Practicing what they preach: health behaviors of those who provide health advice to extensive social networks.
As a way of identifying a conduit to disseminate health information, this study aims to explore health behaviors and attitudes of a unique group of extensively socially-networked individuals who regularly are asked for their health advice. Respondents from a population-based consumer opinion panel (n = 2,639) were categorized as "extensively socially-networked" (75+ friends and acquaintances, and almost daily giving friends advice on general issues) vs. "non-networked." The networked respondents were further divided into "health-networked" (regularly asked for health advice) versus "only-socially-networked" groups (asked for general advice, not health). Chi-square analyses, ANOVA tests, and multivariate regressions controlling for sociodemographic variables compared health behaviors and attitudes between groups. Results indicated that health-networked individuals reported more positive health behaviors (e.g., fruit and vegetable consumption) and attitudes than only-socially-networked and non-networked individuals. Future research is warranted to elucidate how providing health advice to a large network contributes to the positive health of health-networked individuals. Exploratory analyses revealed that doctors and health/fitness magazines were main sources of health and nutrition information for health-networked respondents. Through their advice and word-of-mouth, health-networked individuals have the potential to influence the health information of large groups of people and, therefore, may serve as valuable change agents to disseminate health and nutrition information.
Colon-Ramos
Uriyoan
U
National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7335, USA.
Atienza
Audie A
AA
Weber
Deanne
D
Taylor
Melissa
M
Uy
Christina
C
Yaroch
Amy
A
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011639:Public Opinion; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States; D014675:Vegetables