Facebook fitness and Insta-vitamins

A new study led by researchers from the University of Sydney has found young women's engagement with social media plays a major role in shaping how they think - and act - in relation to their health. The research, published in the peer reviewed journal Health Marketing Quarterly , studied 30 women aged between 18 and 35 during the 2021 COVID-19 lockdowns to understand the factors influencing them to adopt diet and exercise messages on social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Lead author of the study, PhD candidate Clare Davies from the Discipline of Media and Communications , said the initial findings suggest women are just as likely to accept health messages on social media - promoted by influencers - as they are from public health communicators. "The women we spoke to were highly influenced to take up diet and exercise messages on social media if they felt a sense of 'connection', or relatability, with the source of the message," she said. "Social media influencers embody this connection by fostering relationships with their audiences and sharing anecdotes about their own lives and behaviours. This was amplified during the pandemic when many women turned online to seek connectivity and explore new ways of living a healthy life." Although much of the world has emerged from COVID-19 induced lockdowns, Ms Davies said many of the women surveyed continued to engage with diet and exercise programs promoted by wellness influencers post-pandemic due to the sense of "friendship and community" they generated around shared health and lifestyle goals.