What Drives Chinese Youth to Use Fitness-related Health Information on Social Media? An Analysis of Intrinsic Needs, Social Media Algorithms, and Source Credibility

Overview

Journal Front Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2024 Dec 20

PMID 39703487

Authors

Xin Zhang

Qing Qing Tang

Ying Ying Cai

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: The role of social media in providing fitness-related health information has been widely discussed; however, there is a notable lack of research on fitness-related health information behaviors among youth within the social media context. This study aims to address this gap by integrating Self-Determination Theory (SDT)-based internal factors and external factors (social media algorithms and source credibility).

Methods: A voluntary sample of 600 participants, aged 15 to 29, was recruited. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the relationships between variables.

Results: The analysis revealed that all three intrinsic needs-competence, autonomy, and relatedness-along with social media algorithms and source credibility, positively correlated with fitness-related health information use behaviors among youth. Additionally, social media algorithms moderated the relationship between the need for relatedness and fitness-related health information behavior.

Discussion: These findings provide new insights into developing health communication strategies on social media, particularly targeted toward the youth demographic, enhancing our understanding of effective health information dissemination in digital environments.

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