Factors associated with intentions to seek formal and informal mental health help among college students with suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: Identify factors associated with formal and informal mental health help-seeking intentions among college students reporting suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). PARTICIPANTS: College students with STBs in the 2018-2020 Healthy Minds Study. METHODS: Cross-sectional secondary analysis using logistic regressions to determine whether demographic (age, sex, race, religion, and finances) and psychosocial factors (mental health, perceptions about mental health help, and barriers) are associated with (in)formal help-seeking intentions. RESULTS: Positive significant factors for all help-seeking intentions included being in a romantic relationship, Christian, symptoms of anxiety, or positive beliefs and knowledge about therapy efficacy. Depressive symptoms, Black/African American, psychological inflexibility, low perceived need, and barriers were negatively associated. Informal help-seeking was negatively associated with Hispanic/Latinx and personal stigma toward mental health. Formal help-seeking was positively associated with Asian/Asian American and negatively associated with financial stress. CONCLUSIONS: Unique factors were associated with formal or informal help-seeking intentions in college students with STBs.

Demographic and Behavioral Risk Factors Predict Functional Limitations Associated with Subjective Cognitive Decline in Americans with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Secondary Analysis.

Prior research indicates that subjective cognitive decline (SCD) affects approximately one-third of older adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). However, there is limited population-based research on risk factors associated with SCD-related functional limitations within this vulnerable subgroup. A secondary data analysis of 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data was conducted to address this gap, focusing on Americans ≥45 years old with COPD (N = 107,204). Several sociodemographic and health-related factors were independently associated with SCD-related functional limitations. Retired and unemployed individuals were significantly more likely to require assistance with day-to-day activities due to memory loss or confusion compared to employed individuals (AOR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.2-8.0; AOR = 5.8, 95% CI: 3.01-1.5, respectively). Additionally, unemployed individuals were over five times more likely to report confusion or memory loss affecting social activities (AOR = 5.7, 95% CI: 2.9-11.0). Disparities were also observed among different racial groups, with Black/African Americans (AOR = 4.9, 95% CI: 2.3-10.4) and Hispanics (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.2-4.7) more likely than White and non-Hispanic people, respectively, to give up daily chores due to SCD. Our findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive interventions to address functional limitations faced by retired, unemployed, and minority adults with COPD and SCD.

Barriers and Facilitators Impacting Disease and Symptom Management Among College Students With Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators impacting disease and symptom management among college students living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). DESIGN: A qualitative, phenomenological approach using semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. SETTING: Interviews conducted on Zoom (n = 28) and in-person (n = 3). PARTICIPANTS: Purposive sample of 31 college students living with T1D for at least 2 years who attended large, 4-year public universities in the Southeastern United States. METHOD: This study was theoretically informed using the Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness Integration of Symptoms to develop interview questions. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and uploaded in NVivo. Data were analyzed thematically using a codebook developed by the research team using the theory as a framework. Trustworthiness was established using an audit trail, memos, and negative case analysis. RESULTS: Four themes described barriers: diabetes burnout, challenges adjusting to a college lifestyle, difficulty receiving medical supplies, and insurance limitations. Five themes explained facilitators: years of experience managing T1D, tangible support with medical supplies, informational support for disease management, and emotional/technological support for disease and symptom management. CONCLUSION: Barriers and facilitators in this study should be addressed in future T1D interventions for college students. Findings can also guide healthcare professionals, health promotion practitioners, family, friends, and significant others on how to better support college students as they manage T1D.

COVID-19 Health Education Activities: An Analysis of a National Sample of Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®/MCHES®) in Response to the Global Pandemic.

