Modeling the Pathway Linking Health Information Seeking to Psychological Well-Being on WeChat

Guided by the three-stage model and the integration of key constructs from the Health Belief Model, this study proposed a conceptual model to delve into the underlying mechanism linking health information seeking to psychological well-being. A nationwide online survey was administered, involving 522 WeChat users in China. The results of structural equation modeling analysis showed that health consciousness and WeChat health information reliability are significant antecedents predicting users' health information-seeking actions on WeChat, while perceived susceptibility, severity, and self-efficacy did not have significant relationships with such behavior. As predicted, the positive relationship between WeChat health information seeking and psychological well-being is mediated by perceived social support. The findings of this study provide both theoretical and practical implications to guide the use of mobile social media as a milieu for health improvement.