title: Hanging by a thread: exploring the features of nonresponse in an online young adult cancer survivorship support community.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Finding helpful information can be challenging for young adult (YA) cancer survivors; thus, it is critical to examine features of online posts that successfully solicit responses and assess how these differ from posts that do not solicit responses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using posts from an online YA cancer support community, we analyzed initial posts that did and did not receive replies utilizing Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independent t tests revealed significant differences between the sets of posts regarding content, emotions, cognitive processes, pronoun use, and linguistic complexity. More specifically, posts with replies contained fewer words per sentence, had more first-person pronouns, had more expressions of negative emotions, and contained more present tense and past tense verbs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study can help improve peer-exchanged support in online communities so that YA cancer survivors can more effectively receive digital support. This research also provides communication researchers, health educators, and care providers a lens for understanding the YA cancer survivorship experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This research helps survivors be strategic in how they use online forums to seek advice and support. More complete understanding of what kinds of prompts produce responses allows those in need to craft messages in ways that are most likely to elicit support from fellow cancer survivors. These implications for message design extend beyond blogging and can be applicable for text message and email exchanges between cancer patients and their care providers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Studies, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, 2504A Whitis Ave. (A1105), Austin, TX, 78712-0115,, USA. brittani@utexas.edu.|Center for Health Communication, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. brittani@utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Brittani
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9756-945X
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crook
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Studies, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, 2504A Whitis Ave. (A1105), Austin, TX, 78712-0115,, USA.|Center for Health Communication, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Glowacki
authors.affiliation: Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.|Center for Health Communication, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Love
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Adolescent and Young Adult Program, Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diases, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine Fiona
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Macpherson
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Mary Bridge Hospital/MultiCare, Tacoma, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling; D034742:Electronic Mail; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D009862:Online Systems; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012944:Social Support; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cancer; LIWC; Nonresponse; Online communities; Young adult