EHealth WhatsApp Group for social support: Preliminary results

Luuk P.A. Simons; Wouter A.C. van den Heuvel; Catholijn M. Jonker

doi:10.18690/978-961-286-170-4.14

EHealth WhatsApp Group for social support: Preliminary results

Luuk P.A. Simons
, Wouter A.C. van den Heuvel
, Catholijn M. Jonker

Research output: Chapter in Book / Report / Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Within groups that are starting a healthy lifestyle intervention together, there is potential for social e-support, as an addition to individual coaching. However, the support technology should be low-tech, low-threshold and preferably already omnipresent. A WhatsApp group was chosen as support tool, given the large variety of groups normally coached: from elderly, IT-phobic diabetics to highly educated young professionals. In this explorative pilot study, 11 young professionals volunteered. Despite their time-constrained schedules, 81 user inputs were generated in the first weeks, and the users valued the WhatsApp group as an attractive social support addition to the existing eTools and personal coaching which have a more functional focus on individual progress. Based on preliminary results: a) the WhatsApp group generated higher participation than most other social media, b) deploying social media use motives, c) possibly due to the relatively high ‘presence’ and ‘engagement’ attributes of WhatsApp, and d) contributing to healthy behaviours and health advocacy.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges, BLED 2018
Publisher	University of Maribor Press/Association for Information Systems Electronic Library, AISeL
Pages	227-238
ISBN (Electronic)	9789612861704
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.18690/978-961-286-170-4.14
Publication status	Published - 2018
Externally published	Yes
Event	31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges, BLED 2018 - Bled, Slovenia Duration: 17 Jun 2018 → 20 Jun 2018

Conference

Conference	31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges, BLED 2018
Country/Territory	Slovenia
City	Bled
Period	17/06/18 → 20/06/18

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10.18690/978-961-286-170-4.14

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@inproceedings{50d56521bdfb4f0d83a64497a52b59e0,

title = "EHealth WhatsApp Group for social support: Preliminary results",

abstract = "Within groups that are starting a healthy lifestyle intervention together, there is potential for social e-support, as an addition to individual coaching. However, the support technology should be low-tech, low-threshold and preferably already omnipresent. A WhatsApp group was chosen as support tool, given the large variety of groups normally coached: from elderly, IT-phobic diabetics to highly educated young professionals. In this explorative pilot study, 11 young professionals volunteered. Despite their time-constrained schedules, 81 user inputs were generated in the first weeks, and the users valued the WhatsApp group as an attractive social support addition to the existing eTools and personal coaching which have a more functional focus on individual progress. Based on preliminary results: a) the WhatsApp group generated higher participation than most other social media, b) deploying social media use motives, c) possibly due to the relatively high {\textquoteleft}presence{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}engagement{\textquoteright} attributes of WhatsApp, and d) contributing to healthy behaviours and health advocacy.",

author = "Simons, \{Luuk P.A.\} and \{van den Heuvel\}, \{Wouter A.C.\} and Jonker, \{Catholijn M.\}",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.18690/978-961-286-170-4.14",

language = "English",

pages = "227--238",

booktitle = "31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges, BLED 2018",

publisher = "University of Maribor Press/Association for Information Systems Electronic Library, AISeL",

note = "31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges, BLED 2018 ; Conference date: 17-06-2018 Through 20-06-2018",

}

Simons, LPA, van den Heuvel, WAC & Jonker, CM 2018, EHealth WhatsApp Group for social support: Preliminary results. in 31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges, BLED 2018. University of Maribor Press/Association for Information Systems Electronic Library, AISeL, pp. 227-238, 31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges, BLED 2018, Bled, Slovenia, 17/06/18. https://doi.org/10.18690/978-961-286-170-4.14

EHealth WhatsApp Group for social support: Preliminary results. / Simons, Luuk P.A.; van den Heuvel, Wouter A.C.; Jonker, Catholijn M.
31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges, BLED 2018. University of Maribor Press/Association for Information Systems Electronic Library, AISeL, 2018. p. 227-238.

Research output: Chapter in Book / Report / Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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T2 - 31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges, BLED 2018

AU - Simons, Luuk P.A.

AU - van den Heuvel, Wouter A.C.

AU - Jonker, Catholijn M.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Within groups that are starting a healthy lifestyle intervention together, there is potential for social e-support, as an addition to individual coaching. However, the support technology should be low-tech, low-threshold and preferably already omnipresent. A WhatsApp group was chosen as support tool, given the large variety of groups normally coached: from elderly, IT-phobic diabetics to highly educated young professionals. In this explorative pilot study, 11 young professionals volunteered. Despite their time-constrained schedules, 81 user inputs were generated in the first weeks, and the users valued the WhatsApp group as an attractive social support addition to the existing eTools and personal coaching which have a more functional focus on individual progress. Based on preliminary results: a) the WhatsApp group generated higher participation than most other social media, b) deploying social media use motives, c) possibly due to the relatively high ‘presence’ and ‘engagement’ attributes of WhatsApp, and d) contributing to healthy behaviours and health advocacy.

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ER -

EHealth WhatsApp Group for social support: Preliminary results

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