The National Commission of Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) created the Category 1 COVID-19 Claim Form Opportunity to document how Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) assisted communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data submitted by CHES®/MCHES® (n = 3,098 claim forms), the purpose of this study was to (a) describe the settings where CHES® and MCHES® completed their pandemic work and (b) assess differences in the type of pandemic work completed by CHES® compared with MCHES® based on specific Areas of Responsibility (AOR) for Health Education Specialists. Findings showed that CHES® and MCHES® engaged in seven AOR during the pandemic, with the largest proportion of CHES® (n = 859; 33%) and MCHES® (n = 105; 21.9%, documenting COVID-19-related activities in health departments. CHES® reported higher engagement than MCHES® in activities such as COVID-19 reporting/tracking, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 27.3, p < .001; outbreak response, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 4.3, p = .039; and vaccination, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 5.2, p = .023. Conversely, MCHES® reported higher participation than CHES® in screening/testing, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 174.2, p < .001; administration of budgets/operations, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 30.1, p < .001; and adapting educational activities at college/universities, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 46.1, p < .001. CHES® were more likely than MCHES® to indicate working in all AOR except for Area 2-Plan Health Education/Promotion. Results support that employer-verified health education skills in all AOR were transferable during COVID-19, especially for CHES® employed within state/county health departments.

Perceived health interests of college students.

Objective: Investigate how college students perceive positive aspects of health as compared to neutral and/or negative aspects of health. Participants: 20 college students (55% female, 50% Black, M age = 23 years, SD = 4.1 years) completed a card-sorting activity as part of a focus group. Methods: Each participant ranked 57 cards by perceived importance. The cards included positive (n = 19), neutral (n = 19), and negative (n = 19) health topics. Results: Positive and neutral health attributes were significantly more important than negative aspects of health, with student rankings indicating declining importance from positive to neutral to negative aspects of health. Conclusions: Findings suggest that campus health professionals should consider salutogenic approaches to health promotion that enable college students to achieve short-term health gains and health maintenance in addition to disease prevention and harm reduction.

Development and field test of the Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale - short form (SWPS-SF) in U.S. college students.

Survey research is important for understanding health and improving practice among health professions. However, survey research can have drawbacks, such as overuse and excessively lengthy questionnaires that burden respondents. These issues lead to poor response rates and incomplete questionnaires. Low and incomplete response rates result in missing data and reduced sample size, damaging the value, usability and generalizability of the information collected. To address issues related to response rates and improve health research, shorter surveys are recommended because they impose less of a burden on respondents and are useful with larger populations. Health-related surveys also often focus on the factors leading to ill health without dedicating equal attention to factors supporting positive health. This study developed and tested a short form (SF) of the validated Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale (SWPS), which measures causes of health (rather than causes of disease), using responses from 2052 college students. The participants answered questions about their demographics and completed the SWPS and a perceived health assessment. Statistical tests demonstrated the SWPS-SF had significant relationships with the full SWPS, health status, and Grade Point Average (GPA). Statistical tests were also used to establish cutoff scores that had a high true positive and low false negative rate. These cutoff scores demonstrated a relationship of higher performance and better health. These promising results suggest this short test can provide valid information without burdening the respondents. Authors recommend additional tests be completed to validate the SWPS-SF.

mHealth video gaming for human papillomavirus vaccination among college men-qualitative inquiry for development.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Persistent infection with HPV can cause various cancers; however, HPV vaccination can prevent infections associated with high risk, cancerous strains of the virus. As it relates to HPV, college age men have been identified as one of the catch-up vaccination groups. Among college age men, gaming is an extremely popular extracurricular activity. Further, video games have emerged as a popular public health intervention tool. Therefore, this study aims to collect qualitative data on how to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a gaming intervention to increase HPV risk perceptions, improve self-efficacy and increase intention to receive the HPV vaccine among male college students (18-26 years old). Methods: Four focus group sessions ranging from eight to ten individuals were conducted among male college students from one large research-intensive university in the South. Using grounded theory, data from focus group interviews were coded using NVivo software to identify emergent themes. Results: Participants emphasized that although customization was not viewed as important by college aged males, the ability to tailor in game experiences or experience different things each time they played (creative freedom) was more important. They encouraged that the digital game be created on a mobile platform, incorporate health messages, and be informative to reach their population. Furthermore, they suggested innovative way to disseminate the game, which included having health department/health care providers prescribe the game to patients as an end of clinical interaction strategy. Conclusions: College age men, are natural avid gamers, enjoy game play, and can engage in learning online or offline. While platform preference varies among gamer type, college age men in our study emphasized that mobile based gaming is the most advantageous way to increase knowledge/awareness and encourage positive in game behavior which can impact out of game behaviors such as vaccination. Because of the level of access and natural disposition of mHealth technology seen as an "extension of the self", games for health developers should consider the mobile platform as the ideal for the target demographic.

