Pattern of Social Media Usage among Bangladeshi Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
Published: 2024-07-03
Page: 159-166
Issue: 2024 - Volume 7 [Issue 2]
Samia Amin *
Macquarie University, Australia.
Md. Deluwar Hussen
Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh.
Ajim Uddin
Sylhet M.A.G. Osmani Medical College, Bangladesh.
Samiran Kundu
Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Social media platforms have become indispensable tools for communication and information exchange, playing an increasingly significant role in the healthcare landscape. Within the realm of cancer care, these platforms provide valuable avenues for accessing information, seeking emotional support, and connecting with peers facing similar challenges. However, despite the growing recognition of social media's potential benefits, its utilization and impact among cancer patients in specific contexts, such as Bangladesh, remain largely unexplored. This cross-sectional study examines social media usage among Bangladeshi cancer patients, investigating engagement frequency, encountered challenges, and sought information types.
Methods: Participants were recruited from private clinical chambers, data collection utilized face-to-face structured questionnaires covering social media usage, support challenges, sought cancer-related information, and trust levels in encountered information. Analysis comprised descriptive and inferential statistics, aiming to inform tailored interventions and support services for this population.
Results: The study included 124 Bangladeshi cancer patients, with nearly equal gender distribution, the largest proportion was aged 18-35 years, comprising 42% of the participants. Participants had various cancer types, including stomach, breast, lung, and others. Regarding smoking, 42.3% smoked, mostly daily (71.7%) at 10 cigarettes/day (47.2%). Social media usage was common, with 41.1% using it 1-2 hours/day. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube were popular platforms. Cancer-related social media information was accessed variably, with 16.9% daily, trust levels varied, with 30.6% finding it very trustworthy, and emotional health validation through social media was deemed very important by 51.6% of participants. Challenges included emotional burden (73.4%) and privacy concerns (69.7%). There was no significant link between gender and social media frequency; age and usage duration; smoking and info encounter frequency; but cancer type influenced emotional validation importance (p = 0.019) and higher usage related to privacy concerns (p = 0.011).
Conclusion: These findings highlight the significance of social media platforms in supporting Bangladeshi cancer patients while highlighting the importance of addressing challenges such as information trustworthiness and privacy concerns. Future research endeavors should focus on exploring context-specific interventions to enhance the effectiveness of social media-based support networks in this population.
Keywords: Cancer, social media, Bangladesh
How to Cite
References
Olaniran BA. Social media as communication channel in emerging economies: A closer look at cultural implications, Journal of Advances in Management Research. 2018;15(2):130-145. Available:https://doi.org/10.1108/JAMR-04-2017-0050
Chen J, Wang Y. Social media use for health purposes: Systematic review. Journal of medical Internet research. 2021;23(5):e17917.
Available:https://doi.org/10.2196/17917
Bender JL, Hueniken K, Eng L, Brown MC, Kassirian S, Geist I, Balaratnam K, Liang M, Paulo CB, Geist A, Rao P, Magony A, Smith EC, Xu W, Liu G, Gupta AA. Internet and social media use in cancer patients: association with distress and perceived benefits and limitations. Supportive care in cancer. 2021;29(9):5273–5281. Available:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06077-0
Gentile D, Markham MJ, Eaton T. Patients with cancer and social media: harness benefits, avoid drawbacks. Journal of oncology practice, JOP1800367. Advance online publication; 2018. Available:https://doi.org/10.1200/JOP.18.00367
Lazard AJ, Collins MKR, Hedrick A, Varma T, Love B, Valle CG, Brooks E, Benedict C. Using social media for peer-to-peer cancer support: Interviews with young adults with cancer. JMIR cancer. 2021;7(3):e28234. Available:https://doi.org/10.2196/28234
Kale S, Hirani S, Vardhan S, Mishra A, Ghode DB, Prasad R, Wanjari M. Addressing cancer disparities through community engagement: Lessons and best practices. Cureus. 2023;15(8): e43445.
Available:https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.43445
Bender JL, Hueniken K, Eng L, Brown MC, Kassirian S, Geist I, Balaratnam K, Liang M, Paulo CB, Geist A, Rao P. Internet and social media use in cancer patients: association with distress and perceived benefits and limitations. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2021 Sep;29:5273-81.
Warner EL, Kirchhoff AC, Ellington L, Waters AR, Sun Y, Wilson A, Cloyes KG. Young adult cancer caregivers' use of social media for social support. Psycho‐Oncology. 2020 Jul;29(7): 1185-92.
Patel R, Chang T, Greysen SR, Chopra V. Social media use in chronic disease: A systematic review and novel taxonomy. The American journal of medicine. 2015;128(12):1335–1350. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.06.015
de Vere Hunt I, Linos E. Social media for public health: Framework for social media-based public health campaigns. Journal of medical Internet research. 2022;24(12): e42179. Available:https://doi.org/10.2196/42179
Neiger BL, Thackeray R, Burton SH, Giraud-Carrier CG, Fagen MC. Evaluating social media's capacity to develop engaged audiences in health promotion settings: Use of Twitter metrics as a case study. Health Promotion Practice. 2013;14(2): 157–162. Available:https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839912469378
Guidry JP, Jin Y, Orr CA, Messner M, Meganck S. Ebola on instagram and twitter: How health organizations address the health crisis in their social media engagement. Public Relations Review. 2016;42(3):461–467.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2015.12.007
Gough A, Hunter RF, Ajao O, Jurek A, McKeown G, Hong J, Barrett E, Ferguson M, McElwee G, McCarthy M, Kee F. Tweet for behavior change: Using social media for the dissemination of public health messages. JMIR public health and surveillance. 2017;3(1):e14.
Available:https://doi.org/10.2196/publichealth.6313
Braun LA, Zomorodbakhsch B, Keinki C, Huebner J. Information needs, communication and usage of social media by cancer patients and their relatives. Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology. 2019;145:1865-1875.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-019-02929-9
Daniels S, Willard VW. Social media interactions after diagnosis: Social experiences of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology. 2024;42(3):351-364. Available:https://doi.org/10.1080/07347332.2023.2249876