Study finds young women more likely than men to get health and wellness information from influencers
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A recent Pew Research Center study found that young women are more likely than young men to get health and wellness information from social media influencers, with 57% of women ages 18 to 29 reporting they receive such information from influencers, compared with 47% of men in the same age group.
The study surveyed 5,023 U.S. adults and examined how young people consume health and wellness content online.
Local college students said influencer content frequently appears in their social media feeds.
"It's more exercise stuff, more like protein and like meals and like how to get ready and like the outfits of the day of videos on TikTok or lately. My favorite ones," said Kabija Koroma, a local college student.
According to the study, about half of women under 30, or 51%, said they often consume content from influencers focused on beauty and personal appearance, compared with 18% of men. The research also found that 21% of women often see content about therapies outside of mainstream medicine, compared with 10% of men.
At the same time, the study found that at least one-third of both young men and young women often hear about mental health and weight loss from influencers. Around half or more of both groups said they regularly see fitness-related content.
"I see a lot like how to meal prep and how to get your morning started. Affirmations stuff. But I do also ask the adults around me because sometimes the internet is not right," said Ania Davis, a local college student.
Researchers also examined why young adults seek health and wellness information from influencers. About 51% of young women said they watch this content because they want to change their health or lifestyle. The study found that more young women than young men said they enjoy hearing from people who share their background or beliefs (23% compared with 14%) and learning about topics they do not want to ask their doctors about (19% compared with 10%).
Despite regularly using social media, some students said they do not rely solely on influencer content when making decisions about their health and wellness.
"I'm always on TikTok 24/7 and Instagram, but I also like to ask people older than me because I don't know everything," said Koroma.
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