The role of influencers in health prevention in Morocco: between raising awareness and promoting healthy lifestyles

Abstract

Social media has created a new dynamic in the healthcare sector, where online engagement and digital influence have gained significant prominence. Our article focuses specifically on the role of influencers in health prevention in Morocco, examining how they contribute to raising awareness and encouraging the adoption of healthy practices among Moroccan citizens, notably through interactive campaigns and engaging educational content, while adhering to the ethical standards of the population.

Our research emphasizes the potential of influencers to support healthcare institutions, particularly in the public sector, in their awareness and prevention efforts. This emerging dynamic offers significant opportunities to promote responsible health behaviors within Moroccan society.

We conducted a quantitative survey involving 384 Moroccan citizens aged 18 and above who have been exposed to influencer content on social media. The adopted sampling method was probabilistic, based on simple random sampling, ensuring geographic and demographic diversity within the studied population. We used multiple regression to assess the effect of influencers on the adoption of preventive health behaviors in Morocco.

The findings highlight that influencers serve as a strategic tool for raising awareness about public health issues. Their content, which is both engaging and accessible, informs citizens and encourages them to adopt new, healthier lifestyles. However, a degree of mistrust remains regarding the credibility of the messages disseminated, underscoring the need to strengthen transparency and validate shared information.

Our research emphasizes the potential of influencers to support healthcare institutions, particularly in the public sector, in their awareness and prevention efforts. This emerging dynamic offers significant opportunities to promote responsible health behaviors within Moroccan society.

Keywords: Influencer, Health, Social Communication, Digital, Social Media

JEL Code : M31, I18

Paper Type : Empirical Research