Digital media use among women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Intersections of health, gender identity and new technology

我的研究项目建议调查患有多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)的女性如何使用数字媒体，以及这种使用与性别、身份、健康和心理健康之间的交叉。患有多囊卵巢综合征的女性经历了更高水平的男性激素影响月经、排卵和生育，潜在地导致面部毛发过度生长、粉刺、脱发和肥胖(Ehrmann，2005)。这种情况还与抑郁症和焦虑症的高患病率有关(Elsenbruch等人，2003年)。由于以前对多囊卵巢综合征的大多数研究都是医学性质的，所以探索女性患有这种疾病的经历的研究有限。我的研究旨在抵消这一点，了解这种情况及其副作用如何影响多囊卵巢综合征女性的心理健康和性别认同，以及数字媒体的使用如何与此交叉。我的研究资金来自1+3 ESRC DTP奖学金(日期：2019-2023)，在此期间，我将在Paula Saukko博士和Catherine Coveney博士的指导下，攻读社会科学研究(传播和媒体途径)的硕士学位，然后是博士研究。我在拉夫堡大学社会科学和人文学院工作，在那里我获得了社会学学士学位和数字媒体与社会硕士学位。我最主要的研究问题是：患有多囊卵巢综合征的女性如何使用数字媒体来应对这种情况并采取行动，这种使用与性别认同如何相交？这个问题可以转化为三个研究目标：绘制与多囊卵巢综合征相关的数字媒体使用情况图，以了解患有多囊卵巢综合征的女性使用或不使用数字媒体的情况；分析患有多囊卵巢综合征的女性如何利用数字媒体来应对和研究她们的情况，例如通过使用在线支持小组或健康跟踪器，以及她们与医疗专业人员的互动如何与这种使用相交叉。探索性别社会规范如何影响患有多囊卵巢综合征的女性对自己的性别认同的认知，以及数字媒体的使用如何与此交叉。为了观察数字媒体出于健康原因的多样化使用，我将通过各种方式招募参与者，来自社交媒体、PCOS慈善机构、线上和线下支持小组以及公共场所的广告，以捕捉各种类型的数字健康媒体用户的体验。我将与40名患有多囊卵巢综合征的妇女进行访谈，此外，还将挑选10名参与者制作她们因与多囊卵巢综合征有关的原因而使用数字媒体的视频日记。视频日记的方法将允许参与者对自己的叙事进行更大的控制，并自行指导这一过程，有助于尽可能忠实地描绘这些女性的经历。这些材料将按主题进行分析，采用与Kitzinger和Willmott(2002)以前进行的研究类似的方法，他们将参与者的访谈数据解释为自传，从而加深了对妇女患有多囊卵巢综合征的经历的理解。在我关于性别、数字媒体和社会学的本科和研究生论文的基础上，通过以患有多囊卵巢综合征的女性为案例研究，这项研究将有助于理解数字媒体、健康、心理健康和性别认同的交集。此外，通过与多囊卵巢综合征慈善机构的合作，我的目标是帮助提高认识，加深对这种情况对妇女影响的了解，有助于制定更有效的方法来支持患有多囊卵巢综合征的妇女。

My research project proposes to investigate how women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) use digital media and how this use intersects with gender, identity, health and mental health. Women with PCOS experience higher levels of male sex hormones affecting menstruation, ovulation and fertility, potentially leading to excess facial hair growth, acne, alopecia and obesity (Ehrmann,2005). The condition is also associated with higher prevalence of depression and anxiety (Elsenbruch et al., 2003). As the majority of prior research on PCOS is of a medical nature, there is limited research exploring women's experiences of living with the condition. My research aims to counteract this, offering an understanding of how the condition and its side effects affect the mental health and gender identity of women with PCOS, and how the use of digital media can intersect with this. The funding for my research comes from a 1+3 ESRC DTP studentship (dates: 2019-2023), during which I will be undertaking an MSc in Social Science Research (Communication and Media pathway), followed by PhD research, under the supervision of Dr Paula Saukko and Dr Catherine Coveney. I am based in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at Loughborough University, which is where I have previously completed a BSc in Sociology and an MA in Digital Media and Society. My overarching research questions are: How do women with PCOS use digital media to cope with and act upon the condition and how does this use intersect with gendered identity? This question translates into three research objectives: To map the landscape of digital media use related to PCOS, in order to understand the use or non-use of digital media among women with the condition.To analyse how women with PCOS utilise digital media to cope with and research their condition, for example through the use of online support groups or health trackers, and how their interaction with medical professionals intersects with this use.To explore how gendered social norms impact how women with PCOS perceive their own gender identity, and how the use of digital media intersects with this. In order to observe the diverse uses of digital media for health reasons, I will be recruiting participants in a variety of ways, from social media, PCOS charities, online and offline support groups and advertisements in public spaces, in order to capture the experiences of all types of users of digital health media. I will be conducting interviews with forty women with PCOS and additionally, ten participants will be selected to produce video diaries of themselves using digital media for reasons related to PCOS. The method of video diaries will allow participants to exercise greater control over their own narrative and guide the process themselves, helping to portray the experiences of these women as faithfully as possible. The material will be analysed for themes, taking a similar approach to previous research conducted by Kitzinger and Willmott (2002), who interpreted their participants' interview data as autobiographical, thereby developing an understanding of women's experiences of living with PCOS. Building upon my undergraduate and postgraduate theses on gender, digital media and sociology, and by using women with PCOS as a case study, this research will contribute to understanding the intersection of digital media, health, mental health and gender identity. Furthermore, through collaboration with PCOS charities, I aim to help to raise awareness and further the understanding of the effects of the condition on women, contributing to the development of more effective methods of support for women with PCOS.