Examining the mediating effect of technological aspects on the relationship between social metadata attributes and continuance use of the CLAPAM Facebook

The CLAPAM Facebook page is used to research how technological aspects mediate the relationship between social metadata attributes and continuance use in health-oriented online communities. Using an Expectation-Confirmation Model-based questionnaire, the study examined continuous usage intents, social metadata traits, and technological aspects. Participants included n=607 people of varied demographics and social media literacy. Platform functionality and user-friendliness influence continued use more than social factors, contrary to earlier findings. This disparity is due to specialized health web platforms prioritizing health information and resources. Technological aspects influence the link between social metadata elements and continued use, underscoring their importance in sustained engagement. The study highlights technology to explain health-related online platform utilization. It proves the ECM's applicability and stresses the need for effective navigation, mobile optimization, and technical support to match users' social media literacy levels. Priorities include user-friendly design, adaptive functionality, and digital beginner resources. The study only investigated the CLAPAM Facebook page, but it suggests future research on other platforms and user demographics to generalize findings. It highlights how technology keeps health-focused online groups active, offering insights for platform design and user experience to meet their demands in social media usage.