Table 1.
Codes applied to tweets with the hashtag “#heartfailure” in a landscape analysis of social media content related to nutrition and heart failure.
| Category | Code | Definition | Number of tweets (%) with code n (%) |
Number of tweets (%) with code except frequent user’s tweets n (%) |
P value of one sample t-test by comparing frequency with and without frequent user’s tweets |
| Message content –What is the tweet discussing? |
|
N=294 | N=209 |
|
|
| Awareness | Raising awareness of heart failure including its prevalence and/or risk factors | 166 (56.5%) | 95 (45.5%) | .002 | |
| Patient support | Messages of support for patients with heart failure or support systems | 97 (33.0%) | 21 (10.0%) | <.001 | |
| HFb research | Research related to HF | 81 (27.6%) | 81 (38.8%) | .001 | |
| HF symptoms | Symptoms of HF such as fluid overload and shortness of breath. Also includes side effects and related conditions | 79 (26.9%) | 51 (24.4%) | .40 | |
| HF outcomes | Outcomes of HF or HF treatments or research, may include mention of hospital re-admissions | 68 (23.1%) | 68 (32.5%) | .004 | |
| HF management | Standard strategies for management of heart failure not specific to nutrition or exercise or medication. Novel strategies will more often fall under research. | 58 (19.7%) | 58 (27.8%) | .01 | |
| Event | Advertising a specific event either for fundraising or a course opportunity | 47 (16.0%) | 28 (13.4%) | .27 |
|
| HF medication | Medications used to treat HF | 34 (11.6%) | 34 (16.3%) | .07 | |
| Exercise | Exercise for HF including cardiac rehab programs | 30 (10.2%) | 14 (6.7%) | .045 | |
| Fundraising | Raising money for heart failure research or charity | 23 (7.8%) | 6 (2.9%) | <.001 | |
| Not relevant | Message is not relevant to HF | 17 (5.8%) | 17 (8.1%) | .22 | |
| Other | Other message content related to HF | 15 (5.1%) | 15 (7.2%) | .25 | |
| HF nutrition (general or other) | Nutrition requirements or restrictions for HF or mention of a dietitian in relation to HF. Use only if the subsequent specific codes cannot be used. | 12 (4.1%) | 12 (5.7%) | .31 |
|
| HF sodium restrictiona | Sodium restrictions for patients with HF | 10 (3.4%) | 10 (4.8%) | .35 | |
| HF fluid restrictiona | Fluid restriction for patients with HF | 6 (2.0%) | 6 (2.9%) | .71 | |
| HF energy needsa | Energy need for patients with HF | 1 (0.3%) | 1 (0.5%) | .71 | |
| HF dietary supplementsa | Dietary supplement products for patients with HF | 1 (0.3%) | 1 (0.5%) | .71 | |
| HF alcohola | Use or misuse of alcohol in the context of HF | 0 | 0 |
|
|
| HF protein needsa | Protein needs for patients with HF | 0 | 0 |
|
|
| Source–who posted the tweet? Identified using information in the tweet or the author’s profile |
|
n=277 | n=192 |
|
|
| Professional, government, patient advocacy organization, or charity | Non-profit, charity, government organization, dedicated to a disease or condition or professionals related to that condition. Generally but not always specific to HF. | 112 (40.4%) | 70 (36.5%) | .26 | |
| Patient or family | Patient with HF or family member of a patient with HF, or someone who identifies as being at risk of HF | 105 (37.9%) | 28 (14.6%) | <.001 | |
| Other | A poster who has identifiable characteristics that are not described above | 81 (29.2%) | 81 (42.2%) | <.001 | |
| Provider or hospital group | A hospital or medical care organization that includes more than one practitioner | 25 (9.0%) | 25 (13.0%) | .10 | |
| Individual physician | A physician who is posting on his own rather than as part of an organization | 16 (5.8%) | 16 (8.3%) | .21 | |
| Industry | Entity selling a product relevant to HF | 14 (5.1%) | 14 (7.3%) | .25 | |
| Other individual provider | Another health care professional who is posting on his own rather than as part of an organization | 8 (2.9%) | 8 (4.2%) | .38 | |
| Unable to identify | The characteristics of the poster cannot be determined | 3 (1.1%) | 3 (1.6%) | .53 | |
| Individual RDN | A dietitian who is posting on their own rather than as part of an organization | 1 (0.4%) | 1 (0.5%) | .82 | |
| Target audience–who is the message’s intended reader? Identified using information in the tweet or hashtags |
|
n=277 | n=192 |
|
|
| Unable to identify | The characteristics of the audience cannot be determined | 111 (40.1%) | 81 (42.2%) | .64 | |
| Other | Audience who has identifiable characteristics that are not described above | 55 (19.9%) | 25(13.0%) | .004 | |
| Patient or family | Patient with HF or family member of a patient with HF, or someone who identifies as being at risk of HF | 49 (17.7%) | 44 (22.9%) | .10 | |
| Other individual provider | Another health care professional who is posting on his own rather than as part of an organization | 23 (8.3%) | 10 (5.2%) | .05 | |
| Professional, government, patient advocacy organization, or charity | Nonprofit or government organization dedicated to a disease or condition or professionals related to that condition. Generally but not always specific to HF. | 18 (6.5%) | 14 (7.3%) | .70 | |
| Individual physician | A physician who is posting on his own rather than as part of an organization | 21 (7.6%) | 15 (7.8%) | .95 | |
| Provider or hospital group | A hospital or medical care organization that includes more than one practitioner | 7 (2.5 %) | 7 (3.6%) | .41 | |
| Industry | Entity selling a product relevant to heart failure | 2 (0.7%) | 2 (1.0%) | .65 | |
| Individual RDN | A dietitian who is posting on his own rather than as part of an organization | 1 (0.4%) | 1 (0.5%) | .82 | |
aIndicates the recommendations from the Academy’s EBNPG for HF on that topic
bHF: heart failure.