Accuracy of Nutrition-Related Awareness Messages on Twitter (Rebranded as X) by the Nutrition Awareness Providers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Validity Content Analysis.

Abstract

Background: With the increasing use of social media, platforms like Twitter (rebranded as X in 2023) have become popular channels for disseminating health information. In Saudi Arabia, Twitter is widely used, making it an effective tool for health awareness. However, the accuracy of nutrition-related content on social media is often questioned.

Objective: The study aims to evaluate the accuracy and evidence-based quality of nutrition-related tweets posted by reputable Saudi health and nutrition awareness providers.

Methods: A mixed methods content analysis was conducted on tweets published by 7 Saudi health organizations, examining content in Arabic and English over 12 months. Nutrition-related tweets were analyzed for accuracy, popularity, and evidence inclusion by a panel of experts in clinical nutrition, food science, and technology.

Results: A total of 531 nutrition-related tweets were included in the study. Findings indicate that 445 (84%) of the tweets were accurate, of which only 17 (4%) included cited evidence. Yet, only 13 (2%) were inaccurate. The highest number of tweets are from Saudi Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) 96 (18%), Gulf Health Council (GHC) 91 (17%), Saudi Society for Clinical Nutrition (SSCN) 89 (16%), Kayl Association for Combating Obesity 83 (16%) and National Nutrition Committee (NNC) 80 (15%) and the lowest is Ministry of Health (MOH) 31 (5%). Significant relationships were observed between tweet accuracy and the source organization (P=.009, 95% CI 0.008-0.01), content type (P=.03, 95% CI 0.03-0.03), and tweet timing (P=.04, 95% CI 0.04-0.04). Governmental sources had higher popularity and were more frequently accurate compared to nongovernmental sources.

Conclusions: Reputable Twitter accounts in Saudi Arabia generally provide accurate nutrition-related content, though evidence citation is minimal. Users are encouraged to rely on reputable accounts for health information, and further research is suggested to explore the quality of evidence in such posts.