Social media as a modern Emergency Broadcast System: A longitudinal qualitative study of social media during COVID-19 and its impacts on social connection and social distancing compliance

Virtually Accompanied Eating in the Outpatient Therapy of Anorexia Nervosa

BACKGROUND

Normalizing the eating pattern and weight recovery are the main objectives in treating anorexia nervosa (AN). Eating accompaniment through shared mealtimes is a common strategy in eating disorder management programs. This study aims to examine the impact on weight gain of an internet-delivered meal support group on patients with AN who were under ambulatory treatment with the Eating Disorders Unit of the UC Christus Health Network, Chile.

METHODS

An observational study of 54 female patients with AN diagnosis who participated in Online Meal Support Groups (OMSGs) three times a week was performed. Their weight, BMI and BMI%, was reviewed at the beginning of the sessions and at 45- and 90-day follow-up.

RESULTS

Patients showed significant weight gain during follow-up. At the 90-day follow-up, patients had gained 4.41 (SD ± 2.82) kg with an effect size of -1.563.

CONCLUSIONS

Statistically significant differences were found between the weight at the beginning of the intervention and at the 45- and 90-day follow-up, meaning that eating support online groups may be an effective intervention for weight gain and maintenance in patients with AN. These findings highlight the viability of developing cost-effective and more accessible interventions for AN and thus help reduce the duration of untreated disease and its consequences.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canadian Social Connections: A Thematic Analysis

Background

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. Responses to the pandemic response disrupted Canadian social connections in complex ways; because social connections are determinants of health and well-being, their disruption could adversely affect health and well-being. Moreover, understanding how pandemics and public health responses affect social connections could inform pandemic recovery strategy and public health approaches designed for future pandemics. The purpose of this study is to understand experiences of pandemic impact on social connections over the pandemic.

Methods

A sample of 343 Canadian adults was recruited through Athabasca University and social media. Participants were predominantly White (81%) and female (88%). After the pandemic onset, participants responded to open-ended questions about the impact of the pandemic on and any changes to social connections at three time points (baseline, and three- and 6 months from study entry). Responses were categorized into epochs by date (April-June 2020 [Spring]; July-August 2020 [Summer]; September 2020-January 2021 [Fall/Winter]). Qualitative thematic analysis was used to code themes for each epoch.

Results

Negative impact of the pandemic (37-45%), loss of social connections (32-36%), and alternative means of connection (26-32%) were prominent themes across the epochs. Restrictions to face-to-face connections were largest in spring (9%) and lowest in the Summer (4%). Conversely, participants increasingly reported limited contact or communication into the Fall and Winter (6-12%) as pandemic restrictions in Canada were reinstated.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens social connections, with negative impacts that fluctuated with COVID-19 case rates and subsequent pandemic restrictions. These findings could be used to identify targets for social supports during the pandemic recovery, and to adjust public health strategies for future pandemics that minimize impact on social connections.

Older Adults' Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) Engagement Following COVID-19 and Its Impact on Access to Community, Information, and Resource Exchange: A Longitudinal, Qualitative Study

Following COVID-19, the CDC asked individuals to social distance and state and local authorities nationwide began issuing curfews and recommendations to “shelter-in-place.” Known to be more susceptible to the negative effects of COVID-19 and often coping with higher levels of social isolation, many worried that older adults’ mental health would suffer. While computer-mediated communication (CMC) is on the rise among older adults, whether and how older adults leverage the social benefits of CMC remains underexplored. This study assesses older adults’ CMC use after COVID and the impact of CMC engagement on access to connection, information, and resources. We follow 22 older adults over 6 weeks, using longitudinal qualitative surveys to study CMC use patterns and mental health outcomes. Results revealed that while older adults exhibited purpose-driven CMC engagement, limited integration into larger online communities restricted access to up-to-the-minute information, notably early in the pandemic. Longitudinal findings show progressively less engagement with online news and information, withdrawal from online social engagement, and a progressive relaxing of social distancing. This study sheds light on how best to reach older adults following disaster, and where older adults may be disadvantaged as social media becomes a modern “emergency broadcast system.”