The role of social media in management of individuals with endometriosis: A cross-sectional study

Kelly van den Haspel, Charlotte Reddington, Martin Healey, Healey M, Li R, Rebecca Li, Uri P. Dior, Uri Dior, Dior U, Claudia Cheng
The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology · 2022 · vol. 62(5) , pp. 701–706 · doi:10.1111/ajo.13524 · PMID:35435253 · W4224009168
Observational OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 19 in-corpus citations
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This study found that 76% of endometriosis patients use social media for health, with users being younger, experiencing more symptoms, and reporting positive impacts on psychological, social, and cognitive health.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: To better understand the potential role of social media (SM) as a self-management tool for individuals with endometriosis and to assess its current use by endometriosis patients. AIMS: The primary outcome was use of SM for health in patients with endometriosis. Secondary outcomes included preferred SM platforms for health information sharing and factors that influenced use, positive and negative experiences and reported impacts on health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-centre, cross-sectional study performed within benign gynaecology units at a tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Australia. One hundred patients with a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis participated. Individuals did not have to be users of SM. Data were collected through an electronic third-party survey tool (SurveyMonkey® ). Analysis methods included descriptive statistical analysis, frequency counts, as well as cross-tabulation to examine statistical association between variables. Free-text responses were qualitatively analysed using deductive-inductive semantic thematic analysis. RESULTS: Social media was used for health by 76% of patients with endometriosis in this study. SM users were younger, had pelvic pain for more than six months and reported higher rates of psychosocial impact and symptoms from endometriosis. Respondents reported overall positive impacts on psychological, social and cognitive health outcomes (76%) from SM use. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, a high number of people with endometriosis are using SM for health. These individuals are more likely to suffer both physical and psychosocial impacts from endometriosis. Hospitals and health organisations may consider support of the endometriosis community through SM.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_pain

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Social Media Social Media Social Media Social Media Social Media Social Media Social Media Social Media Social Media Cross-Sectional Studies

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (8)

Cited by (24)

Source provenance

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK