Half of U.S. adults under age 50 say they get health and wellness information from social media influencers or podcasts, according to Pew Research Center surveys conducted in June and October 2025. Across all age groups, 40% of U.S. adults say they ever turn to such sources for health and wellness information.

Adults under age 50 are more likely than older adults to report relying on influencers or podcasts for health guidance. Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans are also particularly likely to say they get health and wellness information from these sources, as are U.S. adults without health insurance.

Despite the reach of digital sources, most U.S. adults turn to health care providers for guidance about health and wellness. About half of U.S. adults say they struggle to know which health information is accurate, and most say they have encountered conflicting advice about their health.

The June 2025 survey was conducted among 5,023 U.S. adults on the American Trends Panel. The October 2025 survey was conducted among 5,111 U.S. adults on the same panel.

As part of the research, Pew analyzed 12,800 social media accounts belonging to 6,828 health and wellness influencers. The study defines a health and wellness influencer as an individual with at least 100,000 followers on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, or a top-ranked podcast host, who regularly posts health or wellness information in English aimed at a U.S. audience.

The findings show that the pattern of turning to influencers and podcasts for health information is not limited to any single demographic group. Adults without health insurance were among the groups most likely to report using these sources, a detail that points to the range of populations represented in the survey data. The two surveys together covered more than 10,000 U.S. adults recruited through the American Trends Panel.