Determining the Approaches to Nutrition Posts on Social Media: Trends in Young Adults

Abstract

Aim: Social media is a very popular communication channel in the world and provide information about many topics. Food and nutrition are frequently shared topics on social media. This study evaluated the effects of social media on nutrition. Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were filled in by asking questions to the participants through a face-to-face interview. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ankara/Turkey. For this study, 4400 individuals, aged between 19-45, were randomly selected. Results: It was determined that 93.9% of the participants were using social media and 26.8% of the participants followed dietary posts and 2% of the participants used an online diet. 18.3% of the participants applied the healthy recipes they reached through social media. When the participants were classified according to body mass index (BMI) classification, it was seen that those who have a BMI below 25 kg/m2 have a higher rate of social media use and following dietary post. Online diet usage was found significantly higher in individuals with a BMI above 25 kg/m2. Conclusion: It was observed that following dietary posts and applying healthy recipes on social media are quite high in participants. For this reason, it is important to follow the experts and obtain correct information about food and nutrition through social media.

Keywords

• Nutrition
• Online diet
• Healthy recipe
• social media

References

1. Kaplan A, Haenlein M. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Bus Horiz. 2010;53:59–68.
2. Masur PK, DiFranzo D, Bazarova NN. Behavioral contagion on social media: Effects of social norms, design interventions, and critical media literacy on self-disclosure. PLoS ONE. 2021; 16(7 July), 1–20.
3. Lynch M. Healthy habits or damaging diets: An exploratory study of a food blogging community. Ecol Food Nutr. 2010;49(4):316–35.
4. Balatsoukas P, Kennedy C, Buchan I, Powell J, Ainsworth J. The role of social network technologies in online health promotion: A narrative review of theoretical and empirical factors influencing intervention effectiveness. J Med Internet Res. 2015;17(6):e141.
5. Lee Ventola C. Social media and health care professionals: Benefits, risks, and best practices. Pharm Ther. 2014;39(7):491–9.
6. Hagg E, Dahinten VS, Currie LM. The emerging use of social media for health-related purposes in low and middle-income countries: A scoping review. Int J Med Inform. 2018;115(March):92–105.
7. Denniss E, Lindberg R, McNaughton SA. Nutrition-related information on Instagram: A content analysis of posts by popular Australian accounts. Nutrients. 2023; 15(10): 2332.
8. Dumas AA, Lapointe A, Desroches S. Users, uses, and effects of social media in dietetic practice: Scoping review of the quantitative and qualitative evidence. J Med Internet Res. 2018;20(2):55.

9. World Health Organization. Body Mass Index - BMI. WHO Web Site 2021. Available at: https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/a-healthy-lifestyle---who-recommendations. Accessed on August 28, 2023
10. Nelson A, Fleming R. Gender differences in diet and social media: An explorative study. Appetite. 2019;142(March):104383.
11. Wang Y, McKee M, Torbica A, Stuckler D. Systematic Literature Review on the Spread of Health-related Misinformation on Social Media. Soc Sci Med. 2019;240(September):112552.
12. De Angelis G, Wells GA, Davies B, King J, Shallwani SM, McEwan J, et al. The use of social media among health professionals to facilitate chronic disease self-management with their patients: A systematic review. Digit Heal. 2018;4:1–13.
13. Hazzard VM, Borton KA, Bauer KW, Sonneville KR. Cross-sectional associations between gender-linked personality traits and use of weight-loss and muscle-building products among U.S. young adults. Eat Disord. 2018;26(5):418–29.
14. Afshin A, Babalola D, Mclean M, Yu Z, Ma W, Chen CY, et al. Information Technology and Lifestyle: A Systematic Evaluation of Internet and Mobile Interventions for Improving Diet, Physical Activity, Obesity, Tobacco, and Alcohol Use. J Am Heart Assoc. 2016;5(9):e003058.
15. Dumas A, Desroches S. Women’s Use of Social Media: What Is the Evidence About Their Impact on Weight Management and Body Image? Curr Obes Rep. Current Obesity Reports; 2019;8(1):18–32.
16. Hsu M, Rouf A, Allman-Farinelli M. Effectiveness and Behavioral Mechanisms of Social Media Interventions for Positive Nutrition Behaviors in Adolescents: A Systematic Review. J Adolesc Heal. 2018;63(5):531–45.
17. De Choudhury M, Sharma S, Kiciman E. Characterizing dietary choices, nutrition, and language in food deserts via social media. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work. 2016;27:1157–70.
18. Klassen KM, Douglass CH, Brennan L, Truby H, Lim MSC. Social media use for nutrition outcomes in young adults: A mixed-methods systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2018;15(1):70.