The Effect of Social Media Influencers on the Diet Choices of People Aged 18-30 By Stephanie Petrillo Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heidi Gonzalez, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Article Abstract: Influencers on social media are prevalent in the lives of young people today and impact their decisions. The purpose of this research was to better understand the effect that social media influencers have on the diet choices of people aged 18-30. Health professionals must understand the impact of influencers on the diet choices of young adults, as nearly two-thirds are overweight in the United States. The researchers in this study created a Qualtrics survey and sent it to Valdosta State University’s student body after IRB approval. According to the results, the primary reason for using social media was to connect with others. The majority of participants stated they used social media 4-6 hours/ day. The main reason people aged 18-30 years viewed health posts from social media influencers were for weight loss, exercise, and to obtain healthier food recipes. The results of our study indicate that family is a significant reason for the diet choices of our participants. Almost one third of the participants stated they changed their diet at least once within the past year because of a social media influencer. Therefore, health professionals must consider social media as an essential platform to engage with young adults to promote healthy behaviors.
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