Social and psychological determinants of participation in internet-based cancer support groups

Purpose In this study, we identified the social and psychological characteristics of Danish cancer patients that determine use of the internet for support. Materials and methods We invited 230 cancer patients taking part in a public rehabilitation program to participate in an internet module comprising training in the retrieval of cancer-related information from the internet and selfsupport groups. Persons who were motivated to join the internet groups (N = 100; 47%) were compared with persons who chose not to participate (N = 111) on the basis of self-reported baseline questionnaire data. Nineteen persons either did not return the questionnaire or had missing values in confounding variables. Results Cancer patients who were motivated to participate in internet support groups belong to higher socioeconomic groups (based on household income and employment) compared to non-participants. We observed no difference between the two groups in quality of life or psychological well-being, while coping to some extent seemed related to participation in internet support groups. Conclusion This study adds to the discussion on social inequality in internet use by cancer patients, showing that patients who are not inclined to use internet-based interventions are characterized by social position and employ more passive coping strategies.