Usage of Facebook-and Anonymous Forum -- Based Peer Support Groups Online and Their Influence on Perceived Social Support Types in Weight Loss

The aim of this study was to assess outcomes from a multilevel social network intervention to promote the health of Black men. Through a community–academic collaboration and using a participatory research approach, we implemented the intervention over 4 years in a 110-block area of an urban neighborhood. The project aimed to implement a neighborhood peer outreach and leadership network to strengthen social support of Black men and increase community and family engagement. Intervention activities included three 12-month intergenerational peer support groups ( N = 46), a door-to-door outreach campaign ( N = 186), media and communication efforts, and a community partner network. Primary outcomes for the peer support groups were measured using a pretest/posttest cohort design and included social support, perceived stress, social capital, and global self-esteem. Primary outcomes for the door-to-door outreach campaign were measured using a repeated cross-sectional design and included a sense of community, neighborhood social interaction, perceived neighborhood control, and self-rated health status. Significant findings from the peer support groups included an increase in social support overall ( p = .027), driven by improvements in guidance, reliable alliance, and reassurance of worth; and an improvement in perceived stress ( p = .047). Significant findings from the door-to-door outreach campaign included increases in neighborhood social interaction ( p < .0001) and perceived neighborhood control ( p = .036). This project provides evidence that a participatory approach to planning and delivering a health promotion intervention aimed at creating positive social spaces and enhancing social connections can result in significant outcomes and successful engagement of Black men.

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Online Support Group Participation and Social Support: Incorporating Identification and Interpersonal Bonds

Small Group Research ◽

10.1177/1046496419861743 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (5) ◽

pp. 593-622 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yaguang Zhu ◽

Keri K. Stephens

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Support Groups ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Group Communication ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Online Support ◽

Online Support Groups ◽

Online Support Group ◽

The Relationship ◽

Practical Implications

An increasing number of people with chronic diseases exchange social support using online support groups (OSGs). However, there is little understanding of group communication mechanisms that underpin the relationship between OSG participation and social support. Drawing on Prentice, Miller, and Lightdale’s common-identity and common-bond framework, we propose and test a theoretical model that explains group communication mechanisms through which members’ participation influences their perceived social support. In the process, we identified and empirically validated a three-factor solution for an OSG participation scale. Based on 356 users across 12 popular OSGs, we find that two group communication mechanisms—identification with the community and interpersonal bonds with other members—mediate the relationship between OSG participation and perceived social support. Specifically, identification has a stronger mediating effect than interpersonal bonds in the relationship between OSG participation and perceived social support. We also discuss theoretical and practical implications.

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Perceived Social Support for Exercise and Weight Loss in Adolescents Undergoing Sleeve Gastrectomy

Obesity Surgery ◽

10.1007/s11695-017-2853-9 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 421-426 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Eleanor Race Mackey ◽

Alexandra Olson ◽

Stephanie Merwin ◽

Jichuan Wang ◽

Evan P. Nadler

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Sleeve Gastrectomy ◽

Perceived Social Support

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Strengthening Social Support: Health Professionals' Views of the Health Care Needs of Adolescent Mothers

Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling ◽

10.1375/jrc.12.2.63 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 63-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mary Breheny ◽

Christine Stephens

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Health Care ◽

Peer Support ◽

Support Groups ◽

Adolescent Mothers ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Support Network ◽

Care Needs ◽

Organisational Support ◽

Professional Perspective

AbstractHealth care and health outcomes for adolescent mothers and their children may be a result of a complex interaction between socioeconomic, psychological, and familial factors. To examine a health professional perspective on the important issues in providing health care for adolescent mothers, transcripts of seventeen interviews with health professionals were analysed. Social support was considered an important aspect influencing the health of adolescent mothers and their children. This included family support, peer support and organisational support. Opportunities for health professionals to promote good social support for young mothers include role modelling supportive care and supporting adolescents' decision making, providing referrals to peer support groups, and understanding barriers to accessing organisational support. The best outcome for adolescent mothers is when their role as mother is supported by the family and wider support network.

