{"title":"Willingness of Joining Online Support Groups Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With HIV in Shandong Province of China: A Mixed Methods Study.","authors":"Kedi Jiao, Jing Ma, Yuxi Lin, Chunmei Wang, Meizhen Liao, Xiaosong Cheng, Mingming Song, Dongying Liu, Dianmin Kang, Wei Ma","doi":"10.1097/OLQ.0000000000002067","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Online support groups afford new opportunities to help individuals affected by HIV/AIDS to seek social support from peers. The study aimed to understand the willingness and associated factors of joining online support groups among men who have sex with men living with HIV.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study followed a mixed methods approach, with qualitative in-depth interviews followed by a quantitative cross-sectional survey in 3 cities of Shandong Province, China, from 2019 to 2020. The in-depth interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a thematic approach. In the quantitative analysis, explanatory variables included sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical, psychological, and demand factors. Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to examine the associated factors of willing to join online support groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 576 and 20 participants were included in the quantitative survey and qualitative interviews, respectively. Only 24.7% (142 of 576) of participants in the quantitative study were willing to join the online support group. Multivariable analysis showed that the associated factors included income level, sexual orientation, and availability of information. The barriers to joining online support groups included privacy disclosure concern and psychological pressure exposed to HIV-related information. Facilitators included information acquisition, mutual medication reminding, and emotional support.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Men who have sex with men living with HIV in China had relatively low willingness to join the online support groups. This study highlighted the importance of safeguarding privacy, involving professional mental health providers, and providing high-quality information when establishing online support groups for people living with HIV.</p>","PeriodicalId":21837,"journal":{"name":"Sexually transmitted diseases","volume":" ","pages":"48-54"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Sexually transmitted diseases","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0000000000002067","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/8/6 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Online support groups afford new opportunities to help individuals affected by HIV/AIDS to seek social support from peers. The study aimed to understand the willingness and associated factors of joining online support groups among men who have sex with men living with HIV.
Methods: The study followed a mixed methods approach, with qualitative in-depth interviews followed by a quantitative cross-sectional survey in 3 cities of Shandong Province, China, from 2019 to 2020. The in-depth interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a thematic approach. In the quantitative analysis, explanatory variables included sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical, psychological, and demand factors. Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to examine the associated factors of willing to join online support groups.
Results: A total of 576 and 20 participants were included in the quantitative survey and qualitative interviews, respectively. Only 24.7% (142 of 576) of participants in the quantitative study were willing to join the online support group. Multivariable analysis showed that the associated factors included income level, sexual orientation, and availability of information. The barriers to joining online support groups included privacy disclosure concern and psychological pressure exposed to HIV-related information. Facilitators included information acquisition, mutual medication reminding, and emotional support.
Conclusions: Men who have sex with men living with HIV in China had relatively low willingness to join the online support groups. This study highlighted the importance of safeguarding privacy, involving professional mental health providers, and providing high-quality information when establishing online support groups for people living with HIV.
期刊介绍：
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, the official journal of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association, publishes peer-reviewed, original articles on clinical, laboratory, immunologic, epidemiologic, behavioral, public health, and historical topics pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases and related fields. Reports from the CDC and NIH provide up-to-the-minute information. A highly respected editorial board is composed of prominent scientists who are leaders in this rapidly changing field. Included in each issue are studies and developments from around the world.
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