Role of Socioeconomic Factors on Physical and Mental Distress Reported by Alabama Adults with COPD.

OBJECTIVES: Educational attainment, income, and race play significant roles in managing and treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of these socioeconomic factors and others on the physical and mental distress reported by patients with COPD living in Alabama. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was completed of Alabama Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2015-2019 data collected from 4123 respondents who reported that a health professional told them they had COPD, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema. Univariate analyses examined descriptive differences in physical and mental distress among racial groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess physical and mental distress as a function of race and demographic variables (age, sex, employment status, household income, education level), controlling for dichotomous healthcare access variables (enrollment in a health insurance plan, having a usual source of care, routine check-up in the past 2 years). RESULTS: Most Alabama adults with COPD from 2015 to 2019 were female (64%) and older than 45 years (88%). Annual incomes were low, with >40% of respondents (43.84%) earning <$20,000/year; adults making between $35,000 and $49,999 were less likely (odds ratio 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.38-0.96) to experience mental distress. Younger Alabama adults with COPD (25-64 years) were approximately two times more likely than respondents ages 65 and older to report mental distress. African Americans were less likely to report physical distress as compared with Whites (odds ratio 0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.44-0.83). Alabama adults who could not work were more likely than those with COPD who were employed/self-employed, out of work, retired, or identified as homemakers to report physical distress. CONCLUSIONS: Public health and healthcare practitioners across Alabama should use these analyses to direct more targeted, high-yield interventions that will address existing health disparities among state residents living with COPD.

Systematic review of electronically delivered behavioral obesity prevention interventions targeting men.

Globally, obesity persists at epidemic rates. Men are underrepresented within behavior-based obesity prevention research. As men prefer individualized, self-guided interventions, electronic delivery of treatment modalities has potential to reach this population. The purpose of this study was to systematically review primary, secondary, or tertiary behavioral obesity prevention interventions that used controlled designs; targeted men; and incorporated at least one electronically delivered treatment modality explicitly designed to elicit an intervention effect. Literature searches were delimited to peer-reviewed articles; published between 2000 and 2021; in the English language; and indexed in PsycINFO, CINHAL, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and WOS electronic databases. Interventions satisfying inclusion criteria were critiqued for methodological quality using the Jadad Scale (0 = lowest quality; 10 = highest quality). Eleven studies satisfied the inclusion criteria (n = 1748; total participants) with five reporting group-by-time intervention effects on the primary variable targeted. Jadad scale quality assessment scores ranged from 5.00 to 9.00 with a mean of 7.72. Majority of the interventions applied a randomized control trial design (n = 10). Most interventions were theory based, with eight rooted in social cognitive theory. Behavior change strategies included self-monitoring (n = 10), personalized feedback (n = 8), health counseling (n = 8), and goal setting (n = 9). Community-level theories have the potential to guide future obesity prevention interventions targeting men.

A combined laboratory and field test of a smartphone breath alcohol device and blood alcohol concentration estimator to facilitate moderate drinking among young adults.

