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The influence of Joe Wicks on physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Thematic, location, and social network analysis of X data
Ahmed, Wasim Aiyenitaju, Opeoluwa Chadwick, Simon Hardey, Mariann Maz Fenton, Alex
Ahmed, Wasim
Aiyenitaju, Opeoluwa
Chadwick, Simon
Hardey, Mariann Maz
Fenton, Alex
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2024-03-29
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Abstract
Background: Social media (SM) was essential in promoting physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially
among people confined to their homes. Joe Wicks, a fitness coach, became particularly popular on SM during this time, posting
daily workouts that millions of people worldwide followed.
Objective: This study aims to investigate the influence of Joe Wicks on SM and the impact of his content on physical activity
levels among the public.
Methods: We used NodeXL Pro (Social Media Research Foundation) to collect data from X (formerly Twitter) over 54 days
(March 23, 2020, to May 15, 2020), corresponding to the strictest lockdowns in the United Kingdom. We collected 290,649 posts,
which we analyzed using social network analysis, thematic analysis, time-series analysis, and location analysis.
Results: We found that there was significant engagement with content generated by Wicks, including reposts, likes, and
comments. The most common types of posts were those that contained images, videos, and text of young people (school-aged
children) undertaking physical activity by watching content created by Joe Wicks and posts from schools encouraging pupils to
engage with the content. Other shared posts included those that encouraged others to join the fitness classes run by Wicks and
those that contained general commentary. We also found that Wicks’network of influence was extensive and complex. It contained
numerous subcommunities and resembled a broadcast network shape. Other influencers added to engagement with Wicks via
their networks. Our results show that influencers can create networks of influence that are exhibited in distinctive ways.
Conclusions: Our study found that Joe Wicks was a highly influential figure on SM during the COVID-19 pandemic and that
his content positively impacted physical activity levels among the public. Our findings suggest that influencers can play an
important role in promoting public health and that government officials should consider working with influencers to communicate
health messages and promote healthy behaviors. Our study has broader implications beyond the status of fitness influencers.
Recognizing the critical role of individuals such as Joe Wicks in terms of health capital should be a critical area of inquiry for
governments, public health authorities, and policy makers and mirrors the growing interest in health capital as part of embodied
and digital experiences in everyday life.
Citation
Ahmed, W., Aiyenitaju, O., Chadwick, S., Hardey, M., & Fenton, A. (2024). The influence of Joe Wicks on physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Thematic, location, and social network analysis of X data. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e49921. https://doi.org/10.2196/49921
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JMIR Publications
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Journal of Medical Internet Research
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Article
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1438-8871