ABSTRACT Studying health knowledge sharing (KS) using social media is vital for public health and helps identify gaps in the public's understanding and use of health information. Although existing literature distinguished between KS and knowledge transfer (KT), the dynamic interplay between the two in informal and peer‐driven environments like social media remains an unexplored area. Thus, this study investigates how health‐related knowledge sharing leads to effective knowledge transfer in informal channels such as social media platforms. Additionally, most existing empirical studies predominantly focused on understanding the determinants of KS and KT within organizational contexts. This calls for the importance of studying these processes at the micro level, from the individual's perspective, particularly in the context where effective understanding and application of health information depend on personal comprehension. The study hypotheses are tested through partial least squares (PLS) analysis of survey data collected from 201 individuals who use social media platforms for seeking or sharing health information. The findings confirm the hypotheses that health KS behavior has a positive impact on KT through social media. Additionally, perceived usefulness, trust, and sense of belonging positively influence health KS via social media platforms. Social interaction ties and absorptive capability also positively affect KT on social media. This study provides valuable insights into the KS‐KT linkage. It also contributes to the body of knowledge in KM in the healthcare sector.
Harb et al. (Mon,) studied this question.