OBJECTIVE: Innovative strategies are needed to reduce young adult drinking. Real-time feedback via mobile health (mHealth) technology (e.g., smartphone devices/apps) may facilitate moderate drinking, yet requires evidence of feasibility, acceptability, and usability. METHOD: Young adults reporting frequent heavy drinking (N = 99, Mage = 23, 51% male) participated in a manualized, brief, motivational interview on recent typical and peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC), then were randomized to use 1 of the 3 forms of technology: (a) smartphone breathalyzer device/app; (b) app that estimates BAC based on factors including sex, weight, number/types of drinks over time; or (c) self-text messaging after each drink. Technologies were tested initially in small-group laboratory alcohol self-administration sessions. Participants then completed a 2-week field test wherein they had free access to all three technologies. Participants reported on usability and acceptability. RESULTS: Laboratory alcohol self-administration did not differ significantly by technology condition. The smartphone breathalyzer and BAC estimator app had favorable acceptability and usability. Participants used at least one form of technology on 67% of drinking days in the field period. In exploratory analyses, alcohol use during the field period was significantly lower than the baseline including a decrease of nearly one drink per drinking day. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the feasibility of research combining lab and field methods to test moderate drinking technologies in young adults. Findings further support the acceptability and usability of these technologies, along with young adults' openness to using them. Exploratory results suggest potential efficacy of combined mobile technology intervention to be tested in subsequent controlled studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Racial Disparities in Health Risk Indicators Reported by Alabamians Diagnosed with COPD.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a growing public health problem in the southern United States, particularly in Alabama. However, very little is known about specific health risk factors disproportionately impacting Alabamians with COPD. We conducted a latent class analysis of 2015-2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 4057 Alabamians with COPD (White = 2947, Black = 873, Other = 237). Eighteen risk indicators were examined across three health-related domains: (1) comorbidities, (2) limited healthcare access, and (3) substance use/abuse. Racial disparities between Black and white Alabamians with COPD were assessed using configural similarity analysis. Findings showed that almost one-third (31%) of Alabamians with COPD were in the high-risk class for eight comorbidities, and nearly one-half (48.88%) belonged to the high-risk class for limited healthcare access. Black Alabamians with COPD who did not have health insurance were much more likely to be at high risk for limited healthcare access (94.44%) when compared to their counterparts with insurance (5.56%), χ2(df = 2) = 1389.94, p < 0.0001. Furthermore, the proportion of high-risk, uninsured Black Alabamians with COPD (94.44%) substantially exceeded the percentage of high-risk, uninsured white Alabamians with COPD (59.70%). Most Alabamians with COPD (82.97%) were at low risk for substance use/abuse. Future research should explore new mechanisms for facilitating better healthcare access among high-risk Alabamians living with COPD and other prevalent comorbidities. Greater attention should be focused on Black Alabamians with COPD who cannot afford adequate health insurance.

Measuring health information seeking challenges in chronic disease: A psychometric analysis of a brief scale.

Information seeking is a cornerstone of patient activation in chronic disease self-management. To date, there are few brief and literacy-sensitive tools to measure intrinsic barriers of health information seeking. The Health Information National Trends Survey includes four items from the Information Seeking Experiences scale to measure frustration, effort, concern, and comprehension of information sought during a recent medical/health information search. Limited evidence exists for its construct validity and use in primary data collection in chronic disease. This measurement study examines the psychometric properties of the scale. Qualtrics Panelists with at least one chronic disease (N = 684) participated in an online survey. The average score was M = 12.85 (SD = 3.97), indicating a moderate degree of health information seeking challenges. Confirmatory factor analysis of data collected using this scale supported unidimensionality (RMSEA = .03; CFI/TLI = .99/.99). There was adequate scale (ω = .83) and item (value = .98) reliabilities. Rasch analyses showed optimal measurement error and response predictability with item-fit (values = .80-1.20). Response option "agree" was less likely to be selected than any other response option, although not posing a threat to scale reliability. Results demonstrate that this brief scale has sufficient measurement properties for its use as a measure of intrinsic health information seeking barriers among patients with chronic disease.

Latent Health Risk Classes Associated with Poor Physical and Mental Outcomes in Workers with COPD from Central Appalachian U.S. States.

