Utilization and Patterns of Social Media Use and Their Influence on Health-Related Behaviors: A Sociodemographic Perspective

Abstract

Social media has emerged as a popular resource for obtaining health-related information, influencing opinions, and forming behaviors connected to health. However, its effects differ depending on the sociodemographic group, with younger and better-educated people frequently exhibiting higher levels of participation. Effective public health communication methods require an understanding of these dynamics. This study aimed to investigate how adults utilized social media platforms to access health-related information, the patterns of their use, and the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on health-related behaviors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 630 adult participants. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that captured sociodemographic characteristics, patterns of social media utilization, and health-related behavioral changes. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and chi-square tests were applied to examine associations between sociodemographic variables, social media use, and health-related behaviors. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Out of the 630 participants, 505 (80.2%) were younger than 40 years, and 349 (55.4%) were female. More than 90% (578/630) reported using social media to access health-related information, with influencers (≈65%) and healthcare professionals (≈62%) being the most commonly followed sources. Utilization significantly differed across age, gender, education, nationality, and employment status (p < 0.05). Younger adults (<40 years) (471; 93.3%), females (334; 95.7%), employed individuals (310; 97.5%), and those with postgraduate education (194; 95.1%) showed greater reliance on social media. By ethnicity, SEAR (193; 97%) and EMR (124; 96.9%) participants reported the highest use, while the “Others” group showed the lowest (152; 81.7%). Fitness or diet regimens (324; 96.4% vs. 254; 86.4%), motivation for immunizations and preventive care (178; 97.8% among occasionally motivated), campaign participation (161; 98% among occasionally participants), adoption of new diets/exercises (161; 98% among occasionally adopters), and adherence to recommended health practices (180; 98.9% among occasionally followers) were all positively correlated with social media use. Social media's impact and use for health-related information were greatly influenced by sociodemographic factors. Social media use was positively correlated with healthy habits, such as exercise regimens, preventative care, and adoption of suggested practices, and it was more common among younger, female, employed, and better-educated persons. These results demonstrate that although social media is a useful tool for health promotion, its impact varies. To increase reach, dependability, and behavioral impact, communication techniques must be tailored to sociodemographic disparities in order to strengthen digital public health programs.