JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Evidence in the literature suggests social factors have a substantial role in the spread of obesity. Close social tie with an obese friend increases the probability of becoming obese. However, the role of social factors that exist in social media is underexplored in obesity research. With the rapid proliferation of social media over the past few years, individuals socialize on social media and share their health-related daily routines, including dieting and exercising. Thus, it is timely and imperative to review previous studies focused on social factors in social media and obesity.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine online social factors in relation to obesity research.

Methods:

A systematic review was conducted. We searched PubMed, ACM, and ScienceDirect for articles published by July 5, 2019.

Results:

A total of 1,608 studies were identified from the selected databases. Of these, 50 studies met eligibility criteria. Ten types of online social factors were identified, and a social-ecological model was adopted to explain their potential impact on an individual from varying levels of online social structure to social media users’ connection to the real world.

Conclusions:

We found four levels of interaction found on social media. Gender is the only factor found at the individual level that affects user’s obesity-related online behaviors. Social support is the most predominant factor among identified factors, which benefits users for their weight loss journey at the interpersonal level. Some factors, such as stigma, are also found associated with a healthy online social environment. Understanding the effectiveness of these factors is essential to help users create and maintain a healthy lifestyle.