Celebrities play an essential role in society as they have tremendous power to influence what people buy and do. Celebrities have even become commodities – products to be purchased, repackaged and consumed.
To analyze the influence of celebrities on health-related behaviors, this meta-narrative analysis combines insights from marketing, sociology, psychology and neuroscience disciplines. It seeks to uncover possible processes accounting for their great influence as medical advisors.
- Actors
Actors are frequently featured in media health campaigns, from advocating cancer screening programs to endorsing osteoporosis drugs. We will conduct qualitative studies to explore why and how celebrity endorsements influence health-related behavior.
Prior research has demonstrated that fans are particularly open to taking celebrity health advice if it meets their needs for autonomy, relatedness and competence – perhaps this explains why ardent followers follow celebrity medical advice even when it is hard, expensive or unconventional.
- Musicians
Musicians are responsible for creating, arranging and performing their own musical compositions as well as working collaboratively with other musicians to produce cohesive performances.
Studies have demonstrated that individuals with weak self-identity become entranced by celebrities and seek unidirectional relationships [73]. Yet more is necessary in terms of understanding the mechanisms underlying celebrity influence to ensure it leads to positive outcomes; such as increasing vaccine safety.
- Models
Many people idolize celebrities and tend to emulate their lifestyles, often following celebrity medical advice as it seems relevant (congruency effect). Studies using fMRI reveal endorsements by expert celebrities activate neural pathways involved in trust formation and memory formation – further supporting this notion.
Systematic searches were performed using BusinessSource Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete and PsycINFO databases to locate articles examining potential mechanisms responsible for celebrities’ influence as medical advisors. Meta-narrative analysis will be employed to synthesize these insights.
- Sports stars
Famous athletes often become celebrities through their accomplishments and media attention, as well as by sharing personal health or injury-related details publicly — for instance, Angelina Jolie made headlines by publicly announcing her double mastectomy decision.
Athletes often advocate for healthy lifestyles, including following a balanced diet or engaging in regular physical activity. Some athletes also provide medical advice; studies have revealed that followers often follow celebrity medical recommendations.
- Politicians
Celebrity advocacy may lead to healthy behaviors like increased MRI screening or preventive genetic testing; however, celebrity involvement has also promoted misinforming messages that harm public health – for instance the anti-vaccine movement spurred on by celebrity Jenny McCarthy is an example.
Marketing research illustrates why celebrities lend credibility to products they endorse, while neuroscience shows how their presence activates brain regions associated with trust-building and sociology demonstrates their influence through networks.
- Television personalities
Television personalities are celebrities that gain fame through their roles on a television program or other media, such as hosting an award show or anchoring news broadcasts. Examples of television personalities can include hosts, news anchors and social media celebrities.
On camera talent must strike a balance between professionalism and personability, which requires creativity. Hiring managers often ask questions to evaluate candidates’ ability to think on their feet and handle unexpected events during live broadcasts.
Celebrities like James Corden are widely celebrated for their eccentric personalities and magnetic charm, earning them a considerable following on social media platforms.
- Business people
People’s health-related behaviors can either contribute to or undermine their long-term wellbeing, making celebrities an effective public health tool when it comes to disseminating evidence-based knowledge and advocating for healthy lifestyles.
Celebrities that endorse fad diets or miraculous cures can seriously compromise public health efforts, so future interdisciplinary collaborations should investigate when celebrity involvement produces either beneficial or detrimental impacts.
- Religious leaders
Religion leaders can have an immense amount of clout within their communities and reach wide audiences with health communication messages. Religious leaders can also serve as an effective gateway for disseminating factual information.
The project engaged celebrities and religious leaders, to enable them to provide accurate COVID-19 prevention measures and vaccine information with their followers through WhatsApp groups, public speaking engagements, or personal encounters during religious gatherings. Celebrities submitted numerous technical questions regarding COVID-19 to Health Promotion Specialists from Breakthrough ACTION for answer.
10. Family members
Celebrities are an engaging source of news and entertainment for the general public, drawing in wide and diverse audiences and making them invaluable resources for media producers.
Celebrity culture is a continuous cycle that elevates and then diminishes celebrities – as seen in how tabloid magazines treat them.
Many celebrities have famous family members. Cole and Dylan Sprouse, twin brothers who acted on Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody are two such examples.
