Personal Web home pages of adolescents with cancer: self-presentation, information dissemination, and interpersonal connection

Personal Web home pages of adolescents with cancer: self-presentation, information dissemination, and interpersonal connection

Suzuki LK; Beale IL

Journal Of Pediatric Oncology Nursing

2006

U.S. Gov't; Adaptation; PedPal Lit; Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support; Adolescent Psychology Adult Attitude to Health Autobiography Body Image; Communication Female Helping Behavior Humans Information Dissemination Internet/; Interpersonal Relations Life Change Events Male Narration Neoplasms/; Non-P.H.S.Self Concept Social Support; Psychological Adolescent Adolescent Behavior/psychology; psychology Nursing Methodology Research Peer Group Research Support; utilization

The content of personal Web home pages created by adolescents with cancer is a new source of information about this population of potential benefit to oncology nurses and psychologists. Individual Internet elements found on 21 home pages created by youths with cancer (14-22 years old) were rated for cancer-related self-presentation, information dissemination, and interpersonal connection. Examples of adolescents' online narratives were also recorded. Adolescents with cancer used various Internet elements on their home pages for cancer-related self-presentation (eg, welcome messages, essays, personal history and diary pages, news articles, and poetry), information dissemination (e.g., through personal interest pages, multimedia presentations, lists, charts, and hyperlinks), and interpersonal connection (eg, guestbook entries). Results suggest that various elements found on personal home pages are being used by a limited number of young patients with cancer for self-expression, information access, and contact with peers.

2006

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