Abstract
PURPOSE: Evaluating cancer patients' social media use is crucial for understanding their preferences, needs and health behaviours. This study examined social media use in health management and analysed influencing factors using the Health Belief Model (HBM). METHODS: A descriptive-analytic study was conducted in 2024 at hospitals affiliated with Urmia University of Medical Sciences. A total of 204 cancer patients who actively used social media participated. Data were collected using a structured and validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses (SPSS v16) were applied to examine HBM constructs and their predictors. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 54 years; 54% were male and 46% female. Overall, 38% used social media for healthcare purposes. Perceptions across the HBM constructs were moderate to high. Cues to action had the highest mean score at 3.19 standard deviation (SD = 0.546), followed by perceived benefits (M = 3.13, SD = 0.429) and self-efficacy (M = 3.11, SD = 0.677). Age significantly negatively predicted self-efficacy (B = -0.223, β = -0.474, p < 0.001), perceived benefits (B = -0.144, β = -0.485, p < 0.001) and cues to action (B = -0.112, β = -0.296, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the multifaceted role of social networks in cancer patient healthcare. Moderate HBM scores indicate the need for tailored digital interventions to strengthen perceived benefits, self-efficacy and responsiveness to cues to action, ultimately fostering patient-centred care and informed health decisions.