Social support acquisition in online health communities: a social capital perspective

Abstract

PurposeThe authors empirically examined social capital factors affecting patients' social support acquisition with the aim of providing guidance to patients seeking social support online.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used social network analysis to extract data about social capital factors from online health communities and text mining to identify forms of informational support and emotional support grounded in online, text-based communication. Moreover, the authors employed a random coefficient model to understand the dynamic influence of social capital factors on both informational and emotional support.FindingsThe results from the empirical analyses show that structural connections have a lasting impact on the acquisition of both types of support; that is, social connections developed in the past will have an effect on the future. For relational capital, strong ties were less important; the quantity of connections mattered more than the quality when acquiring informational support. The use of health-related language increased the amount of informational support acquired. Over time, patients gained increasing social support, which primarily came from the patients' historical threads, likely via searches from peers facilitated by accumulated social capital.Originality/valueThe authors' research adds to the literature on social capital and social support in online health communities by exploring how the three dimensions of social capital affect social support acquisition. The authors' research also contributes to the online health care literature by examining social support from a dynamic perspective. Practically, the authors' findings provide guidance for patients on what decisions to make to acquire more social support.

Examining user-generated content, service failure recovery and customer–brand relationships: an exploration through commitment-trust theory

“…In contrast, customers following the dissatisfaction with experience and brand pathway who encounter UGC with low responsiveness and empathy develop a negative perspective resulting in a negative relationship with the brand. This may stem from the customer's need to connect with others for informational and emotional support (Liu et al, 2022) during a failure event that arouses concern, worry and insecurity. This increases the individual's need to rely on others.…”

You are not alone: Characterizing users' relationship‐layer identities in online health communities

“…Third, by analyzing the correlations among the five subnetworks and the evolution of relationship-layer identities, this study provides insights into the dynamic changes in users' relationships in OHCs. Because most patients with chronic diseases require long-term support, it is essential to examine the dynamic relationships between patient characteristics and social support (Liu et al, 2023).…”

“…Furthermore, some researchers have investigated the outcomes of social support and its influencing factors. Liu et al (2023) empirically examined social capital factors affecting patients' social support acquisition. Wang et al (2021) predicted users' continued engagement in OHCs based on the quantity and quality of the received support.…”

What Influences Users’ Intention to Share Works in Designer-Driven User-Generated Content Communities? A Study Based on Self-Determination Theory

“…Firstly, a number of studies have focused on identifying the factors that influence UGC, as the sustained development of online platforms largely relies on consistent contributions from users. Research has revealed that factors such as social capital [25][26][27][28][29], audience size [30], financial incentives [29,[31][32][33], identity disclosure [20,34], and the integration of platforms with other social media services play significant roles in determining UGC creation. Secondly, some studies have delved into the characteristics of UGC, such as output, emotional tendencies, and linguistic features [35,36].…”