What drives Chinese youth to use fitness-related health information on social media? an analysis of intrinsic needs, social media algorithms, and source credibility

• Main Authors: Zhang, Xin, Tang, Qing Qing, Cai, Ying Ying
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media SA 2024
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114802/1/114802.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114802/; https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1445778/full
• Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia

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.