Drivers of Continued Fitness Short Video Usage: An Integrated Model of Technology Acceptance and Health Beliefs

Introduction: Fitness short videos have become an increasingly popular form of digital health communication, yet the factors influencing users’ continued usage remain insufficiently understood. This study integrates the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2), the Health Belief Model (HBM), and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine the determinants of users’ continuous intention and actual use of fitness short videos. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted using a convenience sampling approach among Chinese fitness short video users. A total of 550 valid questionnaires were collected. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping analysis were employed to examine the proposed research model and test the hypothesized relationships among constructs. Results: The results indicate that performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, habit, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention significantly influenced users’ continued fitness short video usage. Habit exerted significant effects on both behavioral intention and actual use behavior. In contrast, attitude, subjective norm, and self-efficacy did not show significant direct effects. Conclusions: This study extends current understanding of continuous fitness short video usage by integrating technology acceptance, health belief, and planned behavior perspectives into a unified framework. The findings provide theoretical insights into digital health behavior and offer practical implications for the design of fitness short-video platforms and digital health intervention strategies.