Househ examined the impacts of social media on healthcare organizations, clinicians, patients and noted that patients can use social media for a variety of reasons that include education, informa- tion, networking, research, support, goal setting and tracking personal progress. Most importantly, patients have the ability to express themselves, share their stories, learn from others and spread health knowledge [7]. Modahl et al. found that some physicians believe that social media can be beneficial for patients with chronic diseases, can- cer, rare diseases, depression, maternal and infant care, weight management, wellness and prevention [8].
A recent study on how people in the Arab world access information, use social media, and rate the credibility of the information source showed that FB was the leading social media platform used in the Arabic speaking world followed by Twitter and Google+ [9]. Within FB, the information is posted which can then be shared, commented upon, or liked by other users.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered one of the most common chronic diseases globally. It is charac- terized by an increase in glucose level in the blood with major abnormalities in the body metabolic process of the three nutrients i.e. carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Exchange of health information related to DM on social media sites can provide a good source of knowledge, support, and engage- ment for the patients and those with a vested
interest in the care and well-being of patients suf- fering from DM. In spite of a large number of people using FB to share health information, little is known about the type of information sharing and its poten- tial health consequences on the patients and their relatives in the Arabic speaking world. This study attempts to fill this knowledge gap for DM.