Sharing Workout Experiences on Social Networking Sites: Its Moderating Factors and Well-Being Outcomes

ABSTRACT

The study explored moderating factors and well-being outcomes of sharing workout experiences on social networking sites (SNSs). A survey of 424 participants assessed the degree to which participants post fitness information on SNSs, moderating factors, and outcomes of posting fitness behavior on SNSs. The results showed for individuals who intensively share workout experiences on SNSs, there is a positive relationship between public self-consciousness and physical well-being, accountability and physical well-being, and social comparison tendency and physical well-being. And, individuals who shared workout experiences on SNSs had greater public self-consciousness, public expectancy, accountability, and social comparison tendency than those who did not on SNSs. By identifying the moderating factors of posting fitness experiences on SNSs, as well as the boundary conditions for the relationship between these moderating factors and physical well-being, this study provides practical implications for public health campaign messages, and contributes to the theoretical accumulation of studies regarding eHealth and SNSs.