Helpful or harmful? Navigating the impact of social media influencers' health advice: insights from health expert content creators.

ABSTRACT:

Background

With the growing role of social media influencers (SMIs) in providing health advice, concerns arise regarding the usefulness and reliability of online health information. This exploratory research focuses on health expert content creators (HECCs), who offer a unique perspective due to their combined medical knowledge and social media expertise.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews with HECCs to explore their views on SMI-driven health communication, their motivations for participating on social media, and the strategies they employ to counteract misleading health messages on the platforms. The study employed thematic qualitative text analysis to identify key themes and patterns.

Results

HECCs highlighted the complex role of S

SUBMITTER: Kankova J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11657387 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature