Did teens trust medical-style or influencer-style health posts more?

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Adolescents encounter health information on social media every day, where medical professionals’ advice and influencers’ wellness content often appear together. The study investigated whether their trust in online health information differs according to whether it is presented in a medical professional-style or influencer-style format.

Using a survey-based vignette design, researchers asked 40 high school students from Middlesex County, New Jersey, to rate four fictional social media posts created by the researcher. The posts covered lifestyle health, dermatology, and sleep-related topics and used either a medical professional or influencer communication style. Usernames, profile images, follower counts, likes, and comments were removed so that students would base their ratings primarily on the content and communication style.

Trust ratings varied across the four posts, with medical professional-style posts receiving higher overall ratings than influencer-style posts. Mean trust scores ranged from 3.13 for the plank challenge post to 4.13 for the dermatology post. A repeated-measures analysis of variance found a significant difference among the four posts (F(3, 117) = 6.84, p < .001, η² = 0.09).

Responses suggested that students most often relied on scientific evidence when deciding whether to trust health information. Relatability and engagement also played a role. The findings did not support the original hypothesis that adolescents would trust influencers more. Instead, participants appeared to place greater trust in medical professional-style content, suggesting that credibility cues such as expertise and evidence may influence how adolescents evaluate online health information.