PD424 - A DASH OF MISINFORMATION: EVALUATING THE QUALITY AND RELIABILITY OF INSTAGRAM CONTENT TAGGED WITH #DASHDIET

PD424

A DASH OF MISINFORMATION: EVALUATING THE QUALITY AND RELIABILITY OF INSTAGRAM CONTENT TAGGED WITH #DASHDIET

A. Beşparmak^1,*, G. Saban Bozan¹, E. K. Küçüksüllü¹

¹Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri, Türkiye

Rationale: This study aimed to evaluate the quality, reliability, and content of Instagram posts related to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.

Methods: A content analysis was conducted on Instagram posts shared under the hashtag #dashdiet. A total of 500 posts were screened, and after the exclusion process, 257 posts were included in the final analysis. Content quality and reliability were assessed by two nutritionists using the Global Quality Score (GQS), the modified DISCERN tool, the Audiovisual Quality (AVQ) score, and a 10-item DASH checklist.

Results: The GQS, m-DISCERN, AVQ, and checklist scores were 2 (1–3), 2 (1–3), 2 (1–2), and 7 (4–9), respectively. Significant differences were observed across uploader types (p<0.05), with posts by dietitians showing higher GQS, m-DISCERN, and checklist scores compared with personal accounts. A strong positive correlation between GQS and m-DISCERN (r=0.716, p<0.001) and between GQS and checklist scores (r=0.727, p<0.001), and a moderate positive correlation between GQS and AVQ scores (r=0.532, p<0.001). Moderate positive correlations were also observed between m-DISCERN and AVQ (r=0.454, p<0.001), m-DISCERN and checklist score (r=0.527, p<0.001), and AVQ and checklist scores (r=0.513, p<0.001). According to the DASH checklist, information on daily intake targets or portion recommendations was absent in 75.9% of the posts, while sodium restriction was not mentioned in 51.0%.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that DASH-related Instagram content is generally low in quality and reliability, often lacking key practical information. They highlight the need for more accurate, evidence-based nutrition content and emphasize the importance of expert-generated information.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared