Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair/Advisor
Brooke Bennett
Committee Member
Anna Baker
Committee Member
Irene Pericot-Valverde
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a lifelong chronic illness that is rapidly increasing in prevalence. Continuous treatment is necessary for proper management, but barriers to care can cause some to turn to other sources for health-related information, like social media. Given the limited research on social media use and health information seeking behaviors in people with T1D, this study aims to gain an understanding of how people with T1D use social media, where they get their health information, and how social support is related to social media behaviors among people with T1D. Adult T1D participants completed an online survey that measured social media behaviors, the Online Health Information Utilization (OHIU) questionnaire with a 3-item exploratory social media subscale, health information sources (HIS), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Participants (n=146) reported frequent social media use, averaging over six days per week and over two hours per day, as well as receiving over 20% of health information from social media. The majority of participants reported being part of and engaging in diabetes-related forums and following diabetes-related content. Perceived social support predicted social media use, HIS scores, the 3-item exploratory social media subscale of the OHIU, and the 15-item OHIU questionnaire containing the exploratory subscale. Results suggest that greater perceived social support was significantly associated with greater use of social media, use of multiple health information sources, and online health information utilization specifically from social media. These findings provide insight into the scope of health information seeking online among people with T1D and the role of social support. Clinically, these results highlight how social factors may affect where individuals with T1D look for health information. Future research should examine the quality and accuracy of this information and its potential impacts on health outcomes in T1D management.
Recommended Citation
Myers, Loren, "Scrolling for Support: Social Media Use, Health Information Seeking, and Social Support in Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes" (2026). All Theses. 4787.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4787
Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0002-2327-3143