Central or peripheral? Information elaboration cues on childhood vaccination in an online parenting forum

Parents are increasingly turning to online health forums to discuss their concerns over their children's health and seek advice on health decisions. This study examines the characteristics of elaboration in online forum discussions between parents about the rotavirus vaccine. It establishes the types of central and peripheral message cues parents generated, the extent of their elaboration, and how these exchanges are associated with parents' decisions on their children's vaccination. The results indicated that forum users employed both central and peripheral cues as a joint process when generating information intended to help other parents gain knowledge and make vaccination decisions. Issue-relevant arguments important to vaccination decision included the vaccine's necessity, side effects and efficacy. Peripheral cues including site-generated sorting cues were associated with posts featuring greater elaboration. New parents had the most doubts, asking the most questions about vaccine issues. Their elaboration, however, was the weakest. Online forum elaboration occurs as a joint process with central and peripheral cues.Issue-relevant arguments focused on vaccine necessity, side effects, and efficacy.Parents with infants most active online but had lowest level of elaboration.Site-generated sorting cues are associated with greater elaboration.