JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Medical aesthetics services consumption has become popular in recent years. Many people have purchased medical aesthetic services and treatments in pursuit of self-beauty. As technology advances and online communities continue to prosper, consumers often search for answers and support from various online communities before making a decision to purchase.

Objective:

This study explores via the theory of social support---grounded in a deeper social capabilities framework developed by Khan following the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s groundbreaking work---whether emotional support, informational support, and norms of reciprocity in online communities impact group members in terms of creating trust towards other members. This enhances trust towards the community and generates a sense of community commitment, ultimately impacting social buying intention and social sharing intention.

Methods:

This study using SPSS and AMOS analyze data .Data were collected through online questionnaires. The subjects of the study were online aesthetic medicine community members.

Results:

The results showed that emotional support and norms of reciprocity positively impact trust towards members, and trust towards members positively impact trust towards the community. This generates trust transfer, which positively impacts social buying intention and social sharing intention.

Conclusions:

The present study revealed that when members of online medical aesthetic communities actively participate in discussions and encourage and support one another, community commitment, trust towards each other, and trust towards the community increases, ultimately promoting social sharing and buying intentions. Clinical Trial: None, Do not need.