Adults who work in the Central Appalachian region of the United States (U.S.) are disproportionately affected by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). While there is a socio-demographic profile of adults with COPD who are at increased risk for physical and mental distress, the risk factors that uniquely affect the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of Central Appalachian workers with COPD are unknown. Therefore, we conducted a latent class analysis of 2016 and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 1326 currently employed adults with COPD living in four U.S. states (KY, NC, TN, and WV) within the Central Appalachian Region. Drawing from the social ecological model, we identified associations between theoretically informed risk indicators-comorbid health conditions, substance use and abuse, and limited access to healthcare-on three HRQoL variables, including infrequent (0-13 days) or frequent (≥14 days) physical distress, mental distress, and limited activity due to poor health over the past 30 days. Workers at high risk for comorbid conditions reported more frequent physical distress, mental distress, and activity limitations as compared to those at low risk. Workers reporting difficulty accessing healthcare were no more likely to report physical or mental distress when compared to workers with adequate access to healthcare; however, those with limited healthcare access did report more frequent activity limitation due to poor health. Interestingly, workers with COPD at high risk for substance use and abuse were no more likely to report poor HRQoL outcomes compared to those at low risk. Our findings have important implications for addressing indicators of poor health among Central Appalachian workers with COPD, especially those living with multiple comorbidities.

Social Media and Health Promotion.

With over 3 billion users worldwide, social media has become a staple of daily life for people across the globe [...].

The Health Education Research Experience (HERE) program metadata dataset.

Undergraduate subject pools are prevalent across disciplines in the United States. The Health Education Research Experience (HERE) Program was the first known course-based subject pool entirely managed and conducted online for online students enrolled in an introductory health education/health promotion course. The program was conducted within five semesters from Spring 2012 through Summer 2013. The HERE Program encompassed 13 studies embedded in two sections of an undergraduate online course at the University of Florida. The studies were all related to course topics and current research topics in health education/promotion (as identified through the Healthy People 2020 Framework). The topics ranged from the relatively less sensitive health aspects of college life (i.e., technology use) to studies assessing more sensitive health topics (i.e., intimate partner violence and sexual assault). In alignment with a best practice in survey design, the HERE Program's survey instruments included one metadata item embedded in each survey to identify which devices students used to complete the surveys. Understanding which devices students used for survey completion has ramifications for survey designers and survey researchers. In contrast to the relative uniformity of pen and paper surveys and control of the survey completion environment, online surveys may not look identical across personal devices and may be completed in increasingly varied environments. All studies, study procedures and protocols, and metadata collection procedures were approved by the university's Institutional Review Board. The data presented here were extracted from each survey's data files and aggregated. The aggregated metadata are available through Mendeley Data in a.csv file for widespread access. Descriptive statistics are presented in tables. The data provided in this article will benefit researchers interested in survey methodology, questionnaire design, modes of survey collection, and survey metadata. The data are hosted in the following Mendeley Data repository: https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/ht9jmd3cdt/2.

Evolving Role of Social Media in Health Promotion: Updated Responsibilities for Health Education Specialists.

The use of social media in public health education has been increasing due to its ability to remove physical barriers that traditionally impede access to healthcare support and resources. As health promotion becomes more deeply rooted in Internet-based programming, health education specialists are tasked with becoming more competent in computer-mediated contexts that optimize both online and offline consumer health experiences. Generating a better understanding of the benefits and drawbacks to using social media in the field is important, since health education specialists continue to weigh its advantages against potential concerns and barriers to use. Accordingly, this Special Issue aims to explore social media as a translational health promotion tool by bridging principles of health education and health communication that examine (1) the method with which social media users access, negotiate, and create health information that is both actionable and impactful for diverse audiences; (2) strategies for overcoming challenges to using social media in health promotion; and (3) best practices for designing, implementing, and evaluating social media forums in public health. In this commentary, we discuss the updated communication and advocacy roles and responsibilities of health education specialists in the context of social media research and practice.

Practical and Ethical Considerations for Schools Using Social Media to Promote Physical Literacy in Youth.

