Evaluating online nutrition information: a scoping review of young adults' source preferences and criteria for credibility and trustworthiness

The use of the internet to search for different kinds of information has become part of everyday life also for nutrition information. Therefore, it is important that the information is evidence-based, credible, and trustworthy. Assessing this is complicated by the declining importance of traditional health information gatekeepers and the rapid flow of information. This scoping review examines factors that influence the trustworthiness and credibility of digital information sources on healthy diets from the perspective of young adults.

We conducted a scoping review with a comprehensive search of 5 databases and grey literature up to 12/2024, following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Two reviewers performed a two-stage screening process. The coding of trust- and credibility-influencing factors is based on the Misinformation Receptivity Framework and the Online Credibility Framework.

48 papers were included, identifying 82 factors concerning the formation of trust and credibility in nutrition information. The most frequently reported factors are clarity of the information (n = 14), prior background knowledge (n = 13), and receiver's education (n = 7). A small number of the included papers report on medium-, context-, or design-related factors (n = 23, n = 12, n = 8), such as the expertise of the information author, the communication context, or the surface attractiveness of a digital platform. 46 additional factors not covered by the two frameworks were identified. 75% of the papers do not report the study participants' ethnicity (n = 36). 25% of the papers included a multi-ethnic sample (n = 12).

Our findings suggest that most studies focus primarily on the receiver's characteristics. The existing literature often neglects factors like the author's reputation, the usability of digital platforms, and the accessibility of information. In addition, other studies have found that ethnicity and nationality can strongly influence assessments of information trustworthiness and credibility. However, this is not systematically reported in the analyzed papers. This shows that further research is needed on trust- and credibility-inducing factors. Furthermore, the results underscore the need for research that incorporates diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds to achieve a comprehensive understanding of this critical area.

This scoping review has been pre-registered at OSF under DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/5QPV6.