Content Analysis of Published Studies Related to Social Media and Food Literacy

Abstract

In this study, which was designed to develop an understanding of the relationship between food literacy and social media, the keywords “food literacy” and “social media” were searched in the WoS database without any restrictions. As a result of the search, 22 studies, including 1 book chapter and 21 articles, were accessed. The date, author, place of publication, country, research design information, main findings and results of these studies were subjected to a descriptive content analysis. Accordingly, it was observed that the studies focusing on the relationship between food literacy and social media were first published in 2019 and are a relatively new field. It is observed in the research findings and results that these studies are conducted on a collaborative basis, publications are more common in health-oriented journals, the studies are mostly designed as qualitative research, and the use of social media in food literacy can create positive results. With the findings that stand out in the descriptive analysis of the data collected in this study, it is aimed that the study will contribute to the literature in terms of providing an in-depth understanding of the relationship between food literacy and social media based on the available data.

Keywords

• food literacy
• social media
• digital health
• nutrition literacy
• descriptive content analysis

Supporting Institution

Within the scope of the project titled “FOOD LITERACY” and numbered 2023-2-TR01-KA220-YOU-000174770 supported by the Turkish National Agency and Erasmus+ program

Project Number

2023-2-TR01-KA220-YOU-000174770

Ethical Statement

It is a study that does not require ethics committee approval.

Sosyal Medya ve Gıda Okuryazarlığı ile İlişkili Yayımlanmış Çalışmaların İçerik Analizi

Abstract

Gıda okuryazarlığı ve sosyal medyanın ilişkisi ile ilgili bir anlayış geliştirmek üzere tasarlanan bu çalışmada “gıda okuryazarlığı” ve “sosyal medya” anahtar kelimeleri ile WoS veri tabanında herhangi bir kısıt getirilmeden arama yapılmıştır. Yapılan arama sonucu 1’i kitap bölümü, 21’i makale olmak üzere toplam 22 çalışmaya erişilmiştir. Bu çalışmaların tarih, yazar, yayın yeri, ülke, araştırma deseni bilgileri, temel bulgu ve sonuçları betimsel bir içerik analizine tabii tutulmuştur. Buna göre, gıda okuryazarlığının sosyal medya ile ilişkisine odaklanan çalışmaların ilk olarak 2019 yılında yayımlandığı ve görece yeni bir alan olduğu görülmüştür. Söz konusu araştırmaların iş birliği esasına göre yürütüldüğü; yayınların sağlık odaklı dergilerde daha çok yer aldığı; araştırmaların çoğunlukla nitel araştırma şeklinde tasarlandığı görülmektedir. Gıda okuryazarlığı konusunda sosyal medyanın kullanımının olumlu sonuçlar yaratabilme kapasitesi araştırma bulguları ve sonuçlarında gözlemlenmektedir. Çalışma içerisinde toplanan verilere dair gerçekleştirilen betimsel analizde öne çıkan bulgular, gıda okuryazarlığı ve sosyal medya ilişkisi ile ilgili derinlemesine bir anlayış ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• gıda okuryazarlığı
• sosyal medya
• dijital sağlık
• beslenme okuryazarlığı
• betimsel içerik analizi

Supporting Institution

Türkiye Ulusal Ajansı ve Erasmus+ programı tarafından desteklenen 2023-2-TR01-KA220-YOU-000174770 numaralı ve “FOOD LITERACY” adlı proje kapsamında yapılmıştır.

Project Number

2023-2-TR01-KA220-YOU-000174770

Ethical Statement

Etik kurul izni gerektirmeyen çalışmadır.

References

1. Ares, G., Alcaire, F., Gugliucci, V., Machín, L., de León, C., Natero, V. and Otterbring, T. (2024). Colorful candy, teen vibes and cool memes: prevalence and content of Instagram posts featuring ultra-processed products targeted at adolescents, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 58 No. 2, pp. 471-496. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-12-2022-0899
2. Boddy, G., Booth, A. & Worsley, A. (2019). What does healthy eating mean? Australian teachers’ perceptions of healthy eating in secondary school curricula, Health Education, Vol. 119 No. 4, pp. 277-290. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-04-2019-0018
3. Chan, A., Kinsman, L., & Chan, S. W. (2023). "I use salt. However, I also use soy sauce, oyster sauce, sometimes chili sauce and….": interviews with Australians of Chinese ancestry regarding reducing salt consumption for hypertension prevention. BMC nursing, 22(1), 414. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01576-3
4. Cohen, L., Manion, L. ve Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education. (6th Edition). New York: Routledge.
5. Cullen, T., Hatch, J., Martin, W., Higgins, J. W., & Sheppard, R. (2015). Food literacy: Definition and framework for action. Canadian journal of dietetic practice and research (3), 140–145. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2015-010
6. Çalık, M. & Sözbilir, M. (2014). İçerik analizinin parametreleri [Parameters of content analysis]. Eğitim ve Bilim [Education and Science]., 39(174), 33-38.
7. Çelik, C., Türker, P. F. & Çalışkan, H. (2024) The relationship of food literacy and sustainable consumption behaviors with anthropometric measurements during the Covid-19 pandemic period: A Sample from Turkey, Journal of the American Nutrition Association, 43:3, 279-285, https://doi.org/10.1080/27697061.2023.2272257
8. Denniss, E., Lindberg, R., & McNaughton, S. A. (2023). Nutrition-Related Information on Instagram: A Content Analysis of Posts by Popular Australian Accounts. Nutrients, 15(10), 2332. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15102332

9. Eckert KF, Douglas S, Zhang F, Brauer P, Duncan AM and Haines J (2024) Costly, confusing, polarizing, and suspect: public perceptions of plant- based eating from a thematic analysis of social media comments. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 8:1397004. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1397004 FAO (2019). FAO School Food and Nutrition Framework. Available online: http://www.fao.org/3/ca4091en/CA4091EN.pdf (Access date: 19 Jan. 2025)
10. Fernandez, M. A., Dugan, J., & Raine, K. D. (2025). Exploring contexts for using digital food retail services in Canada: a qualitative study. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism, 50, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2024-0173
11. Fraser, K., Love, P., Campbell, K. J., Ball, K., & Opie, R. S. (2022). Meal kits in the family setting: Impacts on family dynamics, nutrition, social and mental health. Appetite, 169, 105816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105816
12. Gallegos, D., McKechnie, R., McAndrew, R., Russell-Bennett, R., & Smith, G. (2022). How gender, education and nutrition knowledge contribute to food insecurity among adults in Australia. Health & social care in the community, 30(5), e2724–e2736. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13715
13. GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators (2019). Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet (London, England), 393(10184), 1958–1972. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30041-8
14. Kulandaivelu, Y., Hamilton, J., Banerjee, A., Gruzd, A., Patel, B., & Stinson, J. (2023). Social media interventions for nutrition education among adolescents: Scoping review. JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 6, e36132. https://doi.org/10.2196/36132
15. Laska, M. N., Larson, N. I., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Story, M. (2012). Does involvement in food preparation track from adolescence to young adulthood and is it associated with better dietary quality? Findings from a 10-year longitudinal study. Public health nutrition, 15(7), 1150–1158. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980011003004
16. Lavelle, F., Spence, M., Hollywood, L., McGowan, L., Surgenor, D., McCloat, A., Mooney, E., Caraher, M., Raats, M., & Dean, M. (2016). Learning cooking skills at different ages: a cross-sectional study. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 13(1), 119. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-016-0446-y
17. Lee, S., Choi, S., Ahn, S. E., Park, Y. J., Hwang, J. Y., Yeo, G., & Oh, J. (2024). Food-related media use and eating behavior in different food-related lifestyle groups of Korean adolescents in metropolitan areas. Nutrition research and practice, 18(5), 687–700. https://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2024.18.5.687
18. Meijer, G. W., Grunert, K. G., & Lähteenmäki, L. (2023). Supporting consumers' informed food choices: Sources, channels, and use of information. Advances in food and nutrition research, 104, 229–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.afnr.2022.10.005
19. Ng, A. H., ElGhattis, Y., Biesiekierski, J. R., & Moschonis, G. (2022). Assessing the effectiveness of a 4-week online intervention on food literacy and fruit and vegetable consumption in Australian adults: The online MedDiet challenge. Health & social care in the community, 30(6), e4975–e4981. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13909
20. Ofsted (2018). Obesity, healthy eating and physical activity in primary schools. A thematic review into what actions schools are taking to reduce childhood obesity. Available online: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/726114/Obesity__healthy_eating_and_physical_activity_in_primary_schools_170718.pdf (Access date: 19 Jan. 2025).
21. Omachi, B. A., van Onselen, A., & Kolanisi, U. (2024). Nutrition knowledge and health vulnerability of mothers of pre-school children in north-central, Nigeria. PloS one, 19(1), e0292252. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292252
22. Polhuis, K. C. M. M., Vaandrager, L., Koelen, M. A., Geleijnse, J. M., & Soedamah-Muthu, S. S. (2023). Effects of a Salutogenic Healthy Eating Program in Type 2 Diabetes (the SALUD Study): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR research protocols, 12, e40490. https://doi.org/10.2196/40490
23. Prowse, R., & Carsley, S. (2021). Digital interventions to promote healthy eating in children: Umbrella review. JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 4(4), e30160. https://doi.org/10.2196/30160
24. Qutteina, Y., Hallez, L., Raedschelders, M., De Backer, C., & Smits, T. (2022). Food for teens: how social media is associated with adolescent eating outcomes. Public health nutrition, 25(2), 290–302. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021003116
25. Rawl, R., Kolasa, K. M., Lee, J., & Whetstone, L. M. (2008). A learn and serve nutrition program: the Food Literacy Partners Program. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 40(1), 49–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2007.04.372
26. Ronto, R., Saberi, G., Carins, J., Papier, K., & Fox, E. (2022). Exploring young Australians' understanding of sustainable and healthy diets: a qualitative study. Public health nutrition, 25(10), 1–13. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022001513
27. Steils, N. & Obaidalahe, Z. (2020). Social food: Food literacy co-construction and distortion on social media, Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101932
28. Teunissen, L., Cuykx, I., Decorte, P., Vandebosch, H., Matthys, C., Pabian, S., Van Royen, K. & De Backer, C. (2024). Emerging adults’ food media experiences: Preferences, opportunities, and barriers for food literacy promotion. Communications, 49(4), 619-644. https://doi.org/10.1515/commun-2022-0051
29. Ünal G, Uçar A. 2024. The effect of eight-week nutrition education on nutrition knowledge, nutrition literacy, and mediterranean diet in Turkish adolescents. Revista Española de Nutrición Humana y Dietética. 28(2): 102–111. https://doi.org/10.14306/renhyd.28.2.2071
30. Vidgen, H. A., & Gallegos, D. (2014). Defining food literacy and its components. Appetite, 76, 50–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.01.010
31. Yiga, P., Ogwok, P., Achieng, J., Auma, M. D., Seghers, J., & Matthys, C. (2021). Determinants of dietary and physical activity behaviours among women of reproductive age in urban Uganda, a qualitative study. Public health nutrition, 24(12), 3624–3636. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020003432