Litchman Michelle L, Edelman Linda S
University of Utah, College of Nursing, Salt Lake City, UT, United States.
JMIR Aging. 2019 Sep 26;2(2):e10857. doi: 10.2196/10857.
The use of online health communities such as the diabetes online community (DOC) is growing. Individuals who engage in the DOC are able to interact with peers who have the same medical condition. It is not known if older adults are perceiving the DOC differently compared with younger adults.
The purpose of this study was to explore and understand how the DOC is perceived in terms of social capital, source credibility, and help and harm. The findings from this study will shed light on how users of different age groups (baby boomers and younger adult counterparts) perceive DOC use.
This study represents a subset of participants from a larger study of DOC users. Baby boomers and younger adults with diabetes were recruited from the DOC to participate in a cross-sectional survey. Demographics, electronic health use (reasons to join the DOC, DOC intensity, DOC engagement, internet social capital, and help or harm from the DOC), source credibility, health-related quality of life, and diabetes self-care data were collected. We examined the differences between baby boomer and younger adult responses.
The participants included baby boomers (N=76) and younger adult counterparts (N=102). Participants scored their diabetes health care team (mean 33.5 [SD 8]) significantly higher than the DOC (mean 32 [SD 6.4]) with regard to competence (P<.05) and trustworthiness (diabetes health care team mean 36.3 [SD 7.1]; DOC mean 33.6 [SD 6.2]; P<.001). High bonding and bridging social capital correlated with high DOC intensity (r=.629; P<.001 and r=.676; P<.001, respectively) and high DOC engagement (r=.474; P<.01 and r=.507; P≤.01, respectively). The greater majority (69.8%) reported the DOC as being helpful, and 1.8% reported that the DOC had caused minor harm. Baby boomers perceived DOC credibility, social capital, help, and harm similarly to their younger adult counterparts.
Baby boomers are using and perceiving the DOC similarly to younger adults. DOC users find the DOC to be credible; however, they scored their health care team higher with regard to competence and trustworthiness. The DOC is beneficial with low risk and may augment current diabetes care.
诸如糖尿病在线社区（DOC）之类的在线健康社区的使用正在增加。参与DOC的个人能够与患有相同疾病的同龄人进行互动。目前尚不清楚老年人与年轻人对DOC的认知是否存在差异。
本研究的目的是探讨和了解在社会资本、来源可信度以及帮助和危害方面人们如何看待DOC。本研究的结果将阐明不同年龄组（婴儿潮一代和年轻成年人）的用户如何看待DOC的使用。
本研究是对DOC用户的一项更大规模研究中的一部分参与者。从DOC中招募患有糖尿病的婴儿潮一代和年轻成年人参与一项横断面调查。收集了人口统计学信息、电子健康使用情况（加入DOC的原因、DOC使用强度、参与DOC的程度、网络社会资本以及DOC带来的帮助或危害）、来源可信度、健康相关生活质量以及糖尿病自我护理数据。我们研究了婴儿潮一代和年轻成年人回答之间的差异。
参与者包括婴儿潮一代（N = 76）和年轻成年人（N = 102）。在能力（P <.05）和可信度（糖尿病医疗团队平均得分36.3 [标准差7.1]；DOC平均得分33.6 [标准差6.2]；P <.001）方面，参与者对其糖尿病医疗团队的评分（平均33.5 [标准差8]）显著高于DOC（平均32 [标准差6.4]）。高凝聚性和桥梁性社会资本分别与高DOC使用强度（r =.629；P <.001和r =.676；P <.001）以及高DOC参与程度（r =.474；P <.01和r =.507；P≤.01）相关。绝大多数（69.8%）报告称DOC有帮助，1.8%报告称DOC造成了轻微危害。婴儿潮一代对DOC可信度、社会资本、帮助和危害的认知与年轻成年人相似。
婴儿潮一代使用和认知DOC的方式与年轻成年人相似。DOC用户认为DOC是可信的；然而，他们在能力和可信度方面对其医疗团队的评分更高。DOC益处多且风险低，可能会增强当前的糖尿病护理。
