| Sumario: | Purpose Online communities have become a convenient and popular vehicle to share information and experience about specific diseases as well as to provide social support for individuals who care for people with debilitating medical conditions such as dementia. Research on patterns of information-sharing through these online communities is underdeveloped. This presentation explores cultural differences in the way information is shared by family caregivers using online communities. Method Qualitative data were collected from posts originating in two online communities devoted to dementia caregiving: a Spanish-language Facebook community (Cuídate Cuidador, 2,752 members) and a Chinese-language Sina Weibo community (Loveandhelp, 1,303 members). Content analysis was conducted using open coding in order to identify thematic differences and similarities across the two online communities. For each community, we sampled posts and comments that were shared by unique users from January 2012 to December 2012. Data were analyzed in its original language by trained coders and then translated for the purpose of comparison. Results & Discussion Preliminary findings revealed that users in both communities posted comments that focused on caregiving burden, coping, and family dynamics. However, Cuídate Cuidador's users were more likely to share personal stories, whereas Loveandhelp's users tended to share caregiving skills or medication management tips. Both groups were similar in posting about family relationships and dynamics as well as emotional support needs (Table 1). Online communities, as an emerging means for people to share and connect across geographic distance, should be further studied and developed in response to culturally relevant patterns of communication and interests of the participants.
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