Feasibility of social media health education plus exercise in older adults with possible sarcopenia

Abstract Possible sarcopenia is prevalent among community-dwelling young-old adults, yet scalable, evidence-based social media interventions for prevention remain limited. This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a Social media–based Health Education plus Exercise Programme (SHEEP) delivered via TikTok, along with its associated trial procedures. A single-arm mixed-methods feasibility study was conducted with 35 adults aged 60–69 years with possible sarcopenia in China. Participants received one week of health education followed by six weeks of home-based exercise training, with a six-week follow-up. Recruitment reached 38.5% of interested individuals, and 81.4% of eligible participants enroled. Adherence was high across intervention components, with most participants completing follow-up assessments. No exercise-related adverse events were reported, and both the intervention and study procedures were rated as highly acceptable. Exploratory analyses suggested improvements in muscle function, sarcopenia-related knowledge, self-efficacy, and exercise adherence. Qualitative findings indicated perceived physical and mental benefits and satisfaction with the programme. Overall, the SHEEP intervention and trial procedures were feasible, safe, and well accepted, meeting all pre-defined progression criteria. These findings support progression to a fully powered randomised controlled trial, with future studies optimising recruitment strategies and exploring hybrid delivery to enhance accessibility.