Perceived Usefulness and Trustworthiness of Health Information on Social Media: An Analysis of Young Adults Information Seeking and Influencing Factors

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in Internet usage among young adults, who now turn to social media platforms not only for entertainment and networking but also as a significant source of health information. Social media’s advancement has made it a crucial tool for both individuals seeking health information and health institutions disseminating health information. This study examines how young adults use social media to seek health information, guided by the CMIS; the research focuses on the influence of perceived usefulness and trustworthiness on health information seeking, as well as the influence of demographic variables. The results from this study indicate that although perceived usefulness of health information is a significant predictor of the frequency of social media use for health information, perceived trustworthiness did not significantly predict health information seeking frequency.