TY - JOUR
T1 - Virtual voices
T2 - examining social support exchanged through participant-generated and unmoderated content in a mobile intervention to improve HIV antiretroviral therapy adherence among GBMSM
AU - Sun, Christina J.
AU - Shato, Thembekile
AU - Steinbaugh, Ashlynn
AU - Pradeep, Sharanya
AU - Rivet Amico, K.
AU - Horvath, Keith
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence is suboptimal among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Online interventions that incorporate social support represent new opportunities to improve adherence. This study focused on how social support was provided and sought within a technology-based ART adherence intervention. We coded and analyzed 1,751 messages. Within the social support messages, half of the time participants sought social support and half of the time they provided social support. Emotional and informational support were the most frequently exchanged forms. The most frequent topic that participants sought support around was interpersonal relationships (29%), followed by HIV care and treatment (28%). Similarly, 31% and 27% of messages in which participants provided support was related to HIV treatment and care and interpersonal relationships, respectively. HIV treatment and care issues most salient were ART adherence, lab results and upcoming tests, ART side effects, changes in ART regimens, and relationships with healthcare providers. Participants used the messaging feature in this intervention to spontaneously discuss and exchange support around HIV treatment and care. This analysis provided an opportunity to understand how participants informally interact with one another, how they seek and provide social support online, and their salient personal issues.
AB - Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence is suboptimal among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Online interventions that incorporate social support represent new opportunities to improve adherence. This study focused on how social support was provided and sought within a technology-based ART adherence intervention. We coded and analyzed 1,751 messages. Within the social support messages, half of the time participants sought social support and half of the time they provided social support. Emotional and informational support were the most frequently exchanged forms. The most frequent topic that participants sought support around was interpersonal relationships (29%), followed by HIV care and treatment (28%). Similarly, 31% and 27% of messages in which participants provided support was related to HIV treatment and care and interpersonal relationships, respectively. HIV treatment and care issues most salient were ART adherence, lab results and upcoming tests, ART side effects, changes in ART regimens, and relationships with healthcare providers. Participants used the messaging feature in this intervention to spontaneously discuss and exchange support around HIV treatment and care. This analysis provided an opportunity to understand how participants informally interact with one another, how they seek and provide social support online, and their salient personal issues.
KW - ART adherence
KW - Social support
KW - mHealth
KW - men who have sex with men
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85125256195
U2 - 10.1080/09540121.2022.2038364
DO - 10.1080/09540121.2022.2038364
M3 - Article
C2 - 35156485
AN - SCOPUS:85125256195
SN - 0954-0121
VL - 35
SP - 7
EP - 15
JO - AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
JF - AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
IS - 1
ER -