A social media intervention for the families of young Black men with obstructive sleep apnoea

Abstract

Objective:

To address positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence in adolescents diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) by pilot testing a novel, online, facilitated, peer-support and health education programme for families.

Design, setting, and methods:

Families participated in separate Facebook peer-groups (adolescent [n = 6] and parent [n = 6]) for 4 weeks, followed by face-to-face interviews. Participants received OSA and PAP educational videos and posts, engaged with questions and polls, and viewed de-identified postings of peer PAP use data.

Results:

Adolescent participants were young Black men aged 13–17 years (n = 6) with obesity (n = 5), severe sleep apnoea (100%) and 4–15 months of prior PAP use. Parent participants were mothers (n = 4) and fathers (n = 2). Four of six young men increased their mean PAP use during the intervention period. Overall, parents were more engaged with the Facebook group page than adolescents, but interviews revealed the online group/peer-support and education provided was highly regarded and appreciated by families. Parents were particularly appreciative of being involved in care and diagnosis in this way.

Conclusion:

Results of this pilot trial provide important data regarding intervention design, content and delivery approaches to be considered in the development of future interventions aiming to engage families and improve adolescent PAP adherence.