Using Facebook to gain health information and support: How attitude, norms, and locus of control predict women's intentions

Abstract

Objective

As a popular social networking site, Facebook may assist in promoting health behaviours and delivering interventions. However, women rarely use social media for health‐related purposes. This study aimed to identify factors influencing women's intentions to use Facebook to gain health‐related support or information.

Method

Using an online survey, data were collected from 159 adult females (Mean age = 26.81-years). Two hierarchical regressions were performed (Outcomes: health‐related emotional support‐seeking intentions on Facebook; health‐relatedinformation‐seeking intentions on Facebook). Predictors were age, past information/support‐seeking on Facebook, time spent on Facebook per day (Step 1), health concern, appearance concern (Step 2), health locus of control (LOC; Step 3) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) variables (Step 4).

Results

As hypothesised, the TPB constructs significantly predicted intention to use Facebook for health information and support. For information‐seeking intention, TPB variables explained an additional 18.3% of the variance over and above that explained in previous steps of the model. Significant contributors were past information‐seeking, attitude towards seeking health‐related information on Facebook, and subjective norm. For support‐seeking intention, TPB variables explained an additional 20.2% of variance. Significant contributors were attitude towards seeking health‐related support on Facebook, past support‐seeking, and powerful others LOC. Both final models accounted for 56.5% of the variance in information/support‐seeking intentions.

Conclusions

The TPB constructs effectively predict intentions to seek health information/support on Facebook in women. To increase women's engagement with Facebook for health information and support‐seeking purposes, previous behaviours, attitudes, perceived social pressures, and locus of control warrant consideration.

Key words:

• emotional support
• Facebook
• health information
• health locus of control
• social media
• theory of planned behaviour

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to Associate Professor Nenagh Kemp for her feedback on a draft of the paper.