Kostråd på internet
En tva?rsnittsstudie bland unga vuxna
AimThe study aims were to identify young adults? sources of nutritional advice on the Internet and how they perceive the credibility of these. The study also aimed at exploring young adults' knowledge of national recommendations issued by the National Food Agency.MethodA web-based survey was distributed on the social media platform Facebook. The questionnaire contained a total of 14 questions regarding online nutritional advice and its credibility. Finally, it requested the respondent's knowledge and credibility of the national nutritional recommendations. The survey quickly gained a large spread and 302 respondents between 20 and 30 years old took part in the survey.ResultsThe study results showed that 59 percent of the respondents were looking for nutritional advice on the Internet, with a larger proportion of women than men. In addition, the women searched more frequently. The main sources of nutritional advice were blogs. The perceived credibility of blogs was relatively high. The primary purpose of searching for nutritional advice on the Internet was weight loss for women and muscle increase for men. The study also showed that 67 percent of the respondents were aware of the nutritional recommendations by the National Food Agency.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the Internet is a powerful tool in the creation of young adults? identity and also in influencing their view of healthy eating habits. It is of significant importance for the future of public health authorities that they must understand and find their role in the modern information society.