JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Although women seek information online about how to reduce breast cancer risk, they may not be obtaining scientifically-based information. Social media platforms, like blogs, offer a way to disseminate health information, educate the public, and promote healthy behavior. Blogs written by mothers are increasingly recognized as a channel that women utilize to make personal and family health-related decisions.

Objective:

We developed and evaluated a blog intervention to disseminate breast cancer and environmental risk information to mothers. We teamed with “mommy bloggers” to disseminate a message that we developed and tailored for mothers and daughters based on scientific evidence from the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP). We posited that the social media intervention would influence women’s exposure to, acceptance of, and beliefs about environmental risks while promoting their intention to adopt risk-reducing behaviors. We also explored women’s social media preferences for this type of information.

Methods:

Using a quasi-experimental design, we recruited 75 mommy bloggers to disseminate the breast cancer risk/prevention message on their respective blogs and examined the impact of the intervention on 1) readers exposed to the intervention (n = 445) and 2) readers not exposed to the intervention (comparison group; n = 353).

Results:

Following the intervention, blog reader scores indicating exposure to the breast cancer risk/prevention information (M = 3.92, SD = .85) were greater than scores of blog readers who were not exposed (or did not recall seeing the message) (M = 3.45, SD = .92). Readers who recalled the intervention messages also had higher breast cancer risk/prevention information satisfaction scores (M = 3.97, SD = .75) compared to readers who didn’t see (or recall) the messages (M = 3.57, SD = .94). Blog readers who recalled seeing the intervention messages were significantly more likely to share the breast cancer risk/prevention information they read, and with daughters specifically, than readers who did not recall seeing them, χ2 (1) = 8.071, P = .004. Those who recalled seeing the intervention messages reported significantly higher breast cancer risk/prevention information influence scores (M = 11.22, SD = 2.93), indicative of behavioral intentions, than participants who did not recall seeing them (M = 10.14, SD = 3.24). Most women ranked Facebook as their first choice for receiving breast cancer risk/prevention information.

Conclusions:

Results indicated that blog readers who were exposed to (and specifically recalled) the BCERP-adapted intervention messages from mommy bloggers had higher breast cancer risk/prevention information exposure scores and higher breast cancer risk/prevention information satisfaction and influence scores than those who did not see (or recall) them. Mommy bloggers may be important opinion leaders for some women and key to enhancing the messaging, delivery, and impact of environmental breast cancer risk/prevention information on mothers. Clinical Trial: NA