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Investigating Motives For and Uses of Infertility Online Support Groups

Omosun, Foluke
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8372-3519
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1627643451308908

Abstract Details

2021, PHD, Kent State University, College of Communication and Information / School of Communication Studies.
Infertility is a major life event that often is considered to have social and psychological consequences. Likewise, there has been an uptick in the number of individuals seeking support online from others for a variety of health conditions, including infertility. However, few studies have examined how and why infertile individuals use online support groups (OSGs), and how these factors work together to impact the outcomes that they may experience. This study is one of the first to examine infertility OSG use from a media effects perspective. Pursuant to the Uses and Gratifications perspective, a media effects framework, the main goal of this study was to examine how certain individual background characteristics of people who experience infertility (limited offline support, perceived similarity of condition, perceived stigma, and perceived stress) influence their motives for using OSGs, which in turn influences their use of the medium, and ultimately affects specific positive (empowering outcomes) and negative (overdependence on OSGs) outcomes that they experience from using the site. Data collected from participants, 18 and above, who were members of infertility OSGs and had been trying to conceive for at least 12 months was analyzed using correlation and multiple regression analyses. The findings suggest that some background characteristics and motives were more salient than others in predicting positive and negative outcomes of OSG use. Significant correlations between users’ motives and OSG activity also suggested that these users were instrumental, goal driven, and intentional in their use of the OSGs to gratify certain motives. Lastly, frequency of use predicted overdependence on the OSG, which implies that although there are positive outcomes of using OSGs, there also is the possibility of becoming overdependent on them. Evidence from this study demonstrates the importance of accounting for how antecedents work together to influence media effects.
Paul Haridakis, Dr. (Committee Chair)
Elizabeth Graham, Dr. (Committee Member)
Jonathan VanGeest, Dr. (Committee Member)
Catherine Goodall, Dr. (Committee Member)
198 p.
Communication; Health; Mass Media
Uses and Gratifications; infertility; online support groups; OSGs; social support; empowerment; media effects; media overdependence; empowering outcomes;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Omosun, F. (2021). Investigating Motives For and Uses of Infertility Online Support Groups [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1627643451308908

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Omosun, Foluke. Investigating Motives For and Uses of Infertility Online Support Groups. 2021. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1627643451308908.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Omosun, Foluke. "Investigating Motives For and Uses of Infertility Online Support Groups." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1627643451308908

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1627643451308908
347
© 2021, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.