Table 2.

Characteristics of follow-on groups and their members

Group Number	FG Start Date	Number Attending FG (Maximum)	How Often Meeting and Where?	Age Range	Communication Method	Group Duration to Last Contact	Main Purpose of Group as Defined by Members
Group A	2012	9 (1 man, 8 women)	Fortnightly, private community space	40s–80 s	Phone, text (SMS) message	80 months	Social. Goal setting. Pain management techniques. Sharing hobbies and crafts. Exercise, outings together.
Group B	2013	3 women	Monthly, in cafes	50s–70s	Phone, text (SMS) message	60 months	Social. Goal setting. Pain management techniques.
Group C	2016	8 reduced to 6 (1 man, 5 women).	Monthly, in a bar	30s–80 s	Phone	23 months	Social. Pain management techniques. No goal setting.
Group D	2016	6–8 women	6-8 weeks, in cafes	“There’s quite an age gap”	Facebook, text (SMS) message	18 months	Social. Pain management techniques e.g., pacing. No goal setting
Group E	2016	6 women, reduced numbers over time	At each other’s homes, nights out	23–46	Text (SMS) message, Facebook	13 months	Social catch-up
Group F	2017	8 reduced to 6 (1 man, 5 women)	Monthly, private space	40s–70s	Email via group coordinator	15 months	Pain management techniques. Social.
Group G	2017	5–8 (2 men, 6 women), reduced numbers/contact over time	1–2 months, in cafes	20s–67	WhatsApp	12 months	Social. Goal setting. Pain management techniques. Outings
Group H	2017	6 (3 men, 3 women), reduced numbers/contact over time	Monthly, in a bar	30s–60 s	Text (SMS) message	8 months	Social. Pain management techniques.
Group I	2017	6 women, meeting infrequently	2–3 months for a meal	40s and older	Emails and text (SMS) message	7 months	Social. Pain management techniques
Group J	2017	3 (1 man, 2 women), reduced contact over time	Monthly, in cafes	30–41	Facebook, WhatsApp, text	6 months	Social. Pain management techniques
Group K	2017	3 (2 men, 1 woman), only met once	Met once, in a bar	40s–70s	Email	6 months	Pain management techniques