A new survey from Healthline and YouGov found more Americans across generations use social media for their health information and skip their preventive care.
The State of Consumer Health Survey, conducted in September 2024, asked more than 4,000 adults across the United States about where they obtain their health information, how they act on it, and their views on emerging health and wellness trends.
Not only did the survey find a surprising number of adults turning to social media for health information, but it also revealed concerning gaps in care—which the researchers noted is more likely for those using social media as their health resource.
More than half of the survey respondents (52 percent) said they have tried a new health trend, tool, or approach in the last year that they found on social media. As for preventive care, 58 percent of all survey participants did not receive their annual exam, and only 22 percent of women received their gynecological or well-woman exam.
The survey results also shed light on a lack of trust between patients and their providers, with only 37 percent of adults surveyed listing their provider as their preferred source of health information when they have a health issue or question.
"These numbers should send a warning to the medical community," said Jenny Yu, M.D., FACS, chief medical officer, Healthline, in a statement. "Routine screenings are essential to improving outcomes, especially for hard-to-catch diagnoses. These screenings set a baseline for monitoring over time, which can help guide clinicians and patients in shared decision-making that could lead to potential lifestyle modifications and treatment."
Additional findings include:
- Of the 58 percent of Americans who did not receive their annual physical exam, 79 percent were Gen Z, 72 percent were Millennials, 54 percent were Gen X, and 38 percent were Boomers.
- Women (34 percent) were more likely to intentionally delay, skip, or avoid a health screening compared to men (25 percent).
- Social media (52 percent) was the most common place Americans learned about health tactics, followed by a search engine (37 percent), their doctor or other health care provider (34 percent), a friend, family member, or colleague (32 percent), and a health information site (30 percent).
- The most common social media platforms used for health and wellness tools, resources, trends, or products were YouTube (29 percent), Facebook (24 percent), Instagram (21 percent), TikTok (16 percent), and X/Twitter (10 percent).