Abstract
Within groups that are starting a healthy lifestyle intervention together, there is potential for social e-support, as an addition to individual coaching. However, the support technology should be low-tech, low-threshold and preferably already omnipresent. A WhatsApp group was chosen as support tool, given the large variety of groups normally coached: from elderly, IT-phobic diabetics to highly educated young professionals.
In this explorative pilot study, 11 young professionals volunteered. Despite their time-constrained schedules, 81 user inputs were generated in the first weeks, and the users valued the WhatsApp group as an attractive social support addition to the existing eTools and personal coaching which have a more functional focus on individual progress. Based on preliminary results: a) the WhatsApp group generated higher participation than most other social media, b) deploying social media use motives, c) possibly due to the relatively high ‘presence’ and ‘engagement’ attributes of WhatsApp, and d) contributing to healthy behaviours and health advocacy.
In this explorative pilot study, 11 young professionals volunteered. Despite their time-constrained schedules, 81 user inputs were generated in the first weeks, and the users valued the WhatsApp group as an attractive social support addition to the existing eTools and personal coaching which have a more functional focus on individual progress. Based on preliminary results: a) the WhatsApp group generated higher participation than most other social media, b) deploying social media use motives, c) possibly due to the relatively high ‘presence’ and ‘engagement’ attributes of WhatsApp, and d) contributing to healthy behaviours and health advocacy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Conference Proceedings of the 31st Bled eConference Digital Transformation: Meeting the Challenges |
| Editors | Andreja Pucihar, Mirjana Kljajić Borštnar, Pascal Ravesteijn, Jurgen Seitz, Roger Bons |
| Place of Publication | Maribor |
| Publisher | University of Maribor |
| Pages | 225-237 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-961-286-170-4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
| Event | 31st Bled eConference: Digital Transformation, Meeting the Challenges - Bled, Slovenia Duration: 17 Jun 2018 → 20 Jun 2018 Conference number: 31 |
Conference
| Conference | 31st Bled eConference |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | Bled eConference 2018 |
| Country/Territory | Slovenia |
| City | Bled |
| Period | 17/06/18 → 20/06/18 |
Bibliographical note
Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-careOtherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.
Keywords
- eHealth
- WhatsApp Group
- Peer Coaching
- Service Design
