Identifying How Framing Style, Source Credibility, Scientific Referencing, and Social Media Popularity Interact to Influence Adolescents' Trust and Behavioural Intention in Response to Health Advice on Social Media

This study investigates how framing style, source credibility, scientific referencing and social media popularity interact to shape adolescents' trust and behavioural intentions toward health advice shared online. Using 32 systematically designed Instagram-style posts that manipulated these variables, adolescents aged 14 to 18 rated each post's trustworthiness and their likelihood of following its advice. Results showed that source credibility and expertise had the strongest influence on trust and behavioural intention, while framing and follower count had smaller but notable effects. Gain-framed messages and posts by high-follower accounts were perceived as more actionable, though credibility remained the most critical determinant of trust. These findings pinpoint the potential of expert-led, well-framed digital health communication, and the risks of misinformation which is amplified through social popularity. The study stresses the need for critical digital health literacy among adolescents and provides insights for designing more effective health communication strategies on social media.