Users’ health information sharing behavior in social media: an integrated model

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence WeChat users’ health information-sharing intentions by developing an integrated model drawing upon Social Capital Theory, Social Support Theory, and Theory of Reasoned Action. An online survey was conducted with 353 WeChat users, whose responses were analyzed to get the following outcomes. First, the results indicated that subjective norms and attitudes significantly influence health information sharing intention, which indicated that having a positive attitude towards the information and being influenced by the norms of the group to maintain positive social and interpersonal relationships affect sharing intentions. Secondly, all three dimensions of social capital contributed positively towards developing subjective norms and attitudes. However, trust was found not to considerably impact the health information sharing intention, unlike previous research. These findings provide valuable insights into comprehending health information-sharing behavior and have practical implications for interventions aimed at promoting health information sharing on social media.