A new doctoral thesis defended by the ALBA group analyzes the communication and interactions of Spanish rare disease associations on Twitter/X
On July 30, 2026, our colleague Marta Martínez Martínez defended her doctoral thesis, titled “Interactions and dynamics of Spanish rare disease associations on Twitter/X,” at the San Isidoro University Library of the University of León.
The research analyzes the activity of Spanish rare disease associations on Twitter/X, paying special attention to how they interact with each other and with other actors, what characteristics their messages present, and what factors influence the attention their posts receive, measured through retweets and likes.
The work combines different methodological approaches, such as social network analysis, content analysis, and statistical models. Additionally, it incorporates Antonovsky’s salutogenic framework and sense of coherence to study the communication developed by these organizations.
The results highlight the role of social media as spaces for information, visibility, support, and connection for associations and people living with rare diseases, a group especially conditioned by the low prevalence and dispersion of these pathologies.
The defense was attended by several colleagues from the ALBA research group, who accompanied Marta at this important moment in her academic and research career.
The thesis, developed within the doctoral program Health and Human Motricity, was supervised by Dr. Pilar Márqués Sánchez and Dr. Isaías García Rodríguez, and received the grade of summa cum laude.
