Exploring Predictors of Social Media Use for Health and Wellness during COVID-19 among Adults in the US: A Social Cognitive Theory Application

Abstract

During COVID-19, SM media was relied upon for health-related information-seeking and activity support. This study uses the social cognitive theory (SCT) and a representative dataset of the population in the US to explore the factors influencing patients’ perceptions of SM for health-related activities. As per SCT, consolidated factors comprised personal factors (sociodemographic, health perception, self-efficacy) and environmental factors (social isolation, purpose in life). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted. Among the 6252 respondents, 95.15% rarely use SM to share personal health-related information, and 90.44% rarely use it to share general health-related information. Older individuals and Whites are less likely to consider SM for healthcare decisions. Education levels influence SM’s perceived reliability. Those with positive health perceptions find SM more suitable for healthcare discussions. Socially-isolated individuals are less likely to use SM for healthcare. Those with a strong sense of purpose are less inclined to trust it for health decisions and may question its accuracy. SM-based interventions should address sociodemographic differences. Our findings contribute to the literature by SCT relevance validation in identifying the antecedents of SM use in healthcare. Our results also help to understand the challenges to its adoption. This can help enhance SM-based communication strategies and interventions.