Barwell, Laura (2021) Support, Treatment, and Awareness: The Stated Purposes of PCOS Facebook Groups. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a debilitating hormonal condition, affecting 8-13% of reproductive aged women, worldwide. PCOS is a complex, incurable condition where women experience ovarian dysfunction (i.e., irregular periods, polycystic ovaries, and under ovulation) and other symptoms such as infertility, obesity, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, and depression. Research suggests women with PCOS require support and Facebook groups represent a promising opportunity for women with PCOS, to connect with one another. However, to date little is known about the intended purposes of PCOS Facebook groups. This study aimed to examine the stated purposes and characteristics of PCOS Facebook groups, using content analysis. The 266 PCOS Facebook groups in this study had a combined membership of 1,133,802 Facebook users. These groups were created for support (76.7%, 204), treatment (12%, 32), awareness (9.7%, 26), research (0.8%, 2), and sales (0.8%, 2). The majority of groups were private (85%, 226), specifying rules that group members were required to follow (66.9%, 178). Many group administrators screened potential members (14.7%, 39) or required them to reside in a specific geographic location (16.5%, 44). Most groups also specified their target membership (75.9%, 202), which was predominantly women with PCOS (50.8%, 135). This study indicates the majority of PCOS Facebook groups are created with the stated purpose of providing emotional and informational support, with a particular focus of supporting women to implement lifestyle interventions to manage their PCOS symptoms.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Tanya Machin; Susan Abel |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 22 Jul 2025 01:06 |
| Last Modified: | 22 Jul 2025 01:06 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | PCOS ; Polycystic ovarian syndrome ; Facebook |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52146 |
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