The social network – using social media to support individuals with traumatic brain injury participating in a pilot study weight-loss program

ABSTRACT

Objectives To (1) describe the process of implementing social media (Facebook group) among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) enrolled in a weight-loss intervention; (2) discuss thematic content and logistics as administrators of the Facebook group; (3) provide examples of social media engagement among users, and (4) examine differences in characteristics of social media users versus non-users.

Participants Individuals enrolled in a community-based weight-loss program ≥ 6 months post-TBI, BMI ≥ 25, 18–64 years, with physician’s clearance.

Results Of 22 participants, 10 joined the closed Facebook group (M age = 44.4 years) with a median time since injury of 5.5 years. Six of 10 made contributions to the group (M posts = 12.5). 58% of participants who reported mild or moderate impairment utilised the Facebook group, compared to 30% of participants with severe impairment. Facebook users achieved an average weight loss of −6.2 ± 6.6 pounds after the 12-week core program compared to −5.2 ± −9.2 pounds among non-users. Facebook users perceived their injuries to be less severe and their time since injury was shorter.

Conclusion Future research is needed to evaluate the role of social media within weight-loss interventions to determine if it provides meaningful impacts in weight-loss efforts and engagement among individuals with TBI.

KEYWORDS:

• Traumatic brain injury
• weight loss
• social media
• health promotion
• intervention

Declarations of interest

The project was primarily supported by the Ginger Murchison Foundation Traumatic Brain Injury Research Fund. In part, the contents of this manuscript were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90DP0045-01-0). NIDILRR is a centre within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this manuscript do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ginger Murchison Foundation Traumatic Brain Injury Research Fund ; National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research [90DP0045-01-0].