Adults often look to influencers for advice on anxiety, depression and weight loss, according to a survey commissioned by pharmacy service CharityRx.
The "Shifting Role of Influence and Authority in the Rx Drug and Health Supplement Market" survey was conducted by Pollfish, a market research company, in the past 12 months. It asked 2,000 adults in the U.S. about where they first look for medical information.
Five more key findings of the survey:
- Thirty-four percent said they mostly looked to influencers for advice on anxiety, while 34 percent said weight loss and 33 percent said depression.
- Thirty-seven percent said they turn to influencers for medical advice first because they are more accessible than providers.
- Fifty-one percent said they have purchased a product to treat a health concern after seeing it on social media.
- Eighty-nine percent of adults said they think it is likely that social media influencers contribute to health misinformation.
- Seventy-six percent said they fact-check celebrity and influencer health product endorsements.