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Peer Support Enhanced Social Support in Adolescent Females During Weight Loss

American Journal of Health Behavior ◽

10.5993/ajhb.38.5.16 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 38 (5) ◽

pp. 789-800 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Noel L. Kulik ◽

Edwin B. Fisher ◽

Dianne S. Ward ◽

Susan T. Ennett ◽

J. Michael Bowling ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Peer Support ◽

Adolescent Females

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Adolescents’ Physical Activity and the Association With Perceived Social Support of Parents and Peers in Indonesia

Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/1010539521997255 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 101053952199725

Author(s):

Rezky Aulia Yusuf ◽

David Ferrandiz Mont ◽

Wen-Hsu Lin ◽

Hsin-Jen Chen

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Social Support ◽

Peer Support ◽

Health Survey ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Active Transportation ◽

Parental Supervision ◽

School Based ◽

Leisure Behavior

This study examined the trends of adolescents’ physical activity (PA) and its association with parental and peer support, based on the Indonesia Global School-Based Health Survey. Between 2007 and 2015, prevalence of PA in adolescents declined from 24.4% to 16.5%. Prevalence of active transportation (AT) decreased from 47.2% to 32.3%. Prevalence of sedentary leisure behavior (SLB) declined from 33.6% to 27.2%. Girls’ SLB was inversely associated with parental supervision SLB in 2007 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.30-0.80) and in 2015 (adjusted OR [AOR] = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.43-0.71), and so was boys’ SLB in 2015 (OR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.59-0.95). Boys’ AT was inversely associated with peer support in 2015 (OR = 0.73; 95% CI = 0.59-0.91). Parental control was associated with PA in girls (OR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.23-2.37), in boys (OR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.07-2.54), and with SLB among girls in 2015 (OR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.11-1.47). Hence, adolescents’ PA was associated with perceived social support.

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Multi-Stakeholder Retrospective Acceptability of a Peer Support Intervention for Exercise Referral

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041720 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1720

Author(s):

Robert M. Portman ◽

Andrew R. Levy ◽

Anthony J. Maher ◽

Stuart J. Fairclough

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Peer Support ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Support Intervention ◽

Peer Volunteers ◽

Multi Stakeholder ◽

Exercise Referral ◽

Peer Support Intervention

Perceived social support opportunities are central to successful exercise referral scheme (ERS) client experiences. However, there remains a lack of guidance on how ERSs can embed social support opportunities within their provision. This study presents retrospective acceptability findings from a 12-week social-identity-informed peer support intervention to enhance perceived social support among clients of an English ERS. Five peer volunteers were recruited, trained, and deployed in supervised ERS sessions across two sites. Peers assisted exercise referral officers (EROs) by providing supplementary practical, informational, motivational, and emotional support to ERS clients. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with peers (n = 4), EROs (n = 2), and clients (n = 5) and analysed thematically. The analysis identified three primary themes. The first theme detailed how EROs utilised peer volunteers to supplement the ERS client experience. This theme delineated peer roles within the ERS context and identified salient individual peer characteristics that contributed to their success. The second theme described peer acceptability among the various stakeholders. Peers were valued for their ability to reduce burden on EROs and to enhance perceptions of comfort among ERS clients. The final theme presented participant feedback regarding how the intervention may be further refined and enhanced. Peers represented a cost-effective and acceptable means of providing auxiliary social support to ERS clients. Moving forward, the structured integration of peers can improve the accessibility of social support among ERS participants, thus facilitating better rates of ERS completion.

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The Correlation between Perceived Social Support with Suicide Ideation

Diponegoro International Medical Journal ◽

10.14710/dimj.v2i2.10540 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 6-10

Author(s):

Prima Kusumastuti ◽

Innawati Jusup ◽

Alifiati Fitrikasari ◽

Titis Hadiati

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Peer Support ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Suicide Ideation ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Sample Selection ◽

Simple Random Sampling ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cross Sectional Design

Background: Based on data from WHO in 2015, it shows that the death rate due to suicide in the world was recorded to have increased by 23.2% compared to 2009. Research in 2016 shows that the largest age range who experienced suicide was from 15-29 years. Many things are predicted to be a protective factor against suicide, including social support. Research on suicide protection factors is useful in preventing the increasing number of suicides.Objective: To analyze the correlation between perceived social support with suicidal ideationMethods: This research is a quantitative study with cross sectional design. Samples were taken from vocational school and academy in Semarang, who met the inclusion and exclusion criterias. The sample selection was carried out by the simple random sampling method. This research used the Indonesian version of the SSI (Scale of Suicide Ideation) and the MSPSS (Multidimentional Scale of Perceived Social Support) questionnaires.Results: It was found that the prevalence of high suicidal ideation score was 50.8% while the low suicidal ideation score was 49.2%. There was a significant correlation between suicidal ideation with perceived of family support (p = 0.002) and peer support (p = 0.050). Meanwhile, there was no significant correlation between the suicidal ideation and the support from significant others (p = 0.154). Conclusion: There was a correlation between perceived of family and peer support with suicidal ideation

