JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Physical activity (PA) is a critical health behavior for youth. As the majority of youth use social media, PA content on these platforms could be influential to others. To evaluate this content, a theoretically driven and reliable codebook is necessary.

Objective:

The purpose of this paper is to describe the process by which we developed a dual-framework content analysis codebook grounded in theory and clinical guidelines to evaluate PA references on adolescents’ social media profiles.

Methods:

Codebook development was grounded in two theoretical frameworks: the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Media Practice Model. Clinical PA guidelines also informed the codebook. The codebook development process involved translating theory and clinical guidelines to initial coding criteria. This step was followed by pilot coding of example posts and iterative testing of specific coding criteria. This process identified subcategories of PA which were defined and tested. Youth input was incorporated throughout codebook development.

Results:

The resulting dual-framework PA codebook defined physical activity as moderate to vigorous exercise including aerobic, muscle strengthening, and bone strengthening activities. The four sub-categories of PA included: Sports & Fitness, Intermittent Exercise, Walking, and Nature.

Conclusions:

The dual-framework coding approach described in this paper can be used to evaluate the broad range of PA references present on adolescents’ social media profiles while also capturing references more likely to indicate the user’s own attitudes, intentions, and behaviors toward PA. The codebook development process described in this paper can be adapted by other research teams to study displays of physical activity and other health behaviors on social media.