Abstract
Background
The utilization of social media (SM) is widespread among young adults; nevertheless, there is limited understanding regarding their use for obtaining nutrition information. This study aimed to examine the characteristics and determinants of using SM for nutrition information amongst young adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Methods
A multicomponent questionnaire was emailed to all students attending the largest university in the country. The questionnaire addressed, in addition to sociodemographic information, the characteristics of SM use for nutrition information such as the various platforms, frequency, type, features, sharing information with family/friends and healthcare professionals, as well as the reasons for use. Descriptives and logistic regressions were used in data analysis. Within the regression models, the outcome variable was whether participants used SM to obtain nutrition information.
Results
Among a sample of 400 respondents, 261 (65.2%) reported utilizing social media (SM) to access nutrition information. The predominant platform for this purpose was Instagram, followed by Snapchat. When participants were queried about the most critical feature of SM for obtaining nutrition information, 63.6% indicated a preference for ease of use, whereas only 12.6% emphasized the importance of information being supported by scientific evidence. A large majority of respondents (93%) disclosed that they shared nutritional information obtained from SM with their friends and family; however, 60% reported that they never shared such information with healthcare providers. Interestingly, over 90% of participants expressed an interest in leveraging SM platforms to communicate with healthcare providers. The leading motivations for using SM for nutrition-related purposes included seeking “healthy eating and recipes” as well as “body weight management.” Additionally, females and individuals actively attempting to lose weight exhibited a higher propensity to engage with SM for nutrition insights (OR:1.94,CI:1.13–3.31; OR:1.62,CI:1.05–2.52, respectively), while those with any health condition were less likely (OR: 0.41,CI: 0.18–0.9).
Conclusions
The study findings showed that the use of SM to access nutritional information is common among young adults. It further highlighted some concerns related to the validity and safe use of the acquired information with little attention to the robustness of the scientific evidence or willingness to discuss the information with healthcare providers. The study presents an opportunity to formulate evidence-based public health interventions to utilize various SM platforms in the promotion of healthy nutrition and lifestyle habits among young adults.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-22158-9.
Keywords: Social media, Nutrition, United Arab Emirates, Young adults
Background
Young adulthood is a critical stage of the lifecycle, wherein prevalent dietary practices are more likely to continue as lifelong habits, affecting not only growth and development but also disease risk later in life [1, 2]. A mounting body of evidence revealed that young adults are progressively adopting unhealthy practices such as consuming lower amounts of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products while consuming alarmingly high levels of fastfood and added sugars, coupled with sedentary lifestyles [3, 4]. A multitude of factors have been implicated in affecting this shift in dietary intake, including the increased reliance on convenient, processed foods, coupled with the ubiquity of fast-food establishments. Additionally, the sedentary nature of contemporary living, compounded by reduced physical activity, has created an environment conducive to poor dietary choices [5] More recently, increased screen time has been consistently reported to be correlated with obesity and diet-related disorders [6]. In this context, social media (SM) emerges as a primary influence of youth’s overall behavior, including dietary habits and practices [7].
SM is defined as any web-based communication channel dedicated to community-based input, content-sharing, and collaboration; encompassing publicly available platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Google and Snapchat [8]. Over 4.7 billion people aged 16 to 64 years, equivalent to 60% of the global population are active SM users [9]. Recently, topics including health, wellness and nutrition are garnering interest amongst SM users with regular postings by health/wellness bloggers and influencers [10]. Within the context of health promotion, SM presents many opportunities including easy exchange of information, formation of supportive online communities, and providing a sense of belonging for those dealing with health challenges [11]. A recent review examining SM use in health promotion reported that various SM outlets demonstrate potential in promoting behavioral change among its users [12]. However, it is important to consider the drawbacks of using SM for health and nutrition promotion, including misinformation/disinformation, unqualified sources in addition to body image issues, especially among the young generation. The recent global pandemic of the COVID-19 showed how SM was used to rapidly spread false claims, unverified advice, and pseudoscientific information, potentially leading individuals to make ill-informed health decisions [13]. Furthermore, the fact that anyone can share their opinions and advice on SM may expose users to health recommendations from individuals without proper training or credentials [14]. As for body image issues, various SM platforms often emphasize unrealistic beauty standards, promoting unhealthy weight loss methods and encouraging extreme diets or unrealistic fitness routines, which could negatively impact mental and physical health [15]. As such, despite the promise of SM to be an important medium for public health interventions, understanding the characteristics of its use, especially among youth is paramount. This emphasis becomes particularly relevant in countries with prevalent diet- and nutrition-related diseases.
Over the last few decades, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced a remarkable shift in its economic landscape. The economic growth coupled with a fast-paced nutrition transition has been characterized by a shift towards the consumption of a more westernized dietary pattern and an increased consumption of energy-dense foods [16]. This nutrition transition has been paralleled by surges in the prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) amongst its population [17]. While NCDs are prevalent across all age groups in UAE, young adults are particularly at risk. In fact, a national cohort study in the UAE examining the prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk factors in 33,000 Emirati men under 30 years found that almost 50% of the Emirati young adults are overweight or obese and 40% exhibited impaired fasting glucose levels [18]. SM use in the UAE has grown dramatically, with 99% of its adults using SM, spending an average of 7.5 h each day on SM platforms, a number that exceeds the average global numbers (64.4% use SM spending an average of 6 h daily) [9]. Thus, the objectives of this study were to examine the characteristics and determinants of using SM for the access of nutrition information in a sample of university students in the UAE. The findings of this study could inform discussions for policy and further research to examine SM as a potential venue for nutrition promotion amongst young adults.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted, between January and May 2022, among students attending the largest national university in the UAE, the University of Sharjah (UoS) [19]. To be eligible for participation, the students had to be registered at UoS during the data collection period, at the Diploma, Bachelor and Masters levels. Students ought to be 18 years of age or older. The protocol and data collection instrument were reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee at the target university (REC-21-03-03-09-S). The invitation email included a brief introduction to the study, its objectives, and the procedures involved. Interested participants were asked to provide electronic informed consent. They were informed that their participation was voluntary and anonymous and that they could choose not to answer any question and withdraw from the study at any time without impacting their status as students at the university.
The following formula was used to calculate the sample size:
 |
where N = sample size, Z = 1.96 (Z statistic for 95% confidence level); P = 0.5 (expected prevalence or proportion in order to account for the maximum possible variability that may be present in the population; 50% event probability was used); d = (margin of error) = 0.05; and N (sample size) = 377 participants [20, 21].
Thus, 377 students were needed to estimate a 50% prevalence of use of SM for nutrition information, assuming a power of 80% and an error margin of 5%. Two waves of reminder emails were sent to attain this sample size. This study was reported according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) for reports of cross- sectional studies (Supplementary Material).
The central administration at the university sent an invitation email to the list of students currently registered from various faculties. Data collection was carried out using a self-administered online questionnaire using Google Forms. The questionnaire was designed following an extensive review and analysis of relevant literature by searching key databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar) using relevant broad search items such as Social media, Nutrition, young adults, United Arab Emirates. A panel of experts - a clinical nutritionist, a nutrition epidemiologist, and a public health researcher qualitatively verified its content validity to ensure that the questions adequately covered the study objectives and to address any issues related to question wording, clarity, and relevance. Following the expert panel’s recommendations regarding the content of the questionnaire, some questions were removed to avoid redundancy, and some were reworded for clarity. To produce a questionnaire that is sensitive to the participants’ experiences capturing their perspectives on the topic, the panel included two students who were currently registered at the university. Initially, the questionnaire was developed in English, translated into Arabic by an expert who was bilingual and whose and fluent in Arabic, then back translated into English by a bilingual expert fluent in English to ensure consistency. The original and back-translated versions were compared to guarantee parallel-form reliability of both English and Arabic versions of the questionnaire.
The link to the questionnaire was inserted into the body of the emails sent to the students. After development, a pilot study was conducted on 10 students to confirm cultural and contextual adaptability. The data collected from the pilot test were not incorporated into this study’s data. The time needed to complete the questionnaire ranged between 10 and 15 min.
The questionnaire consisted of two main sections: sociodemographic information and characteristics of SM use for access to nutritional information. In the first section, information was obtained regarding the respondents’ age, sex, nationality, area of residence, living situation, year at the university, study major, presence of any chronic health condition and crowding index. Crowding index was defined as the average number of people per room, excluding the kitchen and bathroom. The second section of the questionnaire addressed the mode and characteristics of the use of SM for nutrition. Participants were first asked whether they have ever used any form of SM for access to nutritional information (yes, no); if yes, they proceeded to continue the questionnaire; otherwise, they would reach the end of their participation. To inquire about the characteristics of use, the following items were included in this section: the frequency of use, sharing nutrition information obtained from SM with family and friends, applying nutrition information obtained from SM, the most important feature considered when using SM for nutrition, as well as the reasons and the main advantage of using SM for nutrition. Participants were asked if they shared information that they obtained from SM with their healthcare provider and whether they support communicating with their healthcare providers via SM platforms. Participants in the study were asked to evaluate their engagement with a range of SM platforms using a 8-point scale. A rating of 1 indicated minimal usage, while a rating of 8 represented maximum usage. This approach allowed for a nuanced understanding of participants’ social media habits.
Statistical analysis
The sociodemographic variables and the characteristics of SM use for access to nutritional information were presented as frequencies and percentages. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the sociodemographic determinants of SM use for nutrition. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were used, and the results were presented as odds ratio, p-value, and 95% confidence interval (CI). The multiple regression model was adjusted for age, sex, and other variables that showed a p-value greater than 0.2 in the simple regression analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The data analysis was conducted using Stata software version 13 for Windows.
Results
Out of 435 completed Google forms, 400 had complete responses and were included in the final analysis (completion rate: 91.9%). Table 1 summarizes the sociodemographic characteristics of the study population. Almost one-third of the participants (35.2%) were exceeding normal BMI recommended ranges while close to two-thirds (64.5%) were trying to lose weight. Over half of the participants were of Emirati nationality (59%). Furthermore, close to two-thirds of the respondents were of non-health related majors and only 7% had a chronic disease. The comparison of socio-demographic and lifestyle related characteristics between those who use SM for nutrition and those who do not use SM for nutrition showed no significant differences except for sex and those trying to lose weight, whereby a significantly higher proportion of SM use for nutrition was observed among female individuals to male individuals (82.8% vs. 17.2%; p = 0.040) and those actively trying to lose weight (68.6% vs. 31.4%, p = 0.019).
Table 1.
Sociodemographic, dietary and lifestyle characteristics of the study population stratified by SM use for nutrition (n = 400)
| Variable | Total (n = 400) |
Do not use SM for nutrition (n = 139) |
Use SM for nutrition (n = 261) |
p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (Years) | ||||
| ≤ 20 years | 137 (34.3%) | 47 (33.8%) | 90 (34.5%) | 0.893 |
| > 20 years | 263 (65.8%) | 92 (66.2%) | 171 (65.5%) | |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 81 (20.3%) | 36 (25.9%) | 45 (17.2%) | 0.040 |
| Female | 319 (79.8%) | 103 (74.1%) | 216 (82.8%) | |
| Self-Reported Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m 2 ) a | ||||
| Normal | 259 (64.8%) | 87 (62.6%) | 172 (65.9%) | 0.232 |
| Overweight | 83 (20.8%) | 35 (25.2%) | 48 (18.4%) | |
| Obese | 58 (14.5%) | 17 (12.2%) | 41 (15.7%) | |
| Trying to lose weight | ||||
| No | 142 (35.5%) | 60 (43.2%) | 82 (31.4%) | 0.019 |
| Yes | 258 (64.5%) | 79 (56.8%) | 179 (68.6%) | |
| Nationality | ||||
| Emirati | 236 (59%) | 73 (52.5%) | 163 (62.5%) | 0.054 |
| Other | 164 (41%) | 66 (47.5%) | 98 (37.5%) | |
| Place of residence | ||||
| The Emirate of Sharjah | 266 (66.5%) | 87 (62.6%) | 179 (68.6%) | 0.227 |
| Other Emirates | 134 (33.5%) | 52 (37.4%) | 82 (31.4%) | |
| Living with parents | ||||
| Yes | 378 (94.5%) | 130 (93.5%) | 248 (95%) | 0.533 |
| No | 22 (5.5%) | 9 (6.5%) | 13 (5%) | |
| Crowding index b | ||||
| ≤ 1 person per room | 126 (31.5%) | 38 (27.3%) | 88 (33.7%) | 0.191 |
| > 1 person per room | 274 (68.5%) | 101 (72.7%) | 173 (66.3%) | |
| University level | ||||
| First, second or third year | 217 (54.3%) | 74 (53.2%) | 143 (54.8%) | 0.767 |
| Fourth year and above | 183 (45.8%) | 65 (46.8%) | 118 (45.2%) | |
| Major at the university | ||||
| Health-related | 122 (30.5%) | 49 (35.3%) | 73 (28%) | 0.132 |
| Non-health related | 278 (69.5%) | 90 (64.7%) | 188 (72%) | |
| Presence of any chronic health condition | ||||
| No | 372 (93%) | 125 (89.9%) | 247 (94.6%) | 0.079 |
| Yes | 28 (7%) | 14 (10.1%) | 14 (5.4%) |
a The body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight (kg)/height (m2), and classified accordingly into normal (18.5–24.9), overweight (25.0–29.9), and obese (> 30 kg/m2) [22]
b Crowding index was defined as the average number of people per room, excluding the kitchen and bathroom
The rating of frequency of use of various SM platforms, using a scale of 1–8, whereby a rating of 1 indicated minimal usage, while a rating of 8 represented maximum usage, showed that Instagram ranked first (7.74), Snapchat second (7.07), followed by communication apps (6.88), YouTube (6.03), TikTok (4.17), Twitter (4.15), and Facebook (1.09). (Fig. 1)
Fig. 1.
SM platforms used by participants to obtain nutritional information
Table 2 includes a detailed description of the use of SM for nutrition, which was reported by 261 participants (65.2%). Almost half of the participants (47.9%) reported knowing about SM for nutrition outlets from personal knowledge. Half of the study respondents (55.2%) reported always sharing information from SM for nutrition with family and friends. Most respondents (91.2%) encouraged the use of SM platforms in communicating with their health care provider. However, only 23% reported sharing the nutrition information from SM with health care providers. Participants who used SM while searching for tips for healthy eating and recipes and body weight management comprise 64% and 62.1% of the population, respectively. The most important features when using SM for nutritional information were “easy to use” (63.6%), “free of charge” (12.6%), and “supported by scientific evidence” (12.6%). The main advantage of using SM for nutrition, as reported by more than half of the participants (52.5%), was accessibility. (Table 2).
Table 2.
Description of social media use for nutrition (n = 261)
| Frequency | Valid Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Use of Social media (SM) for nutritional information | ||
| No | 139 | 34.8% |
| Yes | 261 | 65.2% |
| How did you know about the social media (SM) for nutrition outlet? | ||
| Self | 125 | 47.9% |
| Family & Friends | 95 | 36.4% |
| Health care providers | 37 | 14.2% |
| Others | 4 | 1.5% |
| How often do you use SM for nutrition per week? a | ||
| ≤ 1 time | 116 | 45% |
| 2–4 times | 105 | 40.7% |
| ≥ 5 times | 37 | 14.3% |
| Missing | 3 | |
| Do you share the information from SM for nutrition with others (family and friends)? | ||
| Never | 18 | 6.9% |
| Sometimes | 99 | 37.9% |
| Always | 144 | 55.2% |
| Do you share nutrition information from SM with healthcare provider? | ||
| Never | 157 | 60.2% |
| Sometimes | 44 | 16.8% |
| Always | 60 | 23.0% |
| Do you encourage the use of SM platforms in communicating with your healthcare provider? | ||
| No | 23 | 8.8% |
| Yes | 238 | 91.2% |
| What was/were reasons for using the SM for nutrition? | ||
| Healthy eating and recipes | 167 | 64% |
| Body weight management (increase or decrease) | 162 | 62.1% |
| Fitness and physical activity | 147 | 56.3% |
| Do you apply any of the nutrition advice from SM? | ||
| Never | 26 | 10% |
| Sometimes | 136 | 52.1% |
| Always | 99 | 37.9% |
| When using SM for nutrition, what is the most important feature? | ||
| Easy to use | 166 | 63.6% |
| Free of charge | 33 | 12.6% |
| Supported by scientific evidence | 33 | 12.6% |
| Has high ratings | 13 | 5% |
| Recommended by trusted others | 16 | 6.2% |
| What is the main advantage of using SM for nutrition? | ||
| Accessible | 137 | 52.5% |
| Quick | 60 | 23% |
| Affordable | 23 | 8.8% |
| Convenient | 41 | 15.7% |
a Total number does not total to 261 as this question had three missing responses
The sociodemographic determinants of SM use for nutrition are presented in Table 3. The adjusted results showed that being a female and trying to lose weight were predictors of SM use for nutrition. Females were almost 2 times as likely (OR:1.94) to use SM as compared to males, while those trying to lose weight were 1.6 times as likely (OR:1.62) to use SM. On the other hand, participants with any health condition are 60% less likely to use SM for nutrition.
Table 3.
Sociodemographic determinants of social media use for nutrition (n = 400)
| Crude model | Adjusted model | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR | p-value | 95% CI | OR | p-value | 95% CI | |
| Age (Years) | ||||||
| ≤ 20 years | 1 | 1 | ||||
| > 20 years | 0.97 | 0.893 | (0.63–1.5) | 1.04 | 0.866 | (0.66–1.64) |
| Sex of the Participant | ||||||
| Male | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Female | 1.68 | 0.041 | (1.02–2.76) | 1.94 | 0.016 | (1.13–3.31) |
| Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m 2 ) a | ||||||
| Normal | 1 | |||||
| Overweight | 0.69 | 0.157 | (0.42–1.15) | |||
| Obese | 1.22 | 0.531 | (0.66–2.27) | |||
| Trying to lose weight | ||||||
| No | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Yes | 1.66 | 0.02 | (1.08–2.54) | 1.62 | 0.031 | (1.05–2.52) |
| Nationality | ||||||
| Emirati | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Other | 0.66 | 0.055 | (0.44–1.01) | 0.85 | 0.55 | (0.51–1.44) |
| Place of residence | ||||||
| Sharjah | 1 | |||||
| Other | 0.77 | 0.227 | (0.5–1.18) | |||
| Living with parents | ||||||
| Yes | 1 | |||||
| No | 0.76 | 0.534 | (0.32–1.82) | |||
| Crowding index b | ||||||
| ≤ 1 person per room | 1 | 1 | ||||
| > 1 person per room | 0.74 | 0.192 | (0.47–1.16) | 0.74 | 0.21 | (0.46–1.19) |
| University level | ||||||
| First, second or third year | 1 | |||||
| Fourth year and above | 0.94 | 0.767 | (0.62–1.42) | |||
| Major at the university | ||||||
| Health related | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Non health related | 1.4 | 0.133 | (0.9–2.18) | 1.39 | 0.253 | (0.79–2.42) |
| Presence of any chronic health condition | ||||||
| No | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Yes | 0.51 | 0.084 | (0.23–1.09) | 0.41 | 0.027 | (0.18–0.9) |
a The body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight (kg)/height (m2), and classified accordingly into normal (18.5–24.9), overweight (25.0–29.9), and obese (> 30 kg/m2) [22]
b Crowding index was defined as the average number of people per room, excluding the kitchen and bathroom
Discussion
This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of SM use for nutrition and its sociodemographic correlates amongst young adults in the UAE. The findings of this study highlighted a prevalent and frequent use of SM for nutrition amongst students with Instagram being the most widely used. Users are mainly self-referred and frequently share the information that they obtain with their families and friends. Of concern was the fact that over 50% of participants never shared or validated nutrition information obtained from SM with the healthcare provider and that only 12% indicated that scientific evidence was an important criterion for this information. Searching for healthy tips and recipes and managing body weight were found to be common reasons for using SM for nutrition in the study population. Being of female sex and trying to lose weight were found to be predictors for SM use for nutrition.
The findings of this study indicated a widespread use of SM among young adults as depicted by the fact that two in three (65.2%) participants utilized SM to obtain nutrition information. Furthermore, a substantial 93% of participants reported sharing online nutrition information with friends and family. Such a prevalent use has also been described by other studies [23]. More specifically, studies from the United States and South Africa reported that 67% and 69% of adults, respectively, utilized SM for nutrition, and health/wellness information [24].
Among SM platforms investigated for SM use for nutritional information and advice, Instagram ranked first followed by Snapchat and then YouTube. Likewise, other studies investigated the engagement of young adults with health-related information on social media showed that Instagram, followed by YouTube, are the most frequently utilized SM platforms [23]. Instagram with its visual feature, allows its users to search, as well as post photos of healthy meals, recipes, and tips resulting in a more active user engagement [25]. By offering an exciting and evocative visual platform, Instagram shows promise for use towards health and nutrition promotion targeted in particular, towards young adults.
The results of this study shed light on a few disconcerting findings with regards to key factors that young adults consider when using SM for access to nutritional information. Specifically, ease of use was among the most important features of SM, chosen by 64% of study participants while only 12% considered scientific evidence as a critical factor when using SM for nutrition. These findings are in line with a study exploring the user engagement on SM platforms in the UAE which found that ‘ease of use’ has a strong influence on young adults’ intention to use SM for health and wellness information [23]. Similarly, a previous study from Ghana revealed that 78% of the study population did not inquire about the scientific evidence and trustworthiness of nutrition information sourced from SM [26]. Many SM accounts sharing nutrition-related information often remain unclear regarding credentials of the poster and source of information posted. Such a situation calls for monitoring of the accuracy of nutrition information published in SM [23].
In this study, the users’ lack of concern for scientific rigor is further exacerbated by the marginal role of health care providers, whereby only 14% of the participants indicated that their choice for SM use for nutrition is guided by health care providers. Moreover, a concerning 60% of the surveyed population affirm that they did not vet online nutrition-related information by their health care provider. This puts the young adult at considerable risk given that much of the information perpetuated through social media is misconstrued and false. The spread of misinformation in the healthcare field has been discussed in length in literature, more recently evident during the COVID-19 pandemic whereby misinformation led to the adoption of unsafe behaviours directed against masks and vaccines [27].
Another issue that exacerbates the current problem of misinformation, is the application of social media as a marketing platform for food and various other products. Various brands seek promotional relationships with SM influencers because of their reach and impact. Young adults consuming content via SM influencers are more likely to adopt similar behaviors many of which lack scientific evidence base. For instance, research shows how SM influencers promote products such as e-cigarettes [28] and weight loss supplements [29] with dubious origins for monetary compensation on SM platforms that are popular among young adults. Hence, it is warranted that health care professionals leverage SM platforms to counteract spread of misinformation and engage young adults with correct health information online by harnessing captivating content, infographics, pictures and videos [30].
The current study highlighted a few sociodemographic correlates of SM use for nutrition namely, female sex, attempts at losing weight and presence of health conditions. In fact, women in this study are almost two times more likely to use SM for access to nutritional information. This finding corroborates with a study in the UAE that showed females exhibited a higher inclination to use social media for accessing health-related information compared to their male counterparts (72% of females to 28% of males) [23]. The current study also showed positive correlations between weight loss attempts and SM usage. This result is in line with a previous study where participants received nutrition information, shared experiences, accountability and friendly competition when engaging in SM platforms [31]. In this study, participants with health conditions were less likely to use SM for nutrition. This is expected as when individuals become sick, they rely more on healthcare providers and follow the physician’s advice [23].
