JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The advent of the internet has changed the landscape of available nutrition information. However, little is known about people’s information seeking behavior toward healthy eating and its potential consequences.

Objective:

We aimed to examine the prevalence and correlates of nutrition information seeking from various online and offline media sources.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study included 5998 Japanese adults aged 20–79 years who participated in an online questionnaire survey between February and March 2023. The dependent variable was the regular use of each online and offline media as a reliable source of nutrition information. The main independent variables included health literacy, food literacy, and diet quality, which were assessed using validated tools, as well as sociodemographic factors (sex, age, education level, and nutrition- and health-related occupation).

Results:

The top source of nutrition information was television (1973/5998, 32.9%), followed by web search (1333/5998, 22.2%), specific websites (e.g., government and medical manufacturers; 997/5998, 16.6%), newspapers (901/5998, 15.0%), books/magazines (697/5998, 11.6%), and video sites (e.g., YouTube; 634/5998, 10.6%). Multivariable logistic regression showed that higher health literacy was associated with higher odds of using all of the individual sources examined. In contrast, food literacy was inversely associated with the use of television and web search, although it was positively associated with using the use of all other sources. Furthermore, diet quality was positively associated with the use of specific websites, newspapers, and books/magazines only. Being female was associated with using television, while being male was associated with using specific websites, newspapers, and video sites. Age was positively associated with using newspapers and inversely with using specific websites and video sites; web search was more likely to be conducted by middle-aged people (40-59 years). People with higher education were more likely to refer to specific websites and newspapers but less likely to use television and video sites. Dietitians were more likely to use specific websites and books/magazines than the general public but less likely to use television and video sites.

Conclusions:

We identified various online and offline media sources regularly used by Japanese adults when seeking nutrition information. Each media source had unique correlates (except for health literacy), suggesting differences in potential users, relevant topics, and optimal information dissemination strategies between media sources. A lack of positive associations between use of the top two major sources (television and web search) and food literacy and diet quality has been highlighted, while positive associations for the use of specific websites, newspapers, and books/magazines suggest that these are important sources of nutrition information. Despite the cross-sectional nature of this study, these findings provide useful insights into the potential for developing and disseminating evidence-based health promotion materials. Clinical Trial: Not applicable