The rapid development of social media has led to its increased use by children and adolescents for health and well-being purposes. Accordingly, social interactions resulting from social media use can be further integrated into physical and health education pedagogy. Given the relationship between increased physical literacy and positive health outcomes, best practices and lessons learned from social media use in the healthcare industry should be adopted by health and physical educators practicing in schools. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to comment on several practical and ethical challenges and opportunities associated with using social media to improve physical literacy among youth. Specifically, two of the most prominent issues are discussed in depth: (1) integration of social media in physical education settings that educate children and adolescents about the biopsychosocial effects of physical activity, and (2) use of wearable technologies among youth to accrue experiences that enhance physical literacy competencies. In our opinion, health and physical educators who utilize the ALL-ENGAGE Playbook described in this commentary will successfully reach, engage, and impact students with popular social media that adequately promotes physical literacy, including through experiential use of wearable technologies.

Computer-Mediated Experiences of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

BACKGROUND: The Internet is an important tool for empowering patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to learn about and self-manage their condition. PURPOSE: To understand which aspects of the online experience facilitates or hinders the perceived ability of patients with COPD to achieve their information and self-management goals. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with medically underserved patients with COPD (N = 25) who access the Internet for health. A conventional content analysis approach was applied and data were analyzed with the constant comparative method. RESULTS: The following themes were derived: (1) desire to associate with "in-group" members; (2) relationship building with other online users; (3) security of information and identity; (4) source and channel credibility appraisal; (5) user assistance and tutorials; and (6) strategies to adapt technological functions. DISCUSSION: Success in using the Internet was dependent on the functional use of technology and the ability and resilience to engage with similar online users to build meaningful and trustworthy connections. TRANSLATION TO HEALTH EDUCATION PRACTICE: Prior to directing patients with COPD to a disease-specific online support platform, certified health education specialists must assess patients' information goals and their skills to critically appraise and communicate with other online users.

Transactional eHealth Literacy: Developing and Testing a Multi-Dimensional Instrument.

Theoretically informed measures of eHealth literacy that consider the social affordances of eHealth are limited. This study describes the psychometric testing of a multi-dimensional instrument to measure functional, communicative, critical, and translational eHealth literacies, as informed by the Transactional Model of eHealth Literacy (TMeHL). A 3-phase rating scale construction process was conducted to engage eHealth experts and end-users. In Phase 1, Experts (N = 5) and end-users (N = 25) identified operational behaviors to measure each eHealth literacy dimension. End-users (N = 10) participated in think-aloud interviews to provide feedback on items reviewed and approved by experts. A field test was conducted with a random sample of patients recruited from a university-based research registry (N = 283). Factor analyses and Rasch procedures examined the internal structure of the scores produced by each scale. Pearson's r correlations provided evidence for external validity of scores. The instrument measures four reliable (ω = .92-.96) and correlated (r= .44-.64) factors: functional (4 items), communicative (5 items), critical (5 items), and translational (4 items). Researchers and providers can use this new instrument as a theory-driven instrument to measure four eHealth literacies that are fundamental to the social affordances of the eHealth experience.

Facebook Groups on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Social Media Content Analysis.

Facebook Groups facilitate information exchange and engagement for patients with chronic conditions, including those living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD); however, little is known about how knowledge is diffused throughout these communities. This study aimed to evaluate the content that is available on COPD-related Facebook Groups, as well as the communication (self-disclosures, social support) and engagement (agreement, emotional reaction) strategies used by members to facilitate these resources. Two researchers independently searched the "Groups" category using the terms "COPD", "emphysema", and "chronic bronchitis". Twenty-six closed (n = 23) and public (n = 3) COPD Facebook Groups were identified with 87,082 total members. The vast majority of Group members belonged to closed (n = 84,684; 97.25%) as compared to open (n = 2398; 2.75%) groups. Medications were the most commonly addressed self-management topic (n = 48; 26.7%). While overall engagement with wall posts was low, the number of "likes" (an indicator of agreement) was significantly greater for wall posts that demonstrated social support as compared to posts that did not (p < 0.001). Findings from this study showed that COPD Facebook group members share specific disease-related experiences and request information about select self-management topics. This information can be used to improve the quality of self-management support provided to members of popular COPD Facebook groups.