Cosmetic Medical Tourists' Use of Online Support Communities

Sharing Information, Reciprocity, and Enduring Relationships

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4638457
AutoresRowena Forsyth (0000-0001-5597-7263, The University of Sydney, autor de correspondencia), Tushar Prasad (0009-0004-1482-8551, The University of Sydney)
Año2024
Volumen34
Número8-9
Páginas815-827
Fecha de publicación2024-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/10497323231219939
PMID38229465
OpenAlexW4390952187
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas41

Cosmetic procedures are amongst the most popular procedures sought after by medical tourists. Cosmetic medical tourists utilise numerous sources of information when planning their trips including, where available, discussing their decision with previous medical tourists. Current research on online support communities has investigated the interactions of patients with various health conditions with online support; however, limited research exists on cosmetic medical tourists' participation in online support communities. Here we report findings from our qualitative interview study of Australian cosmetic medical tourists. We found that many of our participants experienced stigma regarding their intention to receive cosmetic procedures and to travel overseas from within their local social networks. Participating in online communities (Facebook groups) enabled them to access information and support from other cosmetic medical tourists. Through using public posting and messaging functionality of the communities, they performed two distinct roles in the groups that parallel the temporal transitions of their journeys: they were information and support seekers pre-surgery and information and support providers post-surgery. The reciprocity they practiced in the provider role occurred due to their desire to 'pay forward' the support they had received from others pre-surgery. This role was performed as a collective, community-based reciprocity rather than a direct mutual exchange. Some participants also transitioned their online relationships into enduing offline friendships demonstrating how online interactions may become enmeshed with broader social networks

Information exchange · Internet privacy · Online community · Online participation · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Seekers · Social media · Sociology · The Internet · TRIPS architecture · World Wide Web · Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies · Computer Science · Global Healthcare and Medical Tourism · Nasal Surgery and Airway Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology