The Probability of Viewing Decisions on Fitness and Health Channels on Social Media Platforms among Generation Z in Thailand: The Role of Influencer Marketing and Influencer Live-Streaming

Background and Aims: Generation Z is highly engaged with social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, making them a key target for influencer marketing, particularly within the fitness content niche. This study aims to investigate how influencer marketing and live-streaming impact Generation Z's viewing decisions across these platforms. Given the growing influence of social media on health-related behaviors, this research fills a gap by examining these effects in Thailand, where few studies have explored this relationship. Methodology: The study employed a purposive sampling method to collect data from 253 young adults in Thailand with experience in social media commerce and fitness content consumption. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influence of two independent variables—influencer marketing and live-streaming—on the likelihood of viewing fitness content across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Results: Influencer marketing significantly increased the likelihood of viewing fitness content on all platforms, with odds ratios between 1.99 and 3.13. On the other hand, live-streaming did not show a significant effect on YouTube or Instagram, while on TikTok, it hurt viewing decisions, with an odds ratio of 0.505. This unexpected result suggests platform-specific behaviors. Conclusion: The study highlights the strong influence of influencer marketing on fitness content engagement among Generation Z and the more complex role of live-streaming. These findings offer actionable insights for marketers and contribute to existing literature by exploring region-specific behaviors in Thailand, paving the way for future research on platform-specific influencer strategies.