The findings of this study highlight several important implications and directions for future research. Given Instagram’s popularity among young adults as a source of nutritional information, future studies should explore platform-specific strategies, such as leveraging unique features like Instagram Stories, Reels, or interactive polls to disseminate evidence-based content effectively. For instance, a study exploring the effectiveness of nutrition education regarding consumption of risky foods (excess sugar, salt and fat) in students found that Instagram significantly improved knowledge scores regarding risky food consumption [32]. There is also a critical need to address the apparent lack of prioritization for scientific evidence in social media content, potentially through educational campaigns targeting media literacy and algorithmic adjustments to promote validated sources of information. Longitudinal research could provide insights into how sustained use of social media for nutrition impacts dietary behaviors and health outcomes over time, particularly among young adults seeking to manage body weight or adopt healthier eating habits. Additionally, interventions should focus on at-risk groups, such as individuals with health conditions, who may be less likely to seek nutritional information on social media due to barriers like perceived irrelevance or distrust. These findings underscore the opportunity for healthcare professionals to utilize social media actively, creating engaging, visually compelling, and credible content to counteract the spread of misinformation and connect with young audiences effectively [33]. Furthermore, policymakers should collaborate with platform developers to implement regulations ensuring transparency regarding content creators’ credentials and sources of information. This could include mandating labels to verify credible accounts, flagging unsubstantiated claims, or introducing disclaimers for posts with unverified nutritional advice. To promote accountability, governments and health organizations could partner with social media platforms to establish guidelines that limit the spread of misinformation and incentivize evidence-based content through visibility algorithms. Public health initiatives can also harness the peer-sharing dynamics prevalent on social media by encouraging the dissemination of credible, evidence-based nutrition information among young adults. Collectively, these approaches could maximize the potential of social media as a tool for promoting accurate and impactful nutritional guidance while mitigating the risks associated with misinformation.
A few limitations ought to be considered in the interpretation of the study findings. First, the cross-sectional nature of the data limited our ability to establish directionality. Second, there is a possibility of self-selection bias since a self-reported instrument was used to collect data; participants who were interested in SM use were more likely to participate. Lastly, the sample in this study is not representative of all young adults in the UAE and larger studies with national representation are warranted. The sample population was recruited from one university and hence limiting the generalizability of the findings. However, it is important to note that the university is the largest university in the country, hosting students from all the seven emirates of the federation, as evidenced by the distribution of the area of residence of the study participants. Additionally, the study sample was stratified in terms of nationality and included participants from various economic strata as reflected by the distribution of the crowding index. That said, it remains important to note that the sample in this study is not representative of all young adults in the UAE and larger studies with national representation are warranted.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the results of this study revealed a prevalent and frequent use of SM for nutrition among young adults in the UAE, with Instagram being the most used SM platform. This use addressed healthy dietary eating and body weight management and was mainly driven by the high accessibility of such information. However, the study also highlighted a couple of concerning findings whereby young adults do not seem to share the information that they obtained with healthcare providers and are less keen to evaluate the scientific rigor of this information. Taken together, the results of this study may provide evidence for the development of effective interventions using SM, tackling the rise in nutrition related diseases like obesity and NCDs in the UAE. Study findings further underscore an opportunity to regulate and validate nutrition and health related information posted on SM platforms while ensuring transparency, a challenging task that requires a concerted effort to ensure the health and safety of SM users. This study highlights the need for platform-specific strategies, such as leveraging Instagram’s features to disseminate evidence-based nutrition content. Addressing the lack of prioritization for scientific evidence through media literacy campaigns and algorithmic adjustments is crucial. Future research should explore the long-term impact of social media on dietary behaviors, while healthcare professionals and policymakers should collaborate to enhance content transparency and counter misinformation effectively. Ultimately, integrating these efforts can safeguard against misinformation while encouraging healthier behaviors.
Electronic Supplementary Material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Acknowledgements
Not applicable.
Abbreviations
- SM
Social Media
- UAE
United Arab Emirates
- NCDs
Non–Communicable Diseases
- BMI
Body Mass Index
Author contributions
FN, MH, DN, HA, RA, and YA: conceptualization. SK: wrote initial draft of manuscript. DN, HA, RA, YA: data collection and cleaning. FN and NA: statistical analysis of the data, writing the initial results. FN and SK: interpretation of the results. MH, MA, FN: Provided critical review of the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
No funds, grants, or other support was received.
Data availability
Data are available upon reasonable request addressed to the corresponding author (Dr Farah Naja: fnaja@sharjah.ac.ae).
Declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
The protocol and data collection instrument were reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee at the university (REC-21-03-03-09-S). Interested participants were asked to provide electronic informed consent. They were informed that their participation was voluntary and anonymous and that they could choose not to answer any question and withdraw from the study at any time without impacting their status as students at the university.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Footnotes
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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Associated Data
This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.
Supplementary Materials
Data Availability Statement
Data are available upon reasonable request addressed to the corresponding author (Dr Farah Naja: fnaja@sharjah.ac.ae).