Exploring the Influence of Social Media–Driven Nutrition Misinformation on Dietary Practices: A Qualitative Study
Influence of Social Media–Driven Nutrition Misinformation on Dietary Practices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54393/df.v7i01.201Keywords:
Social Media, Nutrition Misinformation, Dietary Behaviors, Young Adults, Digital Health Literacy, Influencers, Fad DietsAbstract
The use of social media like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube has changed how young adults get nutrition information. But uncontrolled content usually propagates false information that can be applicable to food habits and well-being. Objectives: To study the effects of social media on the dietary beliefs and practices of young adults in Pakistan, the prevalent forms of nutrition misinformation are to be identified, and how users rate the information they find online and react to influencer recommendations. Methods: Miniature thematic analysis qualitative examination was utilized in 20 young adults (1932 years old) enlisted into the University of the Punjab, Lahore. The university was chosen since it is a symbol of a number of students whose population is quite large, and due to its diversity, it enabled access to young adults who are active social media users. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out either face to face or through the internet, tape recorded, and transcribed word for word. The thematic method of data analysis was based on the six-step method by Braun and Clarke. Results: Five major themes emerged. Participants often used the advice of influencers on nutrition, evaluated credibility with popularity but not evidence, and were in doubt after receiving conflicting information. Purchasing high-dose vitamin D supplements without a previous diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency had been reported another time. Conclusions: Social media has a tremendous influence on dietary beliefs and behaviors by transmitting nutrition misinformation amongst young adults in Pakistan.
References
1. Ventola CL. Social Media and Health Care Professionals: Benefits, Risks, and Best Practices. Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2014 Jul; 39(7): 491.
2. Merchant RM and Lurie N. Social Media and Emergency Preparedness in Response to Novel Coronavirus. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2020 May; 323(20). doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.4469.
3. Laato S, Islam AN, Islam MN, Whelan E. What Drives Unverified Information Sharing and Cyberchondria During the COVID-19 Pandemic? European Journal of Information Systems. 2020 May; 29(3): 288-305. doi: 10.1080/0960085X.2020.1770632.
4. Clemente-Suárez VJ, Navarro-Jiménez E, Simón-Sanjurjo JA, Beltran-Velasco AI, Laborde-Cárdenas CC, Benítez-Agudelo JC et al. Mis–Disinformation in the COVID-19 Health Crisis: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022 Apr; 19(9): 5321. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095321.
5. Chou WY, Oh A, Klein WM. Addressing Health-Related Misinformation on Social Media. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2018 Dec; 320(23): 2417-8. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.16865.
6. Dumas AA and Desroches S. Women’s Use of Social Media: What Is the Evidence About Their Impact on Weight Management and Body Image? Current Obesity Reports. 2019 Mar; 8(1): 18-32. doi: 10.1007/s13679-019-0324-4.
7. Capocasa M, Venier D, Venier B, Chiarla C. Exploring Nutritional Myths and Fake News: Impact and Counteractions. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. 2026 Jan: 102947. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2026.102947.
8. Farooq I and Saleem J. Understanding the Trends and Implications of Vitamin B12 Supplementation in Lahore, Pakistan: An Exploratory Study: Understanding the Trends and Implications of Vitamin B12 Supplementation. Pakistan BioMedical Journal. 2024 Sep: 21-6. doi: 10.54393/pbmj.v7i09.1271.
9. Cerolini S, Nowicki GP, Rodgers RF. The Interplay Between Social Media Use, Poor Sleep, and Disordered Eating: A Narrative Review. Cogent Mental Health. 2025 Dec; 4(1): 2594799. doi: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2594799.
10. Tiggemann M and Zaccardo M. ‘Strong is the New Skinny’: A Content Analysis of Fitspiration Images on Instagram. Journal of Health Psychology. 2018 Jul; 23(8): 1003-11. doi: 10.1177/1359105316639436.
11. Qutteina Y, Hallez L, Raedschelders M, De Backer C, Smits T. Food for Teens: How Social Media Is Associated with Adolescent Eating Outcomes. Public Health Nutrition. 2022 Feb; 25(2): 290-302.
12. Katool HM. College Students Fail to Identify Nutrition Misinformation on Social Media. 2022.
13. Nadeem A, Yousaf S, Shafait H, Bacha U, Khan R. Research Article Association Between Social Media Usage and Eating Behaviors of Young Adults in Pakistan. International Journal of Pharmacy and Integrated Health Sciences. 2023; 4 (2). doi: 10.56536/ijpihs.v4i2.102.
14. Ali J, Bukhari SF, Shahzad RA. Food for Loss: Social Media Food Vlogging and Dietary Trends of Generation Z. Pakistan Social Sciences Review. 2025 Jul; 9(3): 190-201.
15. Sajjad W, Samiullah M, Anar K, Mushtaq M, Habib A. Nutritional Adequacy in Association with Social Media Use among University Students. Frontier in Medical and Health Research. 2025; 3(6).
16. Safdar G and Bibi M. Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Dietary Decision-Making and Nutritional Patterns. The Regional Tribune. 2025 Mar; 4(1): 22-30. doi: 10.63062/trt/WR25.052.
17. Clarke V and Braun V. Thematic Analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2017 May; 12(3): 297-8. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1262613.
18. De Veirman M, Cauberghe V, Hudders L. Marketing Through Instagram Influencers: The Impact of Number of Followers and Product Divergence on Brand Attitude. International Journal of Advertising. 2017 Sep; 36(5): 798-828. doi: 10.1080/02650487.2017.1348035.
19. Abidin C and Ots M. Influencers Tell All. Unravelling Authenticity and Credibility in a Brand Scandal. 2016 Jan: 153-61.
20. Djafarova E and Rushworth C. Exploring the Credibility of Online Celebrities' Instagram Profiles in Influencing the Purchase Decisions of Young Female Users. Computers In Human Behavior. 2017 Mar; 68: 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.11.009/
21. Nagler RH. Adverse Outcomes Associated with Media Exposure to Contradictory Nutrition Messages. Journal of Health Communication. 2014 Jan; 19(1): 24-40. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2013.798384.
22. Simonovic N and Taber JM. Psychological Impact of Ambiguous Health Messages About COVID-19. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 2022 Apr; 45(2): 159-71. doi: 10.1007/s10865-021-00266-2.
23. Kington RS, Arnesen S, Chou WY, Curry SJ, Lazer D, Villarruel AM. Identifying Credible Sources of Health Information in Social Media: Principles and Attributes. National Academy of Medicine Perspectives. 2021 Jul; 2021: 10-31478. doi: 10.31478/202107a.
24. Holland G and Tiggemann M. A Systematic Review of the Impact of the Use of Social Networking Sites on Body Image and Disordered Eating Outcomes. Body Image. 2016 Jun; 17: 100-10. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.02.008.
25. Dickinson A, MacKay D, Wong A. Consumer Attitudes About the Role of Multivitamins and Other Dietary Supplements: Report of a Survey. Nutrition Journal. 2015 Dec; 14(1): 66. doi: 10.1186/s12937-015-0053-9.
26. Chu-Ko F, Chong ML, Chung CJ, Chang CC, Liu HY, Huang LC. Exploring the Factors Related to Adolescent Health Literacy, Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile, and Health Status. BioMed Central Public Health. 2021 Dec; 21(1): 2196. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-12239-w.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 DIET FACTOR (Journal of Nutritional and Food Sciences)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an open-access journal and all the published articles / items are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. For comments
