The Truthfulness of Nutrition Information in YouTube Cooking Channels

Abstract

ObjectivesTo evaluate the truthfulness of nutrition, cooking, or food information in videos from Youtube cooking channels’ recipes/meal preparation demonstrations. Currently, no studies directly evaluate the truthfulness of nutrition information from cooking channels on YouTube, this research aims to fill this gap in knowledge.MethodsKeywords (mealprep, healthy cooking, recipe, healthy dishes, meals) were selected; Google Trends was used to determine the use of each term. Each keyword was used to select 16 videos for a total of 80 videos. Each channel was evaluated to ensure it qualified as a cooking channel, then sorted into categories (professional chef, nonprofessional cook, home cook, or food media company; each category was sorted into health focused or nonhealth focused) for analysis. Both researchers abstracted content from all videos. Nutrition claims were scored for accuracy & specificity (how detailed the information was) using a tool modeled after the DISCERN tool. In addition, the following indicators of video popularity were collected: number of views, likes, dislikes, comments & subscribers. Truthfulness was assessed using the sum of accuracy and specificity scores of the videos’ nutrition content; higher scores reflect better accuracy, truthfulness, and specificity.Results43 of the videos (53.8%) discussed nutrition information. Mean accuracy, specificity, & truthfulness scores were 4.16 of 5, 2.65 of 5, & 6.18 out of 10, respectively. Both truthfulness and specificity were positively (p < 0.05) associated with the number of nutrition concepts noted (r = 0.309; r = 0.375). No associations were found between truthfulness scores and measures of popularity, except for number of subscribers and specificity (r = −0.366; p = 0.05). Upload source was significantly associated with accuracy (p = 0.009) but not truthfulness or specificity. Nonhealth focused professional chefs had a significantly higher mean accuracy than nonhealth focused non-professional cooks (p = 0.036). Nonhealth focused food media companies had a significantly higher mean accuracy score than nonhealth focused non-professional cooks (p = 0.014).ConclusionsYouTube cooking channels could be reasonable sources for factual nutrition information, but truthfulness can vary based on certain factors.Funding SourcesSimmons University.