Mapping the online social network of cancer bloggers. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Baik, Sharon H; Klonoff, Elizabeth; Barnes, Laura E; Schiaffino, Melody K; Wells, Kristen J
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 26:Number 11(2021)
• Page Start: 2062
• Page End: 2068
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: blogs -- breast cancer -- cancer -- cancer blog network -- social network analysis; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105319888269
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

While social media has the ability to quickly disseminate information and reach large audiences, cancer blogs as a communication platform have not yet been well studied. A social network analysis was conducted on 89 active cancer blogs. Results demonstrated the overall cancer-blog-network was widely distributed and decentralized, with blogs clustered by cancer type, and that breast cancer blogs were the most significant and highly linked blogs. Efforts to disseminate cancer-related information may focus on identifying key breast cancer bloggers or linking key bloggers of various cancers to create a more interconnected network and expand its reach within this online community.