Antecedents of Citizen Self-Disclosure on Social Media Health Platforms: Towards an Improved Understanding

Abstract—Social media platform usage and online community participation has increased significantly in the past few years (Greenwood et al., 2016). However, research on the factors that influence trust and self-disclosure on... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract—Social media platform usage and online community participation has increased significantly in the past few years (Greenwood et al., 2016). However, research on the factors that influence trust and self-disclosure on social media health platforms and associated online health communities remains remarkably limited. This is surprising, as adoption of these health platforms remains comparatively constrained, thereby limiting potential social and health benefits to consumers, whilst equally being an issue of concern to those who develop and design these platforms. This paper examines the extant literature on the factors that influence usage and participation in social media platforms and online communities in order to determine what factors are most likely to be relevant to future examinations of self-disclosure in an online health context. In doing so, it clarifies the research opportunity that exists in this area and the challenge of addressing a number of issues that merit consideration.