When a #Selfie is Healthy: How Self-Persuasion Through User-Generated Content Influences Intentions

As user-generated content (UGC) increasingly shapes the digital communication landscape, this study explored how message creators may persuade themselves to engage in healthier activities. In an online experiment, participants (N = 404) were asked to select a topic (healthy eating or exercising) and view a screenshot from a fictitious health organization. Afterward, participants were randomly assigned (based on topic) to: (a) create a video, (b) watch a video, or (c) a control group, and answer a questionnaire. A mediation analysis showed that message-creation was associated with more positive attitudes, self-identity, and self-efficacy. In turn, these variables were associated with greater intentions to adopt healthy practices. Merely watching a video (or doing nothing) was less influential. The data suggest specific mechanisms by which self-persuasion may affect behavior in digital health contexts, particularly via self-efficacy. Results also suggest recommendations for practitioners to leverage the persuasive influence of UGC in health-promotion campaigns.