Social Use of Fitness Apps and Physical Activity Knowledge: The Roles of Information Elaboration and Interpersonal Communication

Fitness apps have become a viable channel to learn knowledge about physical activity. However, limited is known about the mechanisms underlying the relationship between fitness app use and physical activity knowledge. Based on the cognitive mediation model, our online survey among young adults in Singapore showed that social use of fitness apps did not have a direct relationship with physical activity knowledge. Instead, there is a significant indirect effect through information elaboration. In addition, interpersonal communication via face-to-face interactions positively moderated the direct effect of information elaboration, as well as the indirect effect of social use of fitness apps on knowledge.