The Use of Fitness Influencers’ Websites by Young Adult Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The growth of the fitness industry observed in the last decade has been accompanied by the emergence of an occupation as a social media fitness influencer. The most popular are able to accumulate millions of followers. The marketing potential of fitness influencers is a subject of interest, not only for the fitness industry but also for other sectors offering products related to health, wellness, or healthy nutrition. However, the activities of fitness influencers related to the promotion of physical activity and healthy lifestyle converge with the aims of those promoting public health. The main objective of this study was to make an assessment of the determinants of regular access to fitness influencers’ sites (FIS) and their relationship with the health behaviors of young adult women. It was based on the data originating from an online survey on a representative sample of Polish women aged 18–35 years. Chi2 test, univariate, and multiply logistic regression models were used to determine the relationships between FIS and the variables related to the respondents’ characteristics of and their health behaviors. FIS were accessed by 29.3% of respondents (n = 1030) at least once a week. It was found that those living in cities with a population ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 were more likely to access FIS than those living in rural areas. Similarly, greater access was made by those in a high-income household rather than those with the lowest income, by those with inadequate rather than those with problematic health literacy and by those with high rather than low e-health literacy. The use of FIS was significantly associated with the consumptions of fruit and vegetables (OR, 95%CI: 2.77, 2.01–3.82), physical activity (1.74, 1.27–2.38), breast self-examination (1.54, 1.11–2.13), and also with the greater use of e-cigarettes (1.63, 1.09–2.43) and increased consumption of alcohol (1.37, 1.01–1.88). In conclusion, as access to Internet resources run by fitness influencers was a prevailing predictor of young adult Polish women’s health behaviors, FIS may play a potentially important role in promoting a healthy lifestyle in this population. However, it should be remembered that there are complex patterns of associations with specific behaviors, e.g., the use of e-cigarettes or alcohol consumption.

Understanding Australian adolescent girls’ use of digital technologies for healthy lifestyle purposes: a mixed-methods study

“…With respect to the role of social influence as a factor influencing girls’ digital use, this study adds new insights into the value of digital technologies that deliver relatable, credible, and non-judgemental content to support healthy lifestyles. Whereas past research has emphasised the role of celebrity influencers as sources of motivation and knowledge for girls’ healthy lifestyles [ 19 , 31 , 42 ], interviews with older adolescent girls highlighted a high degree of critical awareness of the tactics used by influencers to claim expertise and establish trust by cultivating feelings of connection and intimacy with users. Accordingly, participants questioned the evidence-base of information (apps, accounts, programs) produced by influencers, and attributed higher value to technologies that allowed them to draw on each others' food and fitness experiences as sources of information and inspiration they could relate to, and they felt were achievable.…”

“…Societal influences on adolescents have never been more prominent than in today's digital age, and the WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission on child and adolescent health [13] has called for a better understanding of how digital technologies, such as social media platforms, can positively engage adolescents about health issues. Researchers have increasingly explored the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver health promotion initiatives [14,15] due to the potential for large population reach [16] and ubiquitous use and reliance on digital technologies (e.g., smartphone applications [apps], websites, social media and text messaging) among young people [13,[16][17][18], as well as the benefits observed when used for healthy lifestyle purposes [19][20][21][22], and cost effectiveness of intervention delivery [23]. However, evidence has consistently demonstrated poor long-term engagement -and a lack of lasting behaviour change [24] -which has largely been attributed to a failure to design interventions that satisfy adolescent girls' preferences and needs [25].…”

The Dynamics of Influencer Marketing

“…However, just as influencers are capable of encouraging positive health behaviors, the opposite is also true. Some studies suggest that viewing fitness influencer content is also associated with increased use of e-cigarettes and alcohol (Duplaga, 2020). This sheds light on a possible risk of health-based influencer marketing -influencers may give advice that is not evidence-based, potentially promoting health-damaging behavior (Duplaga, 2020;Hendriks et al, 2020).…”

“…Some studies suggest that viewing fitness influencer content is also associated with increased use of e-cigarettes and alcohol (Duplaga, 2020). This sheds light on a possible risk of health-based influencer marketing -influencers may give advice that is not evidence-based, potentially promoting health-damaging behavior (Duplaga, 2020;Hendriks et al, 2020). Hence, there is a need to explore partnerships between governmental authorities and social media platform developers to implement robust content regulation to reduce the risk of misinformation.…”

The Impact of COVID-19 on Canada’s Food Literacy: Results of a Cross-National Survey

“…A growing body of research has documented the significance of food literacy, the characteristics of households that are food illiterate, and the harmful consequences [24]. Food literacy has gained increasing importance in agri-food research throughout the last few decades [25].…”