title: Weight loss support seeking on twitter: the impact of weight on follow back rates and interactions.
abstract: People seek weight loss support on online social networks, but little is known about how to build a supportive community. We created four Twitter accounts portraying women interested in weight loss (two obese, two normal weight/overweight) and followed health care professional and peer accounts for 2-5 weeks. We examined follow back rates, interactions, and organic follows from professionals and peers by weight status. Follow back rates did not differ by weight status when following professionals (6.8 % normal weight/overweight vs 11.0 % for obese; p = 0.4167) or peers (6.7 % for normal weight/overweight vs 10.8 % for obese; p = 0.1548). Number of interactions and organic followers also did not differ by weight status. Peers interacted with study accounts significantly more than professionals (p = 0.0138), but interactions were infrequent. Women seeking weight loss support on Twitter may need to be present for more than 5 weeks to build an interactive weight loss community.
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA. Christine.May@umassmed.edu.|Division of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA. Christine.May@umassmed.edu.
authors.forename: Christine N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: May
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.|Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Molly E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Waring
authors.affiliation: Division of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Oleski
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Effie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olendzki
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Martinus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Sherry L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Pagoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D061108:Social Media; D012944:Social Support; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Obesity; Peer-to-peer healthcare; Social media; Twitter