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A social support for housewives with HIV/AIDS through a peer support group

Psikohumaniora Jurnal Penelitian Psikologi ◽

10.21580/pjpp.v4i1.3378 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 77

Author(s):

Muchlis Achsan Udji Sofro ◽

Ema Hidayanti

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Peer Support ◽

Support Groups ◽

Information Support ◽

Counseling Education ◽

Business Skills ◽

Network Support ◽

Aids Stigma ◽

The Social ◽

Hiv Aids

Housewives with HIV/AIDS are faced with internal problems because the virus continues to invade their bodies and external problems such as caring for their husbands and children infected with HIV/AIDS, stigma and discrimination, maintaining family integrity and even taking responsibility for economic problems when the husband dies. They need social support. One of the most important sources of social support is peers, especially for those who have not done open status to the family. Peer support can be obtained through Peer Support Groups (KDS) through counseling, education, and information. This qualitative research using the methodology approach tries to explore the social support that is obtained by housewives with HIV/AIDS through peer support groups that they participate in General Hospital Dr. Kariadi Semarang. Research involving 15 informants shows that peer support groups can provide social support for them, including information support about the treatment and development of HIV/AIDS; emotional support, self-esteem support, and network support such as intensive communication and strong friendships; and real assistance: venture capital assistance, business skills, and assistance in accessing treatment

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The Interplay of Support, Comparison, and Surveillance in Social Media Weight Management Interventions: A Qualitative Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.19239 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Leanne Chang ◽

Kaushik Chattopadhyay ◽

Jialin Li ◽

Miao Xu ◽

Li Li

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Social Media ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Social Comparison ◽

Weight Management ◽

Peer Support ◽

Weight Control ◽

Doctor Patient Communication ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Overweight Or Obesity

BACKGROUND There has been a significant increase in trend in using social media as a platform to deliver weight management interventions. This illustrates a need to develop a holistic understanding of doctor-patient communication and peer-to-peer communication in social media interventions and their influences on weight management of people with overweight or obesity. Studies like this will highlight how social media can be more effectively integrated into weight management programs to enhance individuals’ short-term and long-term weight management behaviors. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine patients’ experiences with doctor-patient communication and peer interactions in a social media-based (WeChat) weight management program, and describe the interplay of three social influence factors—social support, social comparison, and surveillance—in their weight control practices. The program, designed and implemented by the research team located in a tertiary referral hospital in a southeastern province in China, included both diet and physical activity components that targeted people with overweight or obesity. METHODS We conducted in-depth interviews with 32 program participants of different ages (M = 35.6, SD = 7.7), gender (18 females), duration of program membership (M = 1.4 years), and weight loss outcomes (54% weight loss to 9% weight gain). All interview data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated using the translation-back-translation technique. Nvivo software was used to facilitate the coding process. RESULTS Results of a thematic analysis indicated the distinct functions of professionally led support and peer support. Professional support was presented in the form of knowledge infusion, efficacy enhancement, and provision of timely feedback. Peer support fostered empathy and sense of belonging and had a mutually reinforcing relationship with peer comparison and peer-based surveillance. Peer comparison enhanced motivation and positive competition. However, it also reinforced negative group norms and resulted in downturns in reference standards and collective inactivity. Social media surveillance prompted participants’ reactions to the gaze from medical professionals and peers that could be encouraging or inhibiting. Surveillance enhanced vigilance with weight control norms. However, its influence weakened when participants chose to fake weight data and turn off notifications. Findings from this study illustrated the interrelated and fluctuant influences of support, comparison, and surveillance. CONCLUSIONS The interactive traits of social media eased the practices of social support and social comparison and created new forms of surveillance. This study contributed to an in-depth understanding of social media influences on individuals’ weight control behaviors. Practical implications of the study concerned improved strategies for maintaining the positive dynamics of social media interactions and preventing negative resistance to surveillance technology. CLINICALTRIAL Clinical Trial ChiCTR1900025861.

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