title: Comparing support to breast cancer patients from online communities and face-to-face support groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare support for three groups by considering usage patterns with regard to two peer support resources, online communities, and face-to-face support groups, among patients with breast cancer in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1039 breast cancer patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factor analysis indicated that all groups show the five aspects of support: "Emotional support/Helper therapy," "Emotional expression," "Conflict," "Advice," and "Insight/Universality." Within the group using two support resources, the support scores of "Emotional expression" and "Advice" were higher for the online community, and those of "Emotional support/Helper therapy," and "Insight/Universality" were higher for the face-to-face support group. Among the three groups, the members who received the most peer support were those who used both an online community and a face-to-face support group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients who received the most social support from peers were in the group using both online communities and face-to-face support groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare providers should provide information about peer support through not only traditional face-to-face support groups but also online communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Informatics, St. Luke's College of Nursing, Tokyo, Japan. yokos-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Setoyama
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakayama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires