ArticleFrontiers in public health2022
The effectiveness of Facebook as a social network intervention to increase physical activity in Chinese young adults.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of Digital Health Interventions in Promoting Physical Activity Among College Students: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- The Impact of Parental Engagement in an Electronic Health (EHealth) Intervention on Physical Activity, Dietary Behaviors, and Sleep in Preschool-Aged Children.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Trial
- Effectiveness of a Parent-Based eHealth Intervention on Physical Activity, Dietary Behaviors, and Sleep in Preschoolers: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Trial
- Adoption, acceptability and sustained use of digital interventions to promote physical activity among inactive adults: a mixed-method study.Frontiers in public health · 2023Trial
- Evaluation of a Digital Media Campaign to Promote Knowledge and Awareness of the GPFirst Program for Nonurgent Conditions: Repeated Survey Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2025Article
- Online Fitness Content as a behavioral catalyst: extending the Theory of Planned Behavior to unmask time-dependent effects on resistance training engagement.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Effectiveness of a Parent-Based eHealth Intervention for Physical Activity, Dietary Behavior, and Sleep Among Preschoolers: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Social media addiction and personality dimensions among Tunisian medical students.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
- Utilization of Social Media for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS: A Scoping Review.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2024Article
- The Effect of Activity Participation in Middle-Aged and Older People on the Trajectory of Depression in Later Life: National Cohort Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2023Article
- How active social network site use affects green consumption: A moderated mediation model.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Neighborhood Built and Social Environment Influences on Lifestyle Behaviors among College Students in a High-Density City: A Photovoice Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Facebook, one of the worlds' most popular online social networks, is easy to access and cost-effective. Its use to enhance individual's physical activity (PA) participation should be examined. This research reviews the effectiveness and successful features of Facebook for influencing PA behaviors in young adults (Study 1), and empirically examines the efficacy of the features purported in increase PA Methods: In Study 1, PubMed, Medline, SPORT Discus, ERIC, and Embase were searched for articles that identified successful features and effectiveness of Facebook PA interventions published between January 2005 and February 2022. In Study 2, a 4-week Facebook PA intervention with University students was conducted using features identified in Study 1. The PA behaviors with objective (ActiGraph) and subjective (questionnaire) measures, perceived PA level, stage of readiness, effectiveness, and efficiency of Facebook were examined. Results: Study 1 concluded that the most effective strategies for producing significant PA changes in young adults using a PA Facebook intervention included the following: Adding behavior modification (goal setting and self-monitoring), using influence agents, recruiting members of an existing network with the snowball technique, being attentive to group size, enhancing social support with motivational quotes, interactive posts, opinion polls, increasing tailored feedback, and providing educational information. Study 2 found no significant difference in PA between the intervention and the control groups, as measured objectively, but the subjective reporting of PA behavior was higher in the intervention group. Compared to the control group, the Facebook PA intervention group reported more positive change in perceived stage of readiness in PA participation, commuting type, sport type, sport venue, sport emotion, and fast breathing or sweating. When features were ranked by the Facebook PA intervention group, motivation (supports from your friends) and tailored feedback (the responses from your friends are really personal and fits you) were the top two ranked features. Conclusion: The use of influence agents in the Facebook PA intervention could address exercise preference and facilitate higher program engagement. Significant differences related to commuting type, sport types, sport venue barriers, and exercise intensity across groups were noteworthy and warrant additional investigation in the future.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.