Using social media analysis to study population dietary behaviours: A scoping review

Abstract

Background: The rapid adoption and sustained use of social media globally has provided researchers with access to unprecedented quantities of lowlatency data at minimal costs. This may be of particular interest to nutrition research because food is frequently posted about and discussed on social media platforms. This scoping review investigates the ways in which social media is being used to understand population food consumption, attitudes and behaviours. Methods: The peer-reviewed literature was searched from 2003 to 2021 using four electronic databases. Results: The review identified 71 eligible studies from 25 countries. Two-thirds (n = 47) were published within the last 5 years. The USA had the highest research output (31%, n = 22) and Twitter was the most used platform (41%, n = 29). A diverse range of dataset sizes were used, with some studies relying on manual techniques to collect and analyse data, whereas others required the use of advanced software technology. Most studies were conducted by disciplines outside health, with only two studies (3%) being conducted by nutritionists.Conclusions: It appears the development of methodological and ethical frameworks as well as partnerships between experts in nutrition and information technology may be required to advance the field in nutrition research. Moving beyond traditional methods of dietary data collection may prove social media as a useful adjunct to inform recommended dietary practices and food policies.

Human Factors and Organizational Issues: Contributions from 2022

“…Social networks have been used to understand population health in some communities [17], while gamification has inspired medication adherence applications [18]. Ideas from the "Internet of Things" have led to active medication inhalers that measure and report their use [19], giving rise to ethical concerns and, as with other remote monitoring, to questions of technology acceptance [20].…”

Novel approaches for assessing dietary intake and behaviours

“…Social media is another area of interest as food is a frequent topic of discussion in media posts, providing an extensive qualitative data set. Titova et al 16 considered the potential of using social media for understanding population‐level patterns of food intake and dietary behaviours. They found that although there was great potential for such social media analysis as a research tool, with low costs and rapid collection of data there are inadequate methodological and ethical frameworks in place to ensure academic rigour.…”

Digital dietetics and the era of artificial intelligence

“…While the data can only be generalised to the population who make the posts, the data do offer insights into what people are eating and thinking about food. In a review of studies using social media to study dietary behaviours, 71 studies were identified from 2003 (inception of My Space) to 2021, with most studies published from 2016 onwards 10 . It was found that only two of the studies included a researcher qualified in nutrition.…”

“…In a review of studies using social media to study dietary behaviours, 71 studies were identified from 2003 (inception of My Space) to 2021, with most studies published from 2016 onwards. 10 It was found that only two of the studies included a researcher qualified in nutrition. Topics varied from analyses of a small number of posts to using methods to study millions of posts.…”