From Screen to Plate: How Instagram Cooking Videos Promote Healthy Eating Behaviours in Established Adulthood

Social media platforms increasingly influence dietary behaviours, with cooking videos emerging as a key tool for promoting healthy eating. However, limited research has examined how such digital content affects adults in established adulthood.

This study investigates the relationships among cooking behaviour, engagement with healthy cooking videos on Instagram, and healthy eating behaviours among Taiwanese adults aged 30 to 45.

A cross-sectional online survey collected valid responses from 488 participants (effective response rate = 81.3%) who regularly cook and engage with food-related content on Instagram. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test hypothesised relationships.

Cooking behaviour was positively associated with engagement in healthy cooking multimedia (β = 0.262, p < 0.01). Engagement significantly predicted healthy eating behaviours (β = 0.399, p < 0.001) and mediated the effect of cooking behaviour on dietary outcomes (indirect effect = 0.105, 95% CI [0.044, 0.204]). Cooking behaviour alone was not directly associated with healthy eating behaviours (β = 0.009, n.s.).

Engagement with healthy cooking videos enhances healthy eating practices among adults in established adulthood. These findings highlight Instagram's potential as a digital health promotion tool and support the integration of culinary media into public nutrition strategies.