Effectiveness of Social Media-Based Interventions for the Promotion of Physical Activity: Scoping Review

Liane Günther, Sarah Schleberger and Claudia R. Pischke
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Liane Günther: Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Sarah Schleberger: Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Claudia R. Pischke: Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-14

Abstract: A global target of the World Health Organization (WHO) is to reduce physical inactivity among all adults and adolescents by approximately fifteen percent by 2030. Social media could have an impact in this effort because of its enormous reach, potentially addressing underserved populations in need for physical activity (PA) interventions. This scoping review provides a broad overview of social media-based interventions and systematically maps the evidence regarding their effectiveness for PA promotion and other health outcomes. Scopus and Medline were searched using the terms “physical activity” and “social media” and the names of key social media platforms. Following the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews, abstracts and full texts were screened for eligibility. In total, 12,321 publications were identified and 53 met the inclusion criteria. The use of Facebook was most prevalent in PA interventions, followed by study-specific platforms. More than one third of the studies revealed positive effects regarding the promotion of PA. Additionally, social media-based interventions positively affected other physical dimensions of health (e.g., weight or blood pressure). Results pertaining to feasibility were heterogeneous. Social media seems to be a promising tool for increasing PA at the population level. Future studies should take the abundance of platforms into account and select social media platforms consciously.

Keywords: social media; intervention; physical activity; scoping review; behavior change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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