themes in social support, which included encouragement, shared experience and information (Hwang, Etchegaray, Sciamanna, Bernstam & Thomas, 2011). Online social networks, like Facebook, facilitate social support by expanding opportunities for participants to be more activated in their ongoing care, to share data, and build “collective intelligence†among participants, which broadens self-efficacy for problem solving (Bernhardt, Mays, & Kreutzer, 2011; Hesse et al., 2011). A recent meta-analysis also revealed that social support facilitates weight loss. A recent meta-analysis of 28 Computer-Mediated Support Group (CMSG) interventions found a significant decrease in depression and increase in quality of life and self-efficacy to manage their health conditions among patients with illness ranging from breast cancer and Parkinson’s disease to depression and disordered eating (Rains & Young, 2009). Offline social support has been associated with improved adherence to healthy lifestyle, symptom self-monitoring and medication regimen (e.g., DiMatteo, 2004), and social support facilitates initial weight loss (Elfhag & Rossner, 2005) and weight loss maintenance (Wing & Jeffery, 1999).
Objective & Methods: The focus of this study is to build on research to examine the role of social support in an online weight loss community. Specially, we examine whether it improves the mediating effect of self-efficacy and self-monitoring, which in turn leads to weight loss. To examine this hypothesis, a survey was created in Qualtrics to explore the impact of social support experienced by the Lose It! Facebook users in a collaborative environment where they share information, experience, goals aspiration and emotions. Structural regression analysis will be used for data analysis.
Results and Conclusion: This is a research in progress. The full paper will be completed by September 2012.
Medicine 2.0® is happy to support and promote other conferences and workshops in this area. Contact us to produce, disseminate and promote your conference or workshop under this label and in this event series. In addition, we are always looking for hosts of future World Congresses. Medicine 2.0® is a registered trademark of JMIR Publications Inc., the leading academic ehealth publisher.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.