Global health insights, social media literacy, and physical activity: a hybrid PLS-SEM-NCA analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v81.119513Keywords:
Physical activity, social media literacy, global health insights, PLS-SEM, necessary condition analysis, cognitiveAbstract
Background. Adolescence is a critical phase in the formation of lifelong physical activity habits. However, urban teenagers are increasingly trapped in sedentary behavior due to the dominance of digital technology. Even though global health insights are ubiquitous in cyberspace, the cognitive mechanisms that translate this knowledge into physical action, especially the role of social media literacy, remain a paradox rarely explored holistically in the physical education literature.
Purpose and Methods. This research aims to investigate the conventional linear path and the absolute prerequisites (necessary conditions) of Social Media Literacy (SML) and Global Healthy Insights (GHI) towards Physical Activity (PA). Using a cross-sectional design, the study involved junior high school students in Makassar, Indonesia. Data analysis applies a hybrid methodology approach of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA).
Results. The PLS-SEM test shows that GHI and SML have a direct positive effect on PA. However, important findings reveal that linear mediation is not supported; GHI did not mediate the relationship between SML and PA. This impasse was overcome by the NCA analysis, which proved beyond a doubt that the SML is an absolute prerequisite (a major bottleneck). Without SML above the minimum threshold, no matter how much health insight a teenager absorbs, it will not be converted into real physical activity.
Conclusion. Rather than acting as a linear bridge, social media literacy operates as a critical cognitive filter that prevents cognitive overload and mental fatigue. The study's implications urge physical education policymakers to eliminate "digital blindness" by integrating algorithm navigation into the sports curriculum to ensure that health insights are translated into active behavior.
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