Systematic review finds social media influencers alter diet, body image, and hygiene behaviors, highlighting significant risks alongside public health opportunities.
Key Points
To systematically synthesize evidence on the direct impact of social media influencers on quantified health outcomes and health behaviors.
Systematic search across six biomedical and social science databases through January 2023.
Included 12 interventional and quasi-experimental studies across four domains: children's diet (n = 5), body image (n = 4), infectious disease hygiene (n = 2), and anxiety (n = 1).
Conducted narrative synthesis and assessed study quality using a critical appraisal checklist for quasi-experimental studies.
Influencer marketing of unhealthy foods caused a statistically significant increase in children's immediate energy intake, while promoting vegetables yielded no significant effect.
Exposure to idealized body imagery from influencers consistently produced statistically significant negative effects on body image dissatisfaction and mood.
Public health campaigns utilizing influencers showed positive changes in COVID-19 and influenza hygiene practices, though most included studies had poor methodological quality.