Nutrition Misinformation Research Articles

Popular Dietary Patterns: Alignment With American Heart Association 2021 Dietary Guidance: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

The evolution of dietary guidelines from isolated nutrients to broader dietary pattern recommendations results from growing knowledge of the synergy between nutrients and their food sources as they influence health. Macronutrient and micronutrient needs can be met by consuming various dietary patterns, but guidance is often required to facilitate population-wide adherence to wise food choices to achieve a healthy dietary pattern. This is particularly true in this era with the proliferation of nutrition misinformation and misplaced emphasis. In 2021, the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement outlining key principles of a heart-healthy dietary pattern that could be operationalized in various ways. The objective of this scientific statement is to assess alignment of commonly practiced US dietary patterns with the recently published American Heart Association criteria, to determine clinical and cultural factors that affect long-term adherence, and to propose approaches for adoption of healthy dietary patterns. This scientific statement is intended to serve as a tool for clinicians and consumers to evaluate whether these popular dietary pattern(s) promote cardiometabolic health and suggests factors to consider when adopting any pattern to improve alignment with the 2021 American Heart Association Dietary Guidance. Numerous patterns strongly aligned with 2021 American Heart Association Dietary Guidance (ie, Mediterranean, DASH [Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension], pescetarian, vegetarian) can be adapted to reflect personal and cultural preferences and budgetary constraints. Thus, optimal cardiovascular health would be best supported by developing a food environment that supports adherence to these patterns wherever food is prepared or consumed.

A STUDY ON THE GROWTH OF ECOMMERCE PLATFORMS FOR SPORTS NUTRITION PRODUCTS AND SUPPLEMENTS

This research report analyses the e-commerce market for clothes, supplements, and products for sports nutrition. The study examines the elements, such as convenience, brand loyalty, and product quality, that affect consumer behaviour when making purchases online. The impact of influencer marketing and social media marketing on consumer choice is also examined in this article. Using customer surveys, data was gathered. According to the research, e-commerce has transformed the sports nutrition and apparel business by giving customers access to a wider range of goods. The analysis also uncovers difficulties faced by internet merchants, including inventory management and upholding customer confidence. In this fiercely competitive industry, the paper offers advice to firms on how to strengthen their e-commerce strategy and boost customer happiness. From the angles of design purpose, function, data design, and technology, this study aims to construct a sports e-commerce system. This paper discusses the current state of the art in the field of sports nutrition, focusing on the role of health literacy, food literacy, nutrition literacy, and health-promoting media literacy in order to highlight how each literacy type theories the relationship between education and health through ecommerce. The study is concluded with a brief review of the literature on the social and psychological impacts of nutrition misinformation, particularly as they relate to online contexts. Key Words: health literacy ,food literacy, E-commerce, Sports nutrition, CAGR, nutrition

The use of social media as a source of nutrition information

Introduction: There is an increase in young people’s engagement with social media (SM), specifically nutrition information. Nutrition misinformation is, however, prevalent on SM due to lack of professional gatekeeping of this user-generated content. Objectives: The study aimed to assess the use of SM as a platform for obtaining nutrition information and how the accuracy thereof is evaluated. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study with an analytical component was conducted. Data were collected from 2 318 participants using a content- and face-validated self-administered online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and relevant inferential statistics were used. A p < 0.05 indicates statistical significance. Setting: The survey was completed by students from Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Subjects: Undergraduate students (18–25 years) registered at Stellenbosch University (2021), South Africa (n = 2 318). Results: Of 2 318 participants (69% female), 1 615 used SM to access nutrition information, with YouTube being the most used platform for this purpose (96%). Females used SM significantly more than males (p < 0.001) and participants living in shared accommodation used SM significantly less than those in other living arrangements (p < 0.001). A minority (17%) of participants ‘actively’ turn to SM for nutrition information, while the majority (54%) engaged only if it happened to appear on their feed. The preferred nutrition content was ‘what to eat in a day’ (83%). Participants felt most comfortable following a registered dietitian (64%) for accurate nutrition information. Relatability (87%) was a characteristic that motivated participants to follow SM influencers and 16% trusted claims from health influencers on SM. Although 91% understood what evidence-based nutrition information means, 77% of participants struggled to determine the accuracy of nutrition information on SM, with females indicating significantly more difficulty than males (chi2 = 39, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The participants engaged with nutrition information on SM and understood what evidenced-based nutrition information is. However, the majority lack skill in determining information accuracy on SM. A dietitian was trusted most as a source of nutrition information.

Susceptibility to COVID-19 Nutrition Misinformation and Eating Behavior Change during Lockdowns: An International Web-Based Survey.

To understand the susceptibility to nutrition-health misinformation related to preventing, treating, or mitigating the risk of COVID-19 during the initial lockdowns around the world, the present international web-based survey study (15 April-15 May 2020) gauged participants' (n = 3707) level of nutrition-health misinformation discernment by presenting them with 25 statements (including unfounded or unproven claims circulated at the time), alongside the influence of information sources of varying quality on the frequency of changes in their eating behavior and the extent of misinformation held, depending on the source used for such changes. Results revealed widespread misinformation about food, eating, and health practices related to COVID-19, with the 25 statements put to participants receiving up to 43% misinformed answers (e.g., 'It is safe to eat fruits and vegetables that have been washed with soap or diluted bleach'). Whereas higher quality information sources (nutrition scientists, nutrition professionals) had the biggest influence on eating behavior change, we found greater misinformation susceptibility when relying on poor quality sources for changing diet. Appropriate discernment of misinformation was weakest amongst participants who more frequently changed their eating behavior because of information from poor quality sources, suggesting disparities in the health risks/safety of the changes performed.

Health Literacy and Critical Lecture as Key Elements to Detect and Reply to Nutrition Misinformation on Social Media: Analysis between Spanish Healthcare Professionals.

Health misinformation about nutrition and other health aspects on social media is a current public health concern. Healthcare professionals play an essential role in efforts to detect and correct it. The present study focuses on analyzing the use of competencies associated with training in methodology, health literacy, and critical lecture in order to detect sources of health misinformation that use scientific articles to support their false information. A qualitative study was conducted between 15 and 30 January 2022, wherein the participants were recruited from active users from a nutrition conversation on Twitter, diets, and cancer and defined themselves as healthcare professionals. This study demonstrates that health literacy and critical lecture competencies allow for the detection of more misinformation messages and are associated with a high rate of responses to users that spread the misinformation messages. Finally, this study proposes the necessity of developing actions to improve health literacy and critical lecture competencies between healthcare professionals. However, in order to achieve this, health authorities must develop strategies to psychologically support those healthcare professionals faced with bullying as a result of their activity on social media debunking health hoaxes.

Learning to eat from others: Does nutritional information acquired from peers affect nutrition intake?

Rural communities in low- and middle-income countries are vulnerable to malnutrition. They also tend to have strong social ties, exhibit high social connectedness, and lean on relatives, neighbors, and friends for support and information. Accordingly, focusing on the three macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) and three critical micronutrients (iron, zinc, and selenium), we analyze the effects of nutritional information acquired from relatives, neighbors, and friends on rural households' nutrition intake. We utilize propensity score matching to analyze cross-sectional data collected from 915 rural households in China. Results show that acquiring nutritional information significantly improves households' intake of fats, iron, and selenium but does not affect the intake of proteins, carbohydrates, and zinc. The disaggregated analysis reveals that the nutrition intake of females responds to nutritional information, but that of males does not. Also, large households' nutrition intake increases in response to nutritional information, whereas that of small households is mostly unaffected. The results suggest that people assimilate new ideas to improve their dietary habits. However, by the same token, they may be susceptible to the deleterious effects of nutritional misinformation and fads. Policymakers, not-for-profit organizations, and industry stakeholders should disseminate evidence-based nutritional information to foster health and wellbeing in rural areas.

The Online Cancer Nutrition Misinformation: A framework of behavior change based on exposure to cancer nutrition misinformation.

Patients with cancer and caregivers increasingly use the internet to find health and lifestyle information, yet online recipes, diet, and nutrition content are unregulated and may be confusing or even misleading. We describe cancer-related nutrition and meal planning information from Pinterest. In June 2020, we searched Pinterest using "cancer recipe" and "recipe for cancer" at 3 times daily for 2 weeks. Duplicates were removed for a final sample of n = 103 pins. Each pin was coded for 58 variables including descriptives, cancer claims (eg, treatment, prevention, and cure), and nutrition claims (eg, "turmeric cures cancer"). We summarized each variable to describe the content of cancer nutrition claims on Pinterest and examined associations between claim types and contextual factors, including the use of academic citations, disclaimers, and personal anecdotes. Pinners had on average 116,767 followers (range, 0-1.5 million). Almost half of content sites were for profit (48.5%) and 34% were selling a product. Health claims were common, with content that purported to prevent (41.8%), treat (27.2%), or cure (10.7%) cancer. Vague phrases such as "anti-cancer," "cancer-fighting," or "cancer-busting" were also used. The inclusion of validity indicators including academic citations, disclaimers, and personal anecdotes varied significantly by the types of claims made. Together, these analyses informed the development of a conceptual framework of cancer-related nutrition misinformation. There are clear financial incentives for the promotion of cancer nutrition information online. More research is needed to understand how exposure to nutrition information can influence patient/caregiver behavior and downstream clinical and psychosocial outcomes.

Towards a Standardized Definition of Medical Nutrition Therapy and Regulatory Reform in Canada.

Various definitions have been proposed to describe Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT). Broadly, MNT encompasses the provision of nutrition information and advice aimed to prevent, treat, and/or manage health conditions. In Canada, the provision of such information and advice is unregulated, thus allowing anyone to provide MNT services regardless of their education and training. This inevitably poses risks of harm such as the provision of unsafe and/or ineffective nutrition advice as well as delayed evidence-based treatment. Canadian research has further demonstrated that the general public is unable to properly differentiate between regulated, evidence-based nutrition providers (registered dietitians) and those who are unregulated. Therefore, the public is at risk. To reduce nutrition misinformation and ultimately improve the health and well-being of the public, the objective of this paper is, first, to propose a standardized definition of MNT for use across Canada and, second, to propose province- and territory-specific legislative amendments for the regulation of MNT throughout the country. We also present an opposing perspective to the proposed viewpoint. Ultimately, health care regulation across the country requires an overhaul before we expect that nutrition information and advice communicated to the public may be consistently evidence based.

Role of staple cereals in human nutrition: Separating the wheat from the chaff in the infodemics age

BackgroundStaple cereals always have been important dietary components, yet recent debates on their role in human diets are riddled with myths and misinformation. Scope and approachThis article examines the informational controversies, particularly about wheat, and reviews the evidence. The discussion centers on three nutritional cereal debates: i) ‘empty calories’, ii) over-consumption, and iii) how ‘free-from’ fads confound dietary transitions. Key findings and conclusionsThis article makes two principal points, that i) advances in nutrition are a complex, slow process, and that ii) they can be easily confounded and undone by misinformation. Hence we suggest that more consumer-oriented work is needed—including behavioral approaches and political economy—in order to improve the quality of information, communication and dietary decision making. There is a clear need to tackle nutritional misinformation given the costs of inaction and the need to formulate a coherent agri-nutrition agenda.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Revised 2020 Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (Competent, Proficient, and Expert) in Eating Disorders

Eating disorders (ED) are complex mental illnesses and are not a result of personal choice. Full recovery from an ED is possible. The severity and inherent lethality of an ED is undisputed, and the role of the registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) is essential. Clinical symptomology presents at varying developmental milestones and is perpetuated through a sociocultural evaluation of beauty and drive for ascetic idealism. ED are globally prevalent in 4.4% of the population aged 5 to 17 years, yet affect individuals across the entire lifespan, including all cultures and genders. The Behavioral Health Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, along with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Management Committee, revised the Standards of Practice (SOP) and Standards of Professional Performance (SOPP) for RDNs in Eating Disorders. Including the RDN in ED treatment is vital for all levels of care. The RDN must be perceptive to negative symptoms indicative of psychological triggers when exploring food belief systems, patterns of disinhibition, and nutrition misinformation with clients. Through a conscious awareness of medical, psychological, and behavioral strategies, the implementation of the SOP and SOPP supports a dynamic and holistic view of ED treatment by the RDN. The SOP and SOPP are complementary resources for RDNs and are intended to be used as self-evaluation tools for assuring competent practice in ED and for determining potential education, training, supervision, and mentorship needs for advancement to a higher practice level in a variety of settings.

Assessing the efficacy of Canada's food guide and the barriers of use

The landscape of nutrition advice is vast and full of misinformation. A primary source of nutrition advice in Canada comes from the Canadian Food Guide, however, many questions remain regarding the reach and accessibility of the food guide. Specifically, is the population most likely to receive and use this information, the population that needs it the most? Are there barriers to following this guide that Health Canada has failed to address? Is there evidence supporting the efficacy of this food guide in populations at risk for nutrition misinformation or diet-related preventable diseases? This commentary reviews the past research regarding efficacy of previous food guides and highlights potential barriers preventing equal and accessible use of Canada’s Food Guide.

Screening Nutritional Understanding And Behavior Of Brazilian Elite Athletes

Nutritional misinformation may hinder healthy attitudes and impair athlete´s performance. PURPOSE:To compare the frequency of right understanding and behaviour on nutritional related issues among male and female elite Brazillian athletes. METHODS: A total of 128 athletes, age 24.4±4.5 yrs, (61 males) who competed various modalities at international competitions participated in the study. The frequency of right answers (based on scientific literature) and the odds ratios for the association with sex were calculated. RESULTS: The table shows the frequency of right answers by sex.*p<0,05 (female% >male%), OD = odds ratios The only significant sex difference was the higher misunderstanding of males regarding the attitude towards the importance of eating after training. Depending on the questions, there was a large range in the % of adequate answers. CONCLUSION: A screening questionnaire, as used in the present study, may therefore guide to identify some specific aspects that deserve more focus in an educational intervention.

Food Consumption Behavior and Body Mass Index Scores Predict Exposure to Nutrition Misinformation on Facebook

Determine whether food consumption behavior and body mass index predict exposure to nutrition misinformation on Facebook and discuss implications to dietetic practice as a result.

A Comparison of Facebook Use and Exposure to Nutrition Misinformation among Arabs according to Body Weight

A Comparison of Facebook Use and Exposure to Nutrition Misinformation among Arabs according to Body Weight

P105 - Misinforming Arabs with Facebook in Mind: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Background (Background, Rationale, Prior Research, and/or Theory): Facebook is the most popular social media platform in the world and the Middle East region alike. Empirical evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates the role of Facebook in propagating misinformation in several domains. Yet, no research has been done to investigate the phenomenon of Facebook use and nutrition misinformation among Arabs. Objective: The purpose of this study is twofold: to explore the phenomenon of Facebook use and nutrition misinformation among Arabs who use Facebook, and to understand the relationship between Facebook use and exposure to nutrition misinformation among Arabs. Study Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention: The study is a mixed method approach. During Summer 2017, we conducted individual semi-structured interviews using Facebook Messenger with 20 volunteer participants until saturation was reached. We have also performed a cross-sectional survey with 300 respondents (n = 153 English and n = 147 Arabic). Outcome Measures and Analysis: Emergent themes show that Facebook use appears to influence older female Arab adults who push certain food choices on their children as a result. Facebook provides a platform for unhealthy food advertising and inaccurate information sharing, and is a primer of intake of certain food items and mixes. A difference in the demographic profile is noted between participants who chose to respond to the survey in English over Arabic. While the majority were female (at least 80% and above), those who answered in English were 58% millennials, 60% university graduates, 58% married, and 69% employed compared to those who answered in Arabic: 34% Generation X, 29% millennials, 49% university graduates, 51% married, and 51% unemployed. Results: Results of linear regression primarily show that the average F scores statistically significantly predicted Exposure to Nutrition Misinformation (EtNM) scores, F (1,74) = 11.338, P = .001, accounting for 13.3% of the variation in EtNM score with adjusted R2 = 12.1%. Increase in F score leads to 0.273 EtNM score, 95% CI [0.111, 0.434] increase in EtNM score. Conclusions and Impolications: We conclude that exposure to nutrition misinformation is related to Facebook use. Future interventions to correct for nutrition misinformation on Facebook is warranted. Funding: None.

Lessons Learned From Tennis Coaches’ Limited Disordered Weight Control Behaviors And Disordered Eating Knowledge

Irrational fears of food and weight gain are the foundation for Disordered Weight Control Behaviors, (DWCB), methods of weight control deemed unhealthy (e.g. severe Caloric restriction). Those extreme behaviors serve as clinical diagnostic criteria for Eating Disorders (ED). Adolescence is the time when DWCB and ED are likely to originate, especially in athletes. DWCB is linked to nutrition misinformation. The most frequently athlete cited source of nutrition information is equally misinformed coaches. PURPOSE: To assess high school tennis coaches’ knowledge in 5 domains: (1) Macronutrients/Energy, (2), ED Etiology (3) Symptoms (4) Scope of Practice, and (5) ED Treatment. METHODS: The Nutrition & Eating Disorders in Tennis Survey (NETS) was created through modification of Turk et al.’s survey as no survey specific to all of the domains existed. An expert panel confirmed the Face and Construct Validity of the NETS before it was piloted. A link to Qualtrics survey and informed consent form was emailed to Indiana High School coaches. The criterion for “Adequate Knowledge” (AK) was set at 80%. Mean knowledge scores were calculated for each question and the 5 domains. A three - way ANOVA tested for any significant differences (p < 0.05) between means of total knowledge scores and demographic variables. RESULTS: Seventy-nine coaches (male = 61, female = 18) ages 24 to 71 (43.97, ± 11.97) completed every question, which corresponds to a 23% rate of return, 90% statistical power according to Insel, G.D. The most cited source of nutrition knowledge was “experience as an athlete” (48.1% or 38 of 79) and the least was a Registered Dietitian (1.3% or 1 of 79). Data analysis revealed that the coaches lacked knowledge: the mean total score was 17.65 correct out of 25 or 70.6% (±10.9%), falling below the established AK criterion. The lowest mean scores were 57.0% (±22.4%), 60.0% (±21.7%), 63.6% (±22.9%), for domains 1, 3, and 5, respectively. There was no significant differences between knowledge scores and education. CONCLUSION: The low knowledge scores suggest that the coached athletes are at a higher risk of DWCB. Likewise, they are likely to be misinformed about the importance of correct energy intake. The common notion that experience as an athlete or taking a nutrition course makes one a qualified nutrition educator, must be questioned.

FOOD AND NUTRITION MISINFORMATION IN INTERNET: A CASE OF SAFETY OF ASPARTAME INTAKE

Food and nutrition (FN) misinformation is the incomplete, incorrect, or misleading information about FN science, without any scientific evidence. Misinformation can easily be taken from internet, and can come from food industries, friends, families, and influenced by its culture. Information on negative aspect of aspartame consumption is a case of food and nutrition misinformation taken from internet. Searching information through websites on the topic of aspartame will be easily found but most of the information claimed that using aspartame sweeteners is a frightening personal account attributing multiple health disasters, even the evidence has not been established yet. The aim of this article is to review food and nutrition misinformation, with the emphasis on the association between aspartame intake and its effect on health. Key words : food and nutrition misinformation; aspartame intake

PROGRAMS TO COMBAT NUTRITIONAL QUACKERY

What avenues are available to combat the nutritional misinformation and quackery with which the public is bombarded?

Nutritional misinformation therapy of unproved usefulness in obesity.

Nutritional misinformation therapy of unproved usefulness in obesity.

Position of the New Zealand Dietetic Association (Inc): Nutrition for exercise and sport in New Zealand

Position of the New Zealand Dietetic Association (Inc): Nutrition for exercise and sport in New Zealand