The Use of Social Media as a Persuasive Platform to Facilitate Nutrition and Health Behavior Change in Young Adults: Web-Based Conversation Study

Effectiveness of internet-based self-help interventions for depression in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effectiveness of Internet-based self-help interventions in treating depression in adolescents and young adults.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted across six databases, including PubMed, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that satisfied the specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. The intervention measure consisted of Internet-based self-help interventions.

RESULTS

A total of 23 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in this analysis. Meta-analysis indicated that Internet-based self-help therapies significantly reduced depression scores in adolescents and young adults. (OR = -0.68, 95%CI [-0.88, -0.47], P < 0.001). We examined the effects of patient recruitment from various regions, medication usage, therapist involvement, weekly intervention time, and intervention duration. Patients selected from school, primary healthcare centers, clinics and local communities had better results. Intervention lasting 30 to 60 min and 60 to180 minutes per week were effective in the short term.

CONCLUSION

The internet-based self-help intervention can be effective in treating depression in adolescents and young adults. However, factors such as patient recruitment locations, medication usage, Therapists' involvement, weekly intervention time, and intervention duration interacted with the outcome. Subgroup analysis on potential adverse effects and gender was impossible due to insufficient data from the included studies.

Behavioural determinants of healthy and environmentally friendly diets in French university students

Although encouraging the shift toward sustainable diets in young adults is a major challenge to preserve population and planet health, the precursors of sustainable diets in this population remain unknown. This study aimed to identify the behavioural determinants of healthier and more environmentally friendly diets among university students. A sample of 582 French university students reported their food consumption using an online 125-item food frequency questionnaire. The nutritional quality (adherence to French recommendations, sPNNS-GS2) and the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) of students' diets were calculated for an isocaloric diet. Behavioural determinants were measured based on a literature review and classified into the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) framework. Linear models, adjusted for socioeconomic characteristics, were run to identify the most prominent behavioural predictors of nutritional quality and GHGE of students' diets. Higher cooking skills (β = 0.38, p = 0.01) and health motives (β = 0.91, p < 0.001) were associated with higher nutritional quality. Greater environmental knowledge was linked to lower GHGE (β = -0.07, p = 0.002), while health and weight control motives were associated with higher GHGE (β = 0.26, p = 0.02 and β = 0.39, p < 0.001). Enhancing cooking skills and environmental knowledge could enable healthy and environmentally friendly diets, but health-based motives can act as a lever and as a barrier.

With advancement in health technology comes great responsibility - Ethical and safety considerations for using digital health technology: A narrative review

The accelerated adoption of digital health technologies in the last decades has raised important ethical and safety concerns. Despite the potency and usefulness of digital health technologies, addressing safety, and ethical considerations needs to take greater prominence. This review paper focuses on ethical and safety facets, including health technology-related risks, users' safety and well-being risks, security and privacy concerns, and risks to transparency and diminished accountability associated with the utilization of digital health technologies. In order to maximize the potential of health technology benefits, awareness of safety risks, and ethical concerns should be increased, and the use of appropriate strategies and measures should be considered.

Digging into digital buffets: A systematic review of eating-related social media content and its relationship with body image and eating behaviours

Recently, researchers have started investigating the influence of eating-focused social media content on viewers' body image and eating behaviour. The current systematic review collates the evidence for the relationship between exposure to eating-related social media content and people's body image, disordered eating, food consumption, and eating-related opinions. Following PRISMA guidelines, searches were conducted on five databases (i.e., Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest), resulting in 38 eligible studies that examined the link between eating-related content and body image, eating behaviour and/or viewers' perceptions. Evidence showed positive relationships between exposure to certain material on social media (e.g., fast-food advertisements, clean eating, eating videos) and body image concerns, disordered eating, and consumption of, or a willingness to consume the foods seen on social media; however, studies that focused on 'healthy food' content showed no such link. Viewers expressed mixed feelings towards content such as nutrition information and mukbang videos which record hosts eating a large amount of food. Future research would benefit from a consistent measure of exposure to different eating-related content. There is also a need for more experimental research to examine the impact of watching different types of eating videos on body image, disordered eating, and food consumption.

Health Misinformation on Social Media and Adolescent Health

This Viewpoint discusses strategies for dealing with health misinformation on social media.

Investigating the Role of Nutrition in Enhancing Immunity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Twitter Text-Mining Analysis

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the spotlight the critical role played by a balanced and healthy diet in bolstering the human immune system. There is burgeoning interest in nutrition-related information on social media platforms like Twitter. There is a critical need to assess and understand public opinion, attitudes, and sentiments toward nutrition-related information shared on Twitter.

OBJECTIVE

This study uses text mining to analyze nutrition-related messages on Twitter to identify and analyze how the general public perceives various food groups and diets for improving immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

METHODS

We gathered 71,178 nutrition-related tweets that were posted between January 01, 2020, and September 30, 2020. The Correlated Explanation text mining algorithm was used to identify frequently discussed topics that users mentioned as contributing to immunity building against SARS-CoV-2. We assessed the relative importance of these topics and performed a sentiment analysis. We also qualitatively examined the tweets to gain a closer understanding of nutrition-related topics and food groups.

RESULTS

Text-mining yielded 10 topics that users discussed frequently on Twitter, viz proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy-related, spices and herbs, fluids, supplements, avoidable foods, and specialty diets. Supplements were the most frequently discussed topic (23,913/71,178, 33.6%) with a higher proportion (20,935/23,913, 87.75%) exhibiting a positive sentiment with a score of 0.41. Consuming fluids (17,685/71,178, 24.85%) and fruits (14,807/71,178, 20.80%) were the second and third most frequent topics with favorable, positive sentiments. Spices and herbs (8719/71,178, 12.25%) and avoidable foods (8619/71,178, 12.11%) were also frequently discussed. Negative sentiments were observed for a higher proportion of avoidable foods (7627/8619, 84.31%) with a sentiment score of -0.39.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified 10 important food groups and associated sentiments that users discussed as a means to improve immunity. Our findings can help dieticians and nutritionists to frame appropriate interventions and diet programs.

How eating-related social media postings influence healthy eating in senders and network members: Two field experiments with intensive longitudinal data

Young adults are frequently confronted with eating-related social media content. How such exposure influences eating in those who post and their network members is largely unknown. We conducted two intensive longitudinal field experiments combining self-reports with social media data. The posting behavior of young adults was manipulated. We examined how postings about fruit and vegetables affected intake in senders and their network members (Study 1, N = 81) and in senders with a change goal (Study 2, N = 128). Potential mechanisms of action were explored. Descriptively, posting led to a stronger increase of senders' and network members' intake, but this increase was not statistically significant. Posting led to higher perceived social support and injunctive norms of senders (Study 1). Posting supported eating behavior change; the effect size was comparable to picture-based self-monitoring of intake (Study 2). Intraindividual variations in senders' daily eating-related social media activities were associated with daily eating behavior and perceived social support (both studies), daily self-efficacy, experiential and instrumental attitudes, and goal commitment (Study 2). Our studies underline that social media environments should be considered in research and interventions targeting eating behavior of young adults.

Nutrition and behavior change: a review of recent literature

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The current article will highlight recent trends and novel approaches to behavior change strategies in nutrition. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals play key roles in counseling patients on lifestyle change, which is critical for patients with chronic conditions. Nutrition science continues to advance, and new approaches to behavior change are needed for successful implementation at the individual and population level.

RECENT FINDINGS

The solutions to obstacles around healthful eating patterns are varied, population-dependent, and require a multipronged approach. One area of focus is the language around behavior change, ensuring it is clear and emphasizes its multifactorial nature. For young adults, the careful use of video games and social media may be essential. For older adults, altering food consistency and ensuring proper nutrient intake are crucial factors. Vulnerable populations remain susceptible to malnutrition and need special attention. Despite significant advances in managing and treating diseases, there are still gaps in nutrition counseling and behavior change efforts.

SUMMARY

Every age and stage of life needs a focus on healthful foods, and nutrition counseling at each stage has its unique nuances. Careful attention to the language of change and the phrasing used in counseling is vital for educating, connecting with, and empowering patients to change. Changing healthcare operations and provider behavior around nutrition counseling is a part of the solution to the worldwide problem of unhealthy eating patterns and practices.

Dietary Patterns and Nutrient Intake in University Students of Macao: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Nutritional status affects the health of the public and is one of the key factors influencing social-economic development. To date, little research on the nutritional status of the Macao university student population has been conducted.

OBJECTIVES

To identify and evaluate the dietary pattern and the nutritional intake among Macao university students.

METHODS

The Macao students were selected by the stratified cluster random sampling method. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to investigate food consumption. Data were analyzed through a t-test and factor analysis by using SPSS Version 24.0.

RESULTS

A total of 1230 questionnaires were distributed. From the respondents, 1067 (86.7%) were valid. In general, we identified three major dietary patterns in this population: (1) fruit and vegetable dietary pattern, characterized by abundant consumption of fruits and vegetables; (2) grain and high fat dietary pattern, characterized as high intakes of grains and animal foods; (3) high sugar dietary pattern, characterized by a large quantity of daily sugary drinks. The average daily intake of vitamin A, thiamine, calcium, and iodine were significantly lower than the Chinese Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) in the subjects. Conclusions: The dietary pattern of Macao students is similar to that of other Asians. Surprisingly, the daily intake of vitamin A, thiamine, calcium, and iodine by Macao university students is significantly lower than the Chinese RNI.