title: Connected Motherhood: Social Support for Moms and Moms-to-Be on Facebook.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research addressing online social support, especially for new mothers, has typically focused on forums and dedicated Web sites, and not on social networking sites like Facebook. Here we expand on this existing body of work by addressing a Facebook page, Ask the Chicks, themed around questions and answers related to motherhood. Using the uses and gratification lens, we explore motivations for participation as they relate to engagement with the page.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals were recruited to participant in an online survey through posts on the Ask the Chicks Facebook page made by the page owner over a 1-week period. To be eligible to complete the survey, participants had to be 18 years old or older, female, and pregnant or have at least one child under the age of 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses of survey data collected from users of the page (n=647) revealed that engagement has a positive relationship with the motives of relaxing entertainment, expressive information sharing, social interaction, and information seeking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Online support groups, and especially Facebook, appear to be a more convenient method than traditional online support groups for people who want to obtain information about certain topics, in this case, about motherhood and raising kids. Having this type of social support tool is important, as social support has been found to reduce levels of stress, which can improve overall health and quality of life. This study provides a better understanding of why people use this type of social support group for questions about parenting.
authors: 1 Department of Media and Information, College of Communication Arts & Sciences, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan.
authors: Bree
authors: B
authors: Holtz
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Smock
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Reyes-Gastelum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009042:Motivation; D011247:Pregnancy; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060756:Social Networking; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: behavioral health; e-health; technology; telehealth