Social Media and Nutritional Guidelines in Pregnancy

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Digital Health Communication

Background:

• Maternal nutrition significantly influences pregnancy outcomes for both parent and fetus.
• Healthcare providers face challenges discussing nutrition with pregnant patients.
• Patients increasingly rely on social media for health information during pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively explore pregnancy nutrition messages in social media videos.
• To evaluate the concordance of social media nutrition information with evidence-based guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of 62 social media videos across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
• Descriptive and categorical analysis of video content related to pregnancy nutrition.

Main Results:

• Most reviewed videos were inconsistent with guidelines, inaccurate, or presented unrealistic portrayals.
• Identified categories: what to eat, what not to eat, aspirational eating, and rebellious eating.
• Few videos originated from healthcare organizations; many were from individuals, often lacking clear disclosure of sponsorship.

Conclusions:

• Social media contains incorrect and incomplete pregnancy nutrition information, less accessible than professional guidelines.
• Social media use is linked to disordered eating, anxiety, and depression.
• Healthcare providers can use social media for targeted interventions to disseminate credible nutrition recommendations and foster patient discussions.