Sharing Workout Experiences on Social Networking Sites: Its Moderating Factors and Well-Being Outcomes

Can health information acquisition on mobile app influence psychological and physical well-being? Examining mediating role of bonding and bridging capital

Mobile application (app), with its expansive reservoir of data and content, harbors considerable promise in advancing health outcomes at both the individual and population levels. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of scholars that concretely examine the dynamics of health information acquisition within mobile app. This research presents a conceptual model aimed at investigating the potential ramifications of health information acquisition on both individuals' psychological and physical well-being. Concurrently, this research attempts to illuminate the underlying mechanisms behind these correlations through evaluating the mediating role of bonding and bridging social capital. The obtained results of a web-based survey conducted among 656 college students in mainland China suggest a positive association between health information acquisition and bonding and bridging social capital. Moreover, the study reveals that the impact of health information acquisition via mobile applications on psychological and physical well-being is significantly mediated by college students' bonding and bridging social capital. The cultivation of bonding social capital could exert a direct and positive influence on college students' physical well-being. However, there appears to be no discernible correlation between bridging social capital and physical well-being. Taken collectively, these findings not only complement extant theoretical perspectives within the scholarship concerning mobile app usage for health improvement, but also furnish several pragmatic guidelines for healthcare professionals and mobile app designers.

Observing Others' Workouts on Social Network Sites Improves the Observer's Physical Activity: A Moderated-Mediation Model

Many people like to share their physical activity (PA) experiences on social network sites (SNSs). Drawing on social cognitive theory, we examined in two studies whether observing others' workouts on SNSs could improve the observer's PA via the mediation of workout self-efficacy. In study 1, a two-wave longitudinal online survey of 461 participants, exposure to SNS workout posts was positively associated with PA through workout self-efficacy. In study 2, an online experimental study with 124 participants, manipulating perceived similarity revealed that it moderates between exposure to SNS workout posts and workout self-efficacy. Moreover, moderation of the indirect effect between exposure to SNS workout posts and PA via workout self-efficacy was supported. These findings reveal the mechanisms and boundary conditions of social media exposure improving workout self-efficacy and promoting PA.

How Do Social Network Sites Influence Workout Intentions: A Social Norm Approach

People share their workout experiences on social network sites (SNSs). The present study examined how perceived exposure to these workout-related SNS posts may affect individuals' engagement in physical activities through perceived descriptive and injunctive norms of workout in their network, and how self-efficacy in workout moderated the effect of perceived descriptive norm on their workout intention, which was measured in general and specific ways. An online survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 807 responses in China. Results show that perceived descriptive norm of workout in one's network mediated the relationship between perceived exposure to workout-related SNS posts and perceived injunctive norm. In addition, self-efficacy in workout moderated the effect of perceived descriptive norm on workout intention-both general and specific-but the normative influence was stronger at a low level of self-efficacy compared to a high level. Furthermore, perceived injunctive norm only predicted the general rather than specific workout intention, suggesting that the perception of most people's approval might not be priority when people consider details about workout. These findings develop the theory of normative social behavior by illustrating the relationship between perceived descriptive and injunctive norm and shed light on the relative strength of the motivating factors of workout in different situations.