Blogging activity among cancer patients and their companions: Uses, gratifications, and predictors of outcomes

Abstract This study examines cancer patients' and companions' uses and gratifications of blogs and the relationship between different types of blogging activities and gratification outcomes. In an online survey of 113 respondents, cancer patients were found to be more likely than their companions to host their own blogs. Four areas emerged as gratifications of blog use: prevention and care, problem‐solving, emotion management, and information‐sharing. Cancer patients and companions both found blogging activity to be most helpful for emotion management and information‐sharing. Further, cancer patients were more gratified than their companions in the areas of emotion management and problem‐solving. Regression analyses indicate that perceived credibility of blogs, posting comments on others' blogs, and hosting one's own blog significantly increased the explanatory power of the regression models for each gratification outcome.