Perceptions of online informational social support among mothers in a lactation-focused virtual community: A survey study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Peer support, also described as woman-to-woman support, has been well established as an effective intervention for overcoming barriers to breastfeeding duration. To access support and receive information, mothers are likely to access social media platforms, especially given the challenges to healthcare access presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research has established that virtual communities can promote peer-to-peer support similar to that seen in communities of practice.

Research aim

The aims of this study were to describe levels of perceived informational social support among mothers in an online virtual community and to determine which features of the virtual community were perceived most favorably by breastfeeding mothers.

Methods

The study d

SUBMITTER: Munyan